MURFREESBORO, TN — On Saturday, October 2 at 12 noon people across Rutherford and surrounding counties will take to the streets to rally and march to demand an end to the dangerous, escalating attacks on reproductive rights and freedoms in this country.
The action in Murfreesboro is organized by Women’s March Tennessee, Rutherford County Democrats, Elect Black Women PAC, Tennessee Equality Project, Tennessee Advocates for Planned Parenthood, AAUW – Murfreesboro, and other community groups as part of the Nationwide Day of Action for Abortion Rights which will feature more than 600+ events in all fifty states and D.C., nine of which are being held in Tennessee.
“All abortion bans and restrictions are extreme and target people already marginalized by our health care system to deprive them of abortion access, shame their healthcare decisions, and put unnecessary hurdles in their way,” said Ruby Powell Dennis, Executive Director of Elect Black Women PAC.
“It’s beyond time for the United States to recognize that access to abortion care is a key part of access to human rights,” said Darlene Leong Neal, Co-Founder and State Coordinator of Women’s March Tennessee. “It is our right to shape our families, to access the healthcare we need, to decide when or whether we have children, and how we shape our lives — and for that care to be funded and not leave families and individuals scraping by.”
“Roe is the floor, not the ceiling,” said Cathy Watts, the Chair of Rutherford County Democratic Party. “We are advocating and coming together to not only keep abortion legal, but to ensure that it is accessible, affordable, and destigmatized.”
The actions in Murfreesboro come as the Supreme Court is set to begin oral arguments on October 4, 2021 in a case that will determine the future of abortion rights for all Americans.
Politicians have been working for decades to make accessing abortion, a medical procedure, as difficult as possible. This includes forcing people to travel long distances, waiting days between appointments, and paying out of pocket without insurance coverage. We need policies that support people’s whole lives, including better access to hospitals and clinics, healthcare provided by people our communities trust, insurance that actually covers our real needs, and policies that support families and individuals to live their fullest lives. We need policies that support abortion access and our whole lives, now.
The Tennessee legislature passed strict abortion restrictions in 2020, including one that seeks to block the procedure at a gestational stage as early as six weeks. These bans are currently being blocked by a Middle Tennessee District judge with a preliminary injunction that the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld in early September.
More than 110+ organizations have joined forces to take part in the #RallyforAbortionJustice, organized by Women’s March, to show that Americans overwhelmingly support Roe v. Wade and that this is nothing more than another unacceptable Right Wing power grab to control the bodies, futures and lives of pregnant and birthing people.
To promote safety given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, all actions will take place outdoors, have a physical distancing plan, and attendees will be asked to wear masks.
The Rutherford County Democratic Party (RCDP) stands for opportunity for ALL, strong families and communities, and effective and accountable government. The RCDP strives to connect Democrats in Rutherford County and works to get Democrats elected at every level of government. For more information about the RCDP, visit rcdp.org.
The purpose of the Elect Black Women PAC is to address the violence, trauma, and inequities present in the everyday lives of Americans in education, housing, funding and policing. We work to elect qualified, capable, powerful Black women candidates ready to serve at every level of leadership and bring about a new time in our country’s history of racial, social and economic justice.
The Women’s March Tennesse’s mission is to harness the political power of diverse women and their communities to create transformative social change and dismantle systems of oppression through nonviolent resistance and building inclusive structures. We provide intersectional education on a diverse range of issues and create entry points for new grassroots activists & organizers to engage in their local communities.
