It has been nearly two and a half years since Roe v. Wade, the landmark Supreme Court decision protecting abortion rights, was overturned. Since then, these rights have faced relentless attacks across the United States, including in Florida.
In 1970, Jane Roe filed a lawsuit in Texas challenging state laws that banned abortion except to save a mother’s life. Her case eventually reached the Supreme Court, which ruled on January 22nd, 1973 that abortion was a constitutional right under the 14th Amendment’s Due Process Clause. This decision protected women’s autonomy over their bodies and ensured access to safe, legal procedures that significantly improved maternal health outcomes. Roe v. Wade became the cornerstone of abortion rights in America, empowering women to make informed decisions about their families and futures.
For decades, anti-abortion activists worked tirelessly to overturn this precedent, using lobbying, judicial appointments, and political pressure. On June 24, 2022, their efforts succeeded. Justice Samuel Alito, joined by five other justices, dismantled the nearly 50-year precedent, stripping Americans of the constitutional right to safe, legal abortion.
Three weeks before the Supreme Court’s decision was leaked, Governor Ron DeSantis signed one of the nation’s most restrictive abortion bans, prohibiting abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. This law forced many Floridians to travel out of state for life-saving procedures, leaving countless others without options.
Despite these challenges, organizations like Planned Parenthood, the ACLU of Florida, local abortion funds, and others continue to fight for reproductive rights. Now more than ever, we must unite to oppose these restrictive policies. Through organizing, advocacy, and education, we can protect the freedom to make private medical decisions without interference from political agendas. Our collective action is essential in preserving reproductive healthcare for future generations.
Please take the time to learn about fake abortion clinics before seeking out care. Below is a list of organizations that intersect with reproductive care, rights, and justice and have an impact here in Florida:
- Planned Parenthood SWCF and South, East, and North Florida – Operates telehealth and in-person reproductive, STI, and transgender care across Florida.
- Florida Alliance of Planned Parenthood Affiliates – The political and legislative arm of Planned Parenthood in Florida.
- Emergency Medical Assistance Inc. – The only abortion fund in Palm Beach County that assists people financially with pregnancy termination.
- Women’s Emergency Network – Florida-based fund that helps people access abortion.
- Access Reproductive Care Southeast – Providing financial support and practical assistance (lodging, transportation, escorting) to those seeking an abortion in the Southeast. FUNDING PAUSED
- Florida Access Network – A queer and BIPOC-led statewide organization providing abortion funding, community support, and contraception. FUNDING PAUSED
- Tampa Bay Abortion Fund – Provides access to abortions for low-income individuals or folks in need of reproductive healthcare.
- If/When/How: Provides free legal support to abortion seekers.
- Plan C – Providing up-to-date information on how people in the U.S. are accessing at-home abortion pill options online.
- SWAN of Central Florida – Clinic escorts in Central Florida.
- Women’s Voices of Southwest Florida – A queer advocacy group that advocates for the abortion ballot initiative.
- Florida for Reproductive Freedom – Advocacy against anti-abortion centers and legislation restricting reproductive freedoms.
- National Network of Abortion Funds – A resource page to connect with abortion funds, find trustworthy clinics, understand Medicaid abortion coverage, and more.
- Broward Women’s Emergency Fund – A group of like-minded women who wanted to provide financial support for abortion care to the Broward County, Florida community.