“Men’s vows are women’s traitors… corrupters of my faith! …Thus may poor fools/ Believe false teachers.”—Imogen, CYMBELINE
As a classics theater, we often turn to the words of old stories when grappling with the contemporary moments of today. Shakespeare’s words don’t fully encompass the humanity that is now impacted by the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, and yet, Imogen’s cry resonates with us. At Cal Shakes, we believe everyone should be free to be their full selves and that this begins with autonomy over our full self. We are heartbroken over this decision which diminishes the promise of this nation and puts at risk the lives and livelihoods of so many women and people who can become pregnant, especially those who are rural, poor, disabled, and BIPOC. On this Fourth of July weekend—a time when we gather to celebrate freedom and independence—we find ourselves in a moment where the freedoms and independence of so many have been stripped away. And so we lift up the efforts of those fighting the good fight for reproductive health and reproductive rights. Vote. Pressure your legislators. Open your doors. Support access. Resist.
Resources:
ACCESS/Women’s Health Rights Coalition (Oakland): ACCESS is dedicated to making reproductive health and choice a reality for all women. They use a combination of direct services, community education and policy advocacy to promote real reproductive options and access to quality health care for low-income and uninsured women, young women, women of color, immigrants, and women in rural or isolated areas. No other California organization provides the same range of support for women who are considering or seeking an abortion. ACCESS is the only active project of the Women’s Health Rights Coalition. WHRC was founded in 1974 as the Coalition for the Medical Rights of Women, whose projects included landmark work on DES exposure, IUD regulation, sterilization abuse and abortion rights.
American Civil Liberties Union – Northern California (ACLU): We make sure that Constitutional rights — to free speech, to privacy, to due process — don’t just exist on paper, but also in practice. The ACLU is the first line of defense against threats to civil liberties and we work to ensure these freedoms are guaranteed to every person in this country. (Social Media Sites: @aclu)
Human Rights Center (Berkeley): Engages faculty, students and activists in interdisciplinary research and advocacy to protect and promote international human rights and humanitarian law. Activities include: support for graduate research on human rights and humanitarian law; formation of research groups to study the health, social, and cultural consequences of gross violations of human rights and the rules of war; summer fellowships for students; participation in investigations of violations of human rights; and courses on human rights, health, and humanitarian law. (Social Media Sites: hrcberkeley)
Lyon-Martin Community Health Service (San Francisco): The mission of Lyon-Martin Community Health Services is to provide high quality, compassionate and trauma-informed medical, gynecological, and mental health care services to trans, non-binary, gender non-conforming, and intersex (TGI) communities and cis-gender women with specific sensitivity to LGBQA sexual orientation, disability, size, race, ethnicity, and language regardless of immigration status or ability to pay. We aim to eliminate health inequities for our communities by rooting our clinical practice in core foundational frameworks of intersectionality, anti-racism, reproductive and disability justice, self-determination, and harm reduction. As a community clinic, we believe our communities are best served by us and for us; that’s why community engagement and leadership development are central to our mission of community care and mutual aid. Finally, we are committed to increasing access to culturally responsive care for queer, trans, and intersex (QTI) people beyond our walls through provider training and education and addressing systemic barriers to equity through policy advocacy.
NARAL Pro-Choice California: The 371,400 member activists of NARAL Pro-Choice California fight for reproductive freedom for every person in our state. Each day, we organize and mobilize to protect that freedom by fighting for access to abortion care, birth control, paid parental leave and protections from pregnancy discrimination. NARAL Pro-Choice California is the state affiliate of NARAL Pro-Choice America. (Social Media Sites: prochoiceca)
Planned Parenthood: Planned Parenthood was founded over 100 years ago on the revolutionary idea that women have the right to access the information and care they need to live strong, healthy lives. Today, the Planned Parenthood Action Fund (PPAF) fights to protect that right — often in the face of extreme politicians trying to take it away. (Social Media Sites: @ppact)
Women’s March: The mission of Women’s March is to harness the political power of diverse women and their communities to create transformative social change. Women’s March is a women-led movement providing intersectional education on a diverse range of issues and creating entry points for new grassroots activists & organizers to engage in their local communities through training, outreach programs and events. Women’s March is committed to dismantling systems of oppression through nonviolent resistance and building inclusive structures guided by self-determination, dignity and respect. (Social Media Sites: @womensmarch)
