PRESS RELEASE: Texas Reproductive Rights and Justice Groups Launch Proactive Repro Power TX Initiative
Texas Reproductive Rights and Justice Groups Launch Proactive Repro Power TX Initiative
For Release: 9-28-2017
Contact: Alexa Garcia-Ditta, alexa@prochoicetexas.org
TEXAS — On Wednesday, Texas abortion funds and reproductive rights advocates launched Repro Power TX, a joint initiative to expand and protect abortion access and reproductive justice in local communities in the face of continued state-level legislative attacks and build a groundswell of support to ultimately make change statewide.
Together, Texas Equal Access Fund, Lilith Fund, West Fund and NARAL Pro-Choice Texas are calling on the cities of Dallas, Austin, El Paso and Houston to improve access to abortion care and implement policies that support reproductive justice. Texans in Austin, El Paso and Dallas shared their abortion stories at three simultaneous launch events to kick off Repro Power TX, the first proactive reproductive health, rights and justice campaign at the municipal level.
Texas Equal Access Fund, Nan Kirkpatrick, Executive Director
“At Texas Equal Access Fund we’ve seen the Repro Power Dallas agenda as a way to build connections across movements and help our community understand that abortion access isn’t a fringe issue, but a core part of economic and racial justice. Part of ending abortion stigma is making it impossible for the larger progressive movement to actively leave abortion access out of the conversation, and by developing an agenda that ties together abortion, reproductive healthcare, basic family healthcare, immigration justice, opposition to police brutality, housing equality, and workers’ rights, we’re making a statement that there is no true justice until everyone can access whatever they need for safe and healthy communities for their families, whatever that looks like.”
Lilith Fund, Amanda Williams, Executive Director
“Repro Power TX is about bringing communities together to build local power around support for abortion access and reproductive justice. If we want to see change, it will take all of us and it starts at home. This is just the beginning of a larger push to join forces with intersectional movements to create a more just Austin – where all people have the rights, resources, and opportunities they need to thrive.”
West Fund, Samantha Romero, President
“As an organization in far west Texas, it’s exciting to collaborate on a statewide effort to fight for reproductive justice. El Paso has great local leaders and a supportive state delegation, however, as a community, we aren’t having conversations about reproductive health, rights and access. It’s especially important for us, as a nonprofit founded by UTEP students, to make an impact, particularly with the youth. We hope the speakout and local policy agenda contributes to an ongoing dialogue that simultaneously works to remove the shame and stigma surrounding abortions and sexuality. Through this project, we hope to destigmatize one of the most common medical procedures and empower more El Pasoans to move forward from shame and speak out for healthy reproductive rights, and especially abortion rights.”
NARAL Pro-Choice Texas, Heather Busby, Executive Director
“After spending year after year fighting back against attacks on abortion access by the Texas Legislature, we’re excited to be expanding our work to the local level with the Repro Power TX initiative. The majority of Texans who support abortion access are tired of these attacks on their private health care decisions and are ready to step up in their local communities and make their voices heard. Everyone deserves access to the full range of quality and affordable reproductive health care, including abortion, free from shame or stigma. In the face of continued legislative attacks, it’s more important now than ever to work on the local level to effect change statewide.”
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