Hundreds gathered to march through Longmont for reproductive rights

More than 275 people gathered in Roosevelt Park Saturday afternoon to mobilize on behalf of reproductive rights in response to a bill in Texas that bans abortions after a heartbeat can be detected. The Longmont protest was one of 600 hundred held around the country on October 2, including Boulder, Lyons and Denver.

Men, women, nonbinary people and children rallied to the cause on the sunny, temperate afternoon to shout, cheer and chant in favor of women’s body autonomy and protection of reproductive rights. The diverse crowd carried signs proclaiming “Abortion is healthcare” and “Stop the war on women,” among dozens of statements and slogans.

Longmont resident Bill Van Dusen attended the rally with his daughter, Anais. Van Dusen said he was out in support of reproductive rights because “one size doesn’t fit all,” and there needed to be options available for all circumstances that lead to a need for abortion. 

“The bottom line is that it's their bodies and women should have the right to deal with issues in their bodies,” Van Dusen said.

Representatives from Longmont City Council, the Colorado Statehouse, Boulder Valley Women’s Health Center, YWCA of Boulder County and candidates for Longmont’s upcoming election spoke at the rally before the march began in earnest. The impassioned speeches of City Council members and candidates spoke to the power of respect, choice and the necessity of access to safe and legal abortion.

Debbie Pope, CEO of the YWCA of Boulder County and one of the event organizers, addressed the crowd in an orange cape fluttering in the gentle breeze.

“The right to access safe and legal abortion is essential to the pursuit of gender and and racial justice,” Pope said in her address. “Access to safe reproductive healthcare...stands squarely at the intersection of gender equality, young women’s empowerment and racial justice, impacting young women’s ability to exercise their bodily autonomy free from violence and discrimination.” 

Pope encouraged attendees to take action beyond the day’s march, to support organizations working for gender equality and reproductive rights. Cynthia Molina, CEO of the Boulder Valley Women’s Health Center, joined Pope to impress upon the audience the rippling effect abortion bans have on people outside of Texas.

Molina said that since the September 20 Texas ban, Boulder Valley Women’s Health has been in conference with nonprofits and clinics throughout Colorado and nearby states that share borders with Colorado and Texas. The organizations have been working to secure funding for travel, lodging and food for women in need of aid.

“It’s overwhelming, it’s disheartening,” Molina said. “This is a battle we’ve been doing for a very long time.”

Molina pointed out that the clinics are being overwhelmed by people with the privilege of traveling across state lines, but the people without access or information on safe and legal abortion are still left unsafe and underserved. 

“What the Texas ban did was create more systemic oppression in the system,” Molina said. “It was intended to be able to oppress those that are already disenfranchised and marginalized like people of color.”

After the march, Molina said that the work was just beginning for Boulder Valley Women’s Health Center, coordinating with clinics along the Texas border to help women get help in other states, including Colorado. Molina encouraged community members to step up in support of local organizations like Cobalt and the health center through donations and sharing awareness. Though COVID has slowed the ability to host volunteers, Molina said that opportunities for volunteers are returning as safety allows.

“One of the most important things people can do are talk to their family and friends about the importance of reproductive rights,” Molina said. 

After the speakers, the crowd rallied around Pope and fellow organizers Caney Demars and Kathy Partridge. A resounding chorus of chants carried through Longmont’s streets, from Roosevelt Park up Longs Peak Avenue and along the west side of Main Street to Fifth Avenue. Cries of “My body, my choice” and “Women’s rights are human rights” were met with honks, shouts and waves from passing cars.

As the crowd circled back along Main Street to return to Roosevelt Park, Partridge expressed gratitude for the number of people that showed up and for the community representatives that spoke up on behalf of reproductive rights and gender equality in health care.

“We’re really heartened at the turnout for reproductive rights for all people, for protecting the constitution and for saying that Longmont is a place that is supportive of women’s rights,” Partridge said. “We are just beginning, this is just the start of a movement to protect reproductive rights in this country.”