“Bans Off Our Bodies” Rallies Held In Georgetown, Wilmington

Rallies in Georgetown and Wilmington over the weekend were part of a national movement to preserve access to abortion and reproductive freedom.
Delaware NOW (National Organization for Women), Women’s March Sussex, ACLU of Delaware and other organizations hosted the “Bans Off Our Bodies” events. They came nearly two weeks after the leaked release of Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito’s draft opinion which would indicate that the historic Roe v. Wade decision would be overturned.

“We have known the day when abortion access would be challenged at the Supreme Court is coming. This is not a surprise nor a secret. Abortion access has been systematically under attack in this country for decades. Make no mistake, Delaware and the other 12 “safe haven” states with codified abortion will be targeted next – and in earnest. Right now, it remains under attack in Sussex County by the all-male Seaford City Council.,” Delaware NOW President Melissa Froemming, said. “We cannot sit comfortably back and assume our state-protected right to abortion won’t be challenged. In addition, it is beyond time for us to acknowledge as a state that the right to abortion is not the same as equal access to abortion. We must secure Medicaid funded abortion, expand clinicians who can provide abortion, allow young people to access abortion freely and safely, and address disparities in reproductive healthcare access.”
“Each of us should be able to live, work, and make decisions about our health and our future with dignity and respect,” Women’s March Sussex Chair Paulette Rappa said. “When people can make decisions about their own reproductive health care, including whether and when to have children, they have more control over their economic security. When reproductive health care options are restricted, women lose control over their future options and it negatively changes the trajectory of their lives.”

According to ACLU of Delaware, organizers called upon Delaware officials to secure justice and equity for people who seek an abortion, including Medicare funding for abortion and doula services, and guarding against local attempts to restrict abortion access.
They also seek to address disparities in reproductive healthcare access for Black people.