LPAC Statement on Draft SCOTUS Abortion Opinion

Team LPAC was #%*ing outraged to see the draft U.S. Supreme Court opinion suggesting a five-justice majority is preparing to overturn Roe v Wade and allow individual states to ban abortion. While this is a draft opinion and right now abortion is still Constitutionally protected, there is no doubt that a woman's right to choose is in critical peril. Fifty years of precedent are set to be overturned and millions will suffer the consequences. 

Women's reproductive rights, LGBTQ rights, and social justice are inextricably linked, and the arguments in the draft opinion suggest that the court could eventually allow states to reverse marriage equality, outlaw contraception, criminalize same-sex relations, and even ban interracial marriage. This is why, since LPAC's founding, every candidate we have supported must show a commitment to pro-choice values.

In state legislatures throughout the country, LGBTQ women are leading the fight to protect abortion access, sometimes against long odds and steep Republican majorities. We would like to take a moment to highlight a few of these champions.

In Ohio, State Senator Nickie Antonio has been at the head of Democratic efforts in both the State House and State Senate to block efforts to pass a "trigger law," which would automatically ban abortion in the state if Roe is overturned. She has a primary election today, and after she wins will continue the fight in a second term.

In Texas, State Reps. Jessica González, Mary González, Celia Israel, Ann Johnson, Julie Johnson, and Erin Zwiener have been vocal opponents of extremist GOP legislation targeting reproductive healthcare and voting rights. They all participated in a walkout in the Summer of 2021 which delayed the passage of harmful bills. 

In Colorado, State Reps. Daneya Esgar, Leslie Herod, and Brianna Titone, along with State Sens. Joann Ginal and Sonya Jaquez Lewis, all co-sponsored legislation, passed just last month, that enshrines a woman's right to choose into state law -- ensuring that if Roe is overturned Coloradans will continue to have access to safe and legal abortion services. 

This is a difficult and scary moment, but LPAC will continue its efforts to support LGBTQ women legislators and candidates who will be tireless in their efforts to protect women's reproductive health. 

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