ACLU Supporter – the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade unleashed a whirlwind of attacks across the nation:
Outright bans on abortion. Encroachments on birth control and even in vitro fertilization. Prosecutors and politicians have threatened criminal penalties against those who provide or help others access abortions in some states. As was the case before the fall of Roe, criminalization against pregnant people themselves has continued.
And Black, Brown, young, and low-income individuals are disproportionately bearing the brunt of these repercussions.
As the director of ACDI here at the ACLU, I want you to know that thanks to your generous support, patients, doctors, and supporters at risk of criminal investigation or prosecution relating to abortion will not stand alone. Alongside our network of over 100 experienced values-aligned defense counsel, including all states where abortion is banned or severely restricted – we will leverage our deep expertise in criminal defense and reproductive freedom advocacy to fight back.
But ACLU Supporter – I must press this upon you: Our ability to carry out this work hinges on whether the ACLU hits big fundraising goals, like our fiscal year-end goal tomorrow. That’s why I’m so grateful that a generous donor has agreed to match all donations.
Goals like this aren’t hypothetical: They represent the real cost of fully funding the fight to protect abortion access and more. These attacks on essential health care have put lives on the line, so we’ll never back down – and with so much left to be done, I hope that you won’t either.
On behalf of all of us at the ACLU, thank you for all you do to support our work.
In solidarity,
Lauren Johnson
Pronouns: She, her, hers
Director of the Abortion Criminal Defense Initiative, ACLU
American Civil Liberties Union
125 Broad Street, 18th Floor
New York, NY 10004, USA