I am excited to kick off the New Year by bringing the building strength and momentum of 2020 to the 4th annual New Hampshire Women’s Rally on Saturday, January 18th. I am standing up for reproductive rights and rallying against the Trump administration’s vicious attacks on reproductive health care. I am relentlessly tired of our out-of-touch legislators taking away one’s right to decide whether or not to be pregnant. Abortion care is health care and an attack on reproductive rights is an attack on human rights.
As a Planned Parenthood patient and advocate, I am alarmed and infuriated by the growing number of abortion bans seen this past year and by the Title X gag rule that pushed family planning organizations like Planned Parenthood out of the Title X Program. There are more than 4 million patients nationwide who rely on this funding to receive affordable care. Forcing Planned Parenthood out of Title X Program leaves these patients without access to reproductive health services, including birth control, STI testing and treatment, and cancer screenings. I’m thankful that the leadership in the New Hampshire legislature was able to pass a budget that protects our state’s patients from the effects of the gag rule.
The American public can see the ricochet effect of these attacks right down to the state and local level -- from the closing of two Planned Parenthood health centers in Ohio to several bills introduced in New Hampshire this session that would ban abortion outright or limit one’s ability to access abortion services. We need to send the message loud and clear to our legislators that we will not tolerate these unprecedented attacks on reproductive rights.
This year I will proudly echo the resistance against the Trump administration’s attacks on our reproductive rights and demonstrate support of those who are often left out of the conversation and consideration. This is vitally important because those who have the highest stakes in reproductive health care affordability and accessibility often have the least say in reproductive health care legislation. Together, we will stand united and represent all of our friends, regardless of identity, income, or zip-code. We will take this fight straight to the ballot and together we will show legislators that we cannot and will not be silenced now or ever. Through our collective action, we will march to the polls and make our voices heard!
Kim Ip is a Public Affairs Intern for Planned Parenthood NH Action Fund and a Master's in Public Policy student at University of New Hampshire.
Tags: Reproductive Rights, women, WomensMarch