Reproductive healthcare is often discussed with words “choice”, and I wanted to take a moment to shine a light on those who do not have a choice in the level of action we must take. At ages 13 and 16 my life changed forever. I watched as my body fought devastating intestinal failure for multiple years and went through countless surgeries and procedures to stay alive. Illnesses stripped away my quality of life, and these diseases meant every day moving forward I would have to fight to take care of my health. Along with that came discussions no teenager, no child, should ever have to have or consider- the talk about pregnancy and having children biologically. I had to sign forms for infusions that were crucial and critical to my medical treatments because in doing so the treatments would forever alter my fertility and ability to have any healthy eggs. I had to discuss what it meant to have genetic illnesses and what that would mean for biological children because I would never want anyone to live through the pain and trauma I have. I had to hear how being pregnant would be incredibly complicated and high-risk for myself and the fetus. I had to shift my image of my life and the way I thought motherhood would look like. I had to factor in having a bleeding disorder when deciding to get an IUD to keep my blood counts safe to avoid blood transfusions. I fought for my life for most of my childhood. And I thought while I did that the country would have my back. I was wrong, the past two years proved that with the pandemic and many years showed me that certain marginalized communities are not viewed with the same compassion as others.
All of this I did so with fear and grief, but relief knowing my ability to live and be safe would be protected by Roe v. Wade- my lifeline to autonomy. It was vulnerable and scary. But now it is petrifying because that is no longer an option. I have not fought for my future since age 13 just to have it be limited and become more delicate because a court decided to stop protecting our rights. As vulnerable as this is to share- it is important because this singular and small story of mine is one miniscule story in a myriad of tales and testimonies people with uteruses have in this country and I hope it can help someone feel less alone in this nightmare. I am just one individual in the chronic illness community facing this new reality. I am one small and minor voice in the sea of millions of people with uteruses. Every individual today is impacted by this ruling. We will not be silenced.
SCOTUS chose to endanger and strip away the rights of all birthing people. I refuse to let this become our new norm. I refuse for us to have less rights than what we woke up with. I refuse for my uterus to no longer be mine to control, but to be controlled by justices I have never met- 5 of which being men. I refuse to have our bodies be more regulated and have less rights than the inanimate objects of guns. This is rooted in misogyny, capitalism, ableism, white supremacy, bigotry, colonialism- everything that has been actively weaponized against people since the creation of this country. We must dismantle and fight back against every system which threatens our rights in an intersectional approach that involves every voice in this movement.
Our bodily sovereignty is sacred. I stand in solidarity and ready to fight and take action to protect the right to our own bodies. To make it clear rulings on LGBTQIA+ marriage/rights and contraception must remain protected and preserved. Words will not suffice. I have solidarity for everyone working to push against the systems that are harming our rights. I promise to stand with you all as we turn out with rage, impact, and work on the continuous fight for justice and equity.
Please take care of yourselves- your peace, your mental health, your overall well being. That comes first always.
In solidarity and heartbreak,
Isabelle