Values in Action
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Motherhood
“Motherhood is not an accidental or natural job; motherhood is a job done with intention. Holding my baby’s tiny hands in my own not only strengthened my commitment to providing compassionate abortion care but also exposed how I needed to commit to supporting mothers in all aspects of my care.”
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Travel Ban
"As someone who holds the identity of a physician, a woman of color and a first-generation American, I am angry and horrified by this recent travel ban,"
"This travel ban is the very definition of discrimination. Having cared for thousands of pregnant people, I know first-hand that pregnancy is not a national security threat,"
"Being of child-bearing age is not a national security threat. Babies are not a national security threat."
"To suggest that our communities seek to deliver our children in this country only to groom them to harm Americans is not only baseless, but also dehumanizing,"
"I call for everyone, especially health care providers, to speak out against this rule."
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Abortion & COVID
“I definitely understand [the fear], but we have to be bold. We have to be brave. We have to stand up for the people that we serve. There is nothing but fear right now and so we have to act. Our actions should be guided by our mission.”
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Abortion in Texas
“No mother should have to choose between her ability to end a pregnancy when she needs to and paying her rent, feeding her children, or buying them Christmas presents. But the calculus of which bill must go unpaid or how late rent can be so that an abortion can be obtained is the daily reality for the communities I care for in Texas.
Every person has the basic human right to quality health care, which includes timely access to abortion care, regardless of income. What a gift that would be to Texas families.”
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Texas SB8
“We write as licensed physicians caring for the diverse communities across Texas in strong opposition to Senate Bill 8 and House Bill 1515.”
“Patients facing difficult medical decisions should be able to openly consult with their physicians about every option available to them in order to make an informed choice.”
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Philanthropy
“Philanthropic organizations can help to transform abortion care from healthcare delivered at the margins, to healthcare delivered at the cutting edge through direct, unrestricted funding of innovative abortion care start-ups – specifically BIPOC led organizations.”
“People of color also deserve innovations in their healthcare and philanthropic foundations should invest in abortion providers of color to imagine new possibilities in abortion care with their communities and to deliver that care to them.”
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Immigration
“But as physicians who care for immigrants, and as children of immigrants ourselves, we know first-hand that there is no perfect immigration story. This rule change fails to recognize and honor the incredible strength and distinct struggle of each immigrant’s journey.
Our worth as community members should not be measured against our necessity for basic human rights in times of need. The hardships our families and countless other families endured adds immense value to the fabric of our communities. Our ability to empathize with and expertly serve diverse communities is firmly rooted in our lived experiences as children of refugees and revolution. We must remember that the American ideals of self-sufficiency and personal responsibility go hand-in-hand with community and justice.”
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Racial Justice & Texas SB8
“It doesn’t matter when the heartbeat starts. It doesn’t matter when the organs develop. It doesn’t matter what the overwhelming scientific evidence proves as far as abortion care being exceedingly safe, or around abortion restrictions actually causing harm to public health. We know that this isn’t about human development, it’s not about safety, it’s not about efficacy, it’s not about healthcare, and it’s certainly not about saving the lives of babies in Texas.”
“[A recent] study published out of the University of California showing that exposure to fatal police violence during pregnancy increases the likelihood of preterm birth. And that’s REAL facts. So if Texas lawmakers actually cared about the health and wellness of embryos in Texas, they should have spent this past session preventing those murders, preventing murders like Botham Jean, Atatiana Jefferson, and Sandra Bland here in our state from happening. That’s how they really could have used science to help our communities. But instead, they’re wasting our time talking about…heartbeats.”
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SB8 Research Brief
On May 19, 2021, Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 8 (SB 8) into law.
This bill includes two key provisions: it bans abortion upon detection of fetal cardiac activity and allows almost anyone to sue abortion providers and others who “aid and abet” a person obtaining abortion care. In this brief, we explain the provisions and potential impacts of SB 8.