Abortion Rights are Inextricably Tied to Social and Economic Justice Movements

May 23, 2022

Issues: Abortion, Child Care & Early Learning, Health Care & Reproductive Rights, LGBTQ Equality, Poverty & Income Security, Workplace Justice

The U.S. Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey and declared that the U.S. Constitution no longer protects the right to abortion.

This decision marks the end of a constitutional right to abortion for people across the country.   This is the first time that the United States Supreme Court has taken away a fundamental constitutional right—a right that women, and all people who can get pregnant, have relied on for nearly 50 years.

This Supreme Court decision is about more than abortion. It’s about who has power over you, who has the authority to make decisions for you, and who is going to control how your future turns out.

Abortion rights and access are connected to so many of our other rights and fundamental freedoms. This includes our right to workplace justice, disability rights, LGBTQI+ rights, economic security, racial justice and our right to safely care for our families, including access to affordable, high-quality child care.

Now, more than any time since Roe was decided almost 50 years ago, social justice movements must come together to ensure that people have the ability to make their own decisions about their bodies, lives, and futures.

We thank and appreciate all of the organizations that are working to support the fullness of people’s intersectional lives–and encourage you to speak boldly about the importance of abortion and its connection to the issues that matter to you and your communities.

Please contact [email protected] if you would like talking points and other resources that can help you make those connections clearly.

*Some talking points are available in Spanish, please see this page for more information.*

Unions and worker’s rights organizations fight every day for people’s ability to have autonomy over their lives, including the right to organize, good jobs that include access to healthcare, benefits, increased pay, safe and healthy workplaces, and more. Restricting access to comprehensive reproductive care, including abortion, threatens the autonomy, health, and economic stability of working people. The fight to control what happens to your body is part of the right to control your labor.

Several unions have already released statements and resolutions condemning the overturning of Roe v. Wade, including:

Abortion is an economic justice issue.

The decision whether or when to have a child is one of the most important economic decisions most people will make. It has implications for an individual’s financial well-being, job security, workforce participation, and educational attainment. Since Roe was decided in 1973, abortion access has led to positive economic impacts on women, and on Black women in particular. Access to abortion care helps keep people out of poverty, and it helps people achieve their aspirations and goals. States that have the most abortion restrictions are also the states that fail to support women, children, and families.

LGBTQI+ equality and abortion rights are inextricably linked—and overturning Roe is a direct attack on LGBTQI rights. Overturning Roe has a direct impact on people of all genders who need access to abortion—especially those who already face heightened barriers to getting an abortion, including LGBTQI+ people. And LGBTQI+ people already face compounding health disparities and worse health outcomes, especially when it comes to reproductive and sexual healthcare, including abortion care.

This makes it paramount to ensure abortion access for LGBTQI+ communities. This attack on bodily autonomy and the right to take care of our own health, families, and futures is an attack on LGBTQI+ people. The same forces have been trying to punish and control women’s and LGBTQI+ people’s bodies and families—often at the same time.

More than half of persons with disabilities may need the right to access abortion at some point in their lifetimes. The United States has a long history of control and coercion over the bodily autonomy and reproductive decisions of people with disabilities, which continues today. People with disabilities face unique barriers to abortion care. The overturning of Roe v. Wade will compound many existing barriers, especially if people must travel more to access abortion care

The fight for abortion access is part of a broader fight for bodily autonomy, self-determination, and equity, which is at the core of disability justice advocacy. We need the continued support of disability rights and justice partners in the fight to turn this ship around and ensure people have the abortion access they need.

*Talking points connecting disability rights and justice and abortion are only available in English at the moment.

Child care and abortion access are both foundational to parenting with dignity. Access to abortion and access to affordable, high-quality child care are central to an individual’s and family’s autonomy and economic security, with consequences for whether parents and caregivers–especially mothers–can work, pursue education, leave an abusive relationship, or afford another child. Most women seeking abortion care are already parents. Child caring responsibilities and costs only compound for families that have existing children and are denied abortion care.

We need the sustained support of child care partners in the fight to ensure people have the abortion access they need.

Young Black woman standing outdoors with group of demonstrator in background.

The fight for abortion rights is inextricably tied to the fight for racial justice. Taking away people’s control over their bodies and reproductive lives is part of a purposeful racist strategy connected to who has power and control in this country. The United States has a long history of reproductive coercion, including policing the bodies of women of color, and Black women in particular. Ensuring that everyone can get reproductive health care, including abortion, is part of addressing racial and economic injustice. We need the continued support of racial justice partners in the fight to ensure people have the abortion access they need.

*Talking points connecting racial justice and abortion are only available in English at the moment.

All Topics

Abortion Rights are Inextricably Tied to Social and Economic Justice Movements

The Fight for Abortion Rights is Inextricably Tied to the Fight for Worker Justice

The Fight for Abortion Rights is Inextricably Tied to the Fight for Economic Justice

The LGBTQI+ Movement is Critical to Preserving Abortion Rights

The Disability Rights & Justice Movement is Critical to Ensuring Abortion Rights and Access

The Child Care Movement is Critical to Ensuring Abortion Rights and Access

The Racial Justice and Civil Rights Movements are Critical to Ensuring Abortion Rights and Access