The Court’s decision to overrule Roe and Casey opens the door to dangerous government intrusion into our personal freedoms and overturns almost a half-century of precedent
Washington, D.C. – Today, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, overturning fifty years of precedent first established in Roe v. Wade (1973) and later upheld in Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992). In response, Family Equality’s CEO, Stacey Stevenson, released the following statement:
“I’m not going to sugarcoat this: Today’s decision is outrageous, irresponsible, and plainly wrong. The ruling will have devastating consequences for millions of people who can become pregnant—including LGBTQ+ people—for the children they already have, their health, and their ability to support themselves and their families. And, those consequences will inevitably have the biggest impact on families of color and those with the fewest resources.
“The Court’s willingness to overturn almost five decades of Supreme Court precedent is truly alarming, posing a clear danger to freedoms that are fundamental not only to LGBTQ+ families but to everyone. In the days and weeks ahead, our team will be studying this decision and its potential impacts on other legal precedents. But today, importantly, we are offering strength and solidarity to all those seeking critical access to abortion care. To the millions directly impacted by this particular opinion: We see you, and we’re here, recommitting to fighting alongside you and other powerful movement partners to protect your freedoms.”
The Court’s decision opens the floodgates for at least 26 states to swiftly ban or restrict access to reproductive healthcare, which will disproportionately harm those in Black and brown communities, those in rural areas, disabled people, people struggling to make ends meet, and LGBTQ+ individuals—including transgender and nonbinary individuals who access abortion care every year and need access to gender-inclusive, affirming care at the same facilities that provide abortion care.
In most of the country, abortion still remains legal. People who need care should go to abortionfinder.org.
About Family Equality
Family Equality advances legal and lived equality for LGBTQ+ families, and for those who wish to form them, through building community, changing hearts and minds, and driving policy change. Family Equality believes every LGBTQ+ person should have the right and opportunity to form and sustain a loving family, regardless of who they are or where they live. Learn more at familyequality.org.
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Press Contact
Anna Libertin,
Chief Communications Officer/
646-880-3005 ext. 157
communications@familyequality.org