WHO-O stands in solidarity with the Reproductive Justice organizers, advocates, clinic staff, escorts, and folks seeking reproductive healthcare in Texas following the passage of SB 8. We as an organization pride ourselves on building a coalition of support and advocacy. As an organization, we also have a history of centering the voices of white, able-bodied, cis-women above others. This is a history we have been actively working to take accountability for and to intentionally chart a new course for our future. This work is informed by our commitment to the values of Reproductive Justice, a Black feminist framework, and a commitment to center the voices of those most intimately impacted by our work.

BACKGROUND: On January 22, 2021, a group of local leaders entered St. Joseph Cathedral in Columbus, Ohio, during an event explicitly dedicated to anti-abortion political advocacy and ideology.

We, the Board and Staff of Women Have Options - Ohio, issue this statement in support of the direct action of local abortion leaders who disrupted an anti-abortion event at St. Joseph’s Cathedral on the anniversary of Roe V Wade. 

Police violence may not seem like the concern of a Midwest abortion fund, but we as the Board and Staff of Women Have Options- Ohio know different. We know that opposing police violence and challenging systemic racism must be central to the work we do.