Macon activists plan rally in support of abortion rights ahead of Supreme Court case
The U.S. Supreme Court will begin its new term Oct. 4, and to show their support for women’s reproductive rights, women in Middle Georgia and across the country plan to hold rallies to educate people and show solidarity.
Georgia Women (And Those Who Stand With Us) and The League of Women Voters of Macon-Bibb County plan to have a rally in Rosa Parks Square at noon on Saturday in solidarity with the Rally for Abortion Justice organized by the Women’s March.
“We do want to make it known to the women who are in our city, in our county that we are standing up for reproductive rights,” said Andrea Cooke, a Steering Committee member for Georgia Women.
Several people will speak at the rally, including a registered nurse and an attorney to help give accurate information about how the new laws impact women’s reproductive health, Cooke said.
“Georgia Women stands for women having equal rights, and there are no laws that are specifically tailored towards men’s reproductive rights. Why are there any for women? Why don’t we have the ability to be able to make decisions that are best for us and for our families?” Cooke said. “This is just an equal rights issue. No one should be able to tell a woman what to do with her body. It’s a decision that she should make with her doctor.”
The protest will be peaceful, Cooke said, and they plan to stream the event to Facebook Live.
“I’m really, really excited about the opportunity for people to listen to facts,” she said. “We want people to feel connected to this issue and why it’s so important that we all stand up for women.”
The rally comes ahead of a Supreme Court case that could overturn Roe v. Wade and greatly restrict women’s access to abortion.
The Supreme Court hearing for Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, a case involving Mississippi’s abortion law, starts on Dec. 1, according to Capitol Beat.
A case concerning the Georgia anti-abortion law was put on hold Monday by the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in order to wait on the Supreme Court’s decision on the Mississippi case, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The Mississippi law bans abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy and a ruling on the case is expected in 2022.
Georgia’s anti-abortion law from 2019 is more restrictive, banning abortions after fetal cardiac activity can be detected, which is typically around six weeks before many women know they are pregnant.
A Texas anti-abortion law went into effect Sept. 1, and the Supreme Court declined to block the law, giving hope to abortion opponents that the court might overturn Roe v. Wade in the future, according to the New York Times.
The law prohibits abortions after fetal cardiac activity can be detected as well, but instead of having state officials enforce the law, it deputizes private citizens to sue people who perform or help a person get an abortion making it difficult to fight the law in the courts.
Limiting access to abortions also limit women’s access to other aspects of reproductive healthcare. In 2019, Georgia and Louisiana were among the top 10 states for highest infant mortality rates in the country, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“We just want to be seen as full, whole, independent people who don’t need men to institute laws to regulate our bodies… It’s just really important that women are allowed to make decisions that impact them personally, without having to be fearful of repercussions,” Cooke said.
After a women’s reproductive health clinic failed to come to Macon in 2018, Cooke said women and families in Macon don’t have adequate access to the reproductive healthcare they need.
“It’s a much bigger issue than just an abortion issue. This is about reproductive rights, overall, and when we limit one area of reproductive rights, we’re limiting all areas of reproductive rights for women,” Cooke said.
This story was originally published October 1, 2021 at 4:51 PM.