By Civia Tamarkin, Director of Birthright: A War Story
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We first sounded the alarms. We warned everyone.
Two years ago, when our documentary Birthright: A War Story was first released, it carefully laid out the anti-abortion movement’s blueprint for victory. In their own words, opponents of women’s reproductive rights boldly and confidently explained their battle plan to overturn Roe v Wade. They told how they were winning hearts and minds, how they were grooming generations to run for every level of government office, how they were creating a social movement and finally, how they were going to “nibble away” at Roe v. Wade until it went to the Supreme Court and was overturned.
It was all there for everyone to see and hear. Why didn’t more people heed the warning? As the most restrictive abortion laws in generations were being passed by legislatures across the country, where were all the women and men? In the last six months, as 58 abortion restrictions were passed across the South and Midwest, where were the thousands of protesters in the streets like during the civil rights, anti-Vietnam War and second wave feminist movements?
Now it may be too late. With numerous restrictive state laws temporarily blocked in the courts, the conservative stacked Supreme Court will determine the fate of abortion rights in the coming months after it hears a Louisiana challenge to Roe. More than 200 members of Congress have submitted an amicus brief asking the Supreme Court to consider overturning the law.
But our BAWS impact campaign is not giving up. We know it is more critical than ever to educate voters on reproductive rights issues because if Roe falls, state legislatures will control reproductive rights and access to abortion, contraception and possibly all reproductive health care procedures, including invitro fertilization and surrogacy.
We continue to speak on campuses and in communities and to partner with organizations like the Feminist Majority Foundation to enable voters, especially college-aged ones, understand what’s at stake. This month, in partnership with USOW (United State of Women), we will screen the film and host a panel discussion as part of the Spark Alabama Initiative. We will make voters aware of the dangerous consequences, including the criminalization of pregnant women, in the first state to defiantly disregard existing law and pass an outright ban on abortion.
We have evolved from a movie to a movement. To continue our awareness campaign, we need your help. Tell more people to watch Birthright: A War Story (available on Amazon), sponsor public screenings and host house parties to stream and discuss the film.
You can help us keep people informed and armed for the fight by mailing a tax deductible contribution specifying “Birthright Impact Campaign” to:
Chicago Media Project
301 W. Grand Avenue #170
Chicago, IL 60654
We appreciate your support for our campaign and for helping women in the United States become aware so they can take action to help themselves.