We aren’t truly free unless we can make our own decisions and have the freedom to define our own path.
Orlando, FL– Today marks the 48th Anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion nationwide. Below is Representative Anna V. Eskamani’s statement on this anniversary:
Nearly five decades ago the Supreme Court of the United States decided Roe v. Wade, affirming our collective right to a safe and legal abortion. Roe has been an important stoppage against the hundreds of state abortion bans and restrictions enacted in the past decade but we know in states like Florida attacks continue and barriers exist. The burdens of abortion restrictions fall most heavily on those who already face barriers to health care and other forms of discrimination, including BIPOC people, young people, immigrants, LGBTQ+ people, those in rural areas, and those working to make ends meet.
We must remember that the decision about whether, when, or how to become a parent is one of the most important life decisions we make. We should be able to do so without barriers and political interference and free from fear or the policing of our bodies. Access to abortion is not just about legality, it is about our dignity and our humanity. I urge my legislative colleagues to stop stigmatizing and attacking those who seek to end a pregnancy, and instead focus on investments in preventative care, birth justice, postpartum care, and childcare along with adoption. We must go beyond Roe and expand reproductive freedom for all and build a world where people have the ability to make the best health care decisions for themselves and for those they love.
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