fuck you, fuck you very, very much

On June 24, 2022, the Supreme Court struck down the 1973 ruling in Roe v. Wade, taking away the Constitutional right to abortion access in the United States. With this new ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, the authority regulate abortion is returned to the states and their elected legislators. And we all know that so many states have been gerrymandered to a point that there's no way to trust the authenticity of any elections, so elected legislators don't come even close to actually representing their constituents.

So here we are. 

In Ohio where I live, before the day was even over, the "Heartbeat Law" went into effect, banning abortion after 6 weeks. Six fucking weeks is before most people even know they're pregnant. 

I'm struggling for words. One of the only things I've been able to do is read people's reactions, and I'm really trying to focus on the perspectives and messages of Black and brown women, Indigenous women, and other women of color, who will undoubtedly be more affected by this ruling than white women. Ally Henny, writer and activist, wrote a piece called "A white woman's guide to not being completely insensitive in the wake of Roe being overturned," which is a must read for us white women, especially in the light of so many of us posting imagery from The Handmaid's Tale-- using a fictional narrative to express their concern about the future, effectively whitewashing and ignoring the reality of BIPOC women throughout the history of this goddamned country. She also speaks to the privilege inherent in the posts and memes white women are sharing left and right about "taking people camping" or even declarations of moving out of the country, because the truth of the matter is that none of these things are actually likely to happen. Go read the piece-- she does a much better job articulating all these ideas.

Tiktok is an amazing resource for listening to people's perspectives, and here's another place to intentionally seek out BIPOC women's voices. I'm realizing the depths of my own naivete 

as I listen to women speak of their experiences and their fears. I have just had no idea. 

The only other thing I've been able to do in the last day has been to make a couple donations, like one to Women Have Options/Ohio and to become a member of the National Network of Abortion Funds. I'm not exactly sure what my next steps will be in becoming active in the fight against all of this, but I'm hoping to provide support and follow the leadership of those already organizing. 

Yesterday morning, I went into my 16 year old child's room knowing that she'd just woken up and likely wasn't aware of the news. Telling her was heartbreaking. I saw the fear fill her eyes immediately. I know that she shares my own naivete in all that could come as a result of this ruling, and I feel obligated to both educate and protect her. 

I don't know what comes next. I don't even have a freaking uterus anymore, so I have no motivation but that of fighting for the rights of others. That sounds stupidly pompous, which isn't my intention. I'm just trying. 

Trying and singing this song in an endless fucking loop in my head.

Title inspiration: "Fuck You" by Lily Allen