In a rare spot of good news about reproductive justice in post-Roe v. Wade America, Arizona’s attorney general has agreed to delay enforcing a near-total abortion ban until at least next year.
As the Associated Press reported, Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich made the call last Thursday, October 27. The decision allowed Planned Parenthood, Arizona’s largest provider of abortions, to restart abortion care services at all of its locations statewide without endangering doctors or patients.
“While we are celebrating today, we can’t ignore that we are still on a long an uncertain path to restoring the fundamental right to abortion in Arizona, and making this essential healthcare truly accessible and equitable for all people,” Brittany Fonteno, CEO of Planned Parenthood Arizona, told AP. “While abortion is currently legal in Arizona and we have resumed abortion care throughout the state, we know that this could very well be temporary.”
When Roe v. Wade, the landmark Supreme Court ruling guaranteeing abortion access in the United States, was overturned earlier this year, it led to the reimplementation of old anti-abortion laws in a number of states — including Arizona. The Copper State actually saw “multiple, overlapping abortion laws” at play, per the state’s American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). One particularly heinous law dates all the way back to 1864; has no exceptions for rape, incest, or a pregnant person’s health; and carries a prison sentence of 2–5 years.
Legal advocates in Arizona sued to block officials from enforcing such extreme bans. Their efforts have paid off, although Fonteno is correct: This battle isn’t over until abortion access in Arizona — and the rest of the U.S. — is no longer in peril.
According to The New York Times, abortions are currently banned in at least 13 states, including Texas, Alabama, Mississippi, Idaho, and South Dakota. Advocates in many of these states have pursued similar lawsuits to prevent these bans from ruining the lives of pregnant people seeking this care, and doctors authorized to provide it.
Republican lawmakers have latched on to abortion access as a wedge issue ahead of the 2022 midterm elections on November 8. With protections from Roe v. Wade no longer in effect, the stakes for reproductive justice are higher than ever.
It’s no wonder we’re seeing more and more celebrities and public figures, such as indie rocker Phoebe Bridgers, speak out and demystify their abortions. After all, this procedure is safe, common, and nothing to fear or be ashamed of.
Do you have a voting pan in place for next Tuesday? If there were ever a time to make your convictions known by voting out anti-choice lawmakers, it’s now.
Before you go, check out these celebrities who opened up about their experiences having abortions:
