Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California Statement on SCOTUS Decisions
June 30, 2023
Jennifer Wonnacott
SACRAMENTO—Statement from Jodi Hicks, CEO/President of Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California, on the Supreme Court ruling on discrimination and the First Amendment:
“It is alarming and infuriating that the Supreme Court has issued a decision that contravenes states’ ability to protect LGBTQIA+ communities from discrimination and enforce other civil rights laws. The Court’s six Republican-appointed justices ignore a simple truth: LGBTQIA+ people deserve to be full and equal members of our communities. The conservative majority has selectively expanded precedent that allows for discrimination against LGBTQIA+ people and sacrificed the right to be treated equally in public life. There should never be a constitutional protection for discrimination.
“We continue to face unrelenting attacks on our basic freedoms. It remains clear that this unbalanced court has been weaponized to advance dangerous agendas against abortion rights, voting rights, LGBTQIA+ rights, and so much more. As Justice Sotomayor rightly points out in her dissent, fighting for justice is all too often met with backlash. Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California will continue to advocate so that our state’s laws work to protect our rights and freedoms, even when the Supreme Court majority will not.”
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