By Civia Tamarkin, Director of Birthright: A War Story
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As a supporter of our film Birthright: A War Story and a subscriber to our newsletter, you know that for the past two years our impact campaign has worked to keep you informed about the government’s battle to take control of reproduction and childbearing.
First, the film set off alarms as it exposed the rise of a real-life Gilead where American women are caught under the grip of theocratic state laws that force childbirth and police pregnancy. Then, as more legislatures, courts, government agencies and executive orders like the domestic gag rule tightened their chokehold on reproductive freedom, we launched a campaign to use the film as a resource to respond to the assaults on bodily autonomy.
Through partnerships, alliances and the support of nearly 40 organization we held nationwide screenings and discussions of the film in community centers, libraries, law schools, medical schools and undergraduate programs. (We even were featured in an issue of the journal Films for the Feminist Classroom.)
We live streamed panel conversations tackling issues of bodily rights, religious directives in health care and maternal mortality in communities of color; we initiated a national petition to demand the House Energy and Commerce Committee and state attorneys general require Catholic hospitals follow standard evidence-based medical practices in reproductive health care; and we assisted ACLU of Northern California trainings with the state’s Attorney General Javier Becerra around Catholic health care.
Birthright: A War Story also has attracted international requests from Europe, Canada and Australia. In Seoul, South Korea we had sold-out screenings and activists used the film in their successful efforts to overturn the country’s abortion ban.
But now, just as the escalating fight for reproduction rights has reached the most critical and dangerous point—as the U.S. Supreme Court is hearing a challenge to Roe v Wade and states like Ohio have proposed the death penalty for abortion—we are unable to keep our impact campaign going without adequate funding.
We need your help! If you like the difference we’re making and the important information we share, help us keep people informed and armed for the fight.
FUND OUR IMPACT AND SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN. We need $175,000 to continue raising awareness of what’s at stake in 2020.
If you want to contribute to our Birthright: A War Story (BAWS) campaign, please contact us at info@Birthrightfilm.com or mail a tax deductible contribution specifying “Birthright Impact Campaign” to:
Chicago Media Project
301 W. Grand Avenue #170
Chicago, IL 60654