“Guess what's going on in the school boards?”Senator Sonya Jaquez Lewis asked, facing an array of signs demanding women’s rights from the stage. “They're banning curricula that want to teach us about our history, about race, about LGBTQ folks, about sex education … They should not be banning books. If they want to keep kids safe, let’s ban assault weapons.”
The crowd broke into an even louder cheer.
On June 24, one year after the overturn of Roe v. Wade, YWCA Boulder County held a “National Day of Action” at the Central Park Bandshell in downtown Boulder. Though marred by the ever-growing battle for women’s reproductive rights, the event was met with positivity. Speakers presented with optimism. The audience cheered for change.
Since the Supreme Court’s overturn of nationally protected abortion rights, 14 states have outright banned abortion. On the opposite end, Colorado remains one of the beacons of reproductive and progressive rights. Just this year, three bills were signed into law that protect and provide abortions for both Coloradans and refugees from anti-abortion states.
Dani Newsum, director of Strategic Partnership at Cobalt, claimed, "Sanity prevails in our Colorado legislature. Pro-science, pro-medicine, pro-freedom.”
And these legal actions have not gone unnoticed by surrounding denizens. Jaquez Lewis noted that recently, Planned Parenthood told her that they are “now receiving almost a thousand women, families and people from other states to receive reproductive services and gender-affirming care every month in Colorado.”
The event continued on with speakers discussing the importance of fighting for rights and solidarity across the board. Many shared their stories. Many shared the weight that the Roe v. Wade overturns has put upon their shoulders.
“What are the ultimate consequences of these hastily cast, poorly drafted and medically dangerous laws?” asked Christie Burkhart of Boulder Valley Women’s Health Center. “Patients are unable to receive the best possible care or sometimes any care at all. Doctors have to choose between medical malpractice and criminal prosecution by doing their job.”
Though YWCA Boulder County and the Women's Collaborative of Boulder County held a march this time last year, the organizations opted for a collection of speeches and direct dialogue this year.
Debbie Pope, CEO of YWCA, said, “While marches are a great way of being heard and being loud, we often miss these incredible speakers and these big messages. Here we have an incredible opportunity to have our voices heard and build solidarity.”
For Pope and the YWCA, this is only one of the countless events striving for healthcare and women’s rights. Pope notes that we can’t let the “attacks against rights” become normalized.
“We have to keep reminding everyone. There’s no time to sit back. Sometimes in Colorado, it can be taken for granted. Though we feel safe and protected here, everyone in the country needs to be protected,” Pope said.
