The Fall of Roe v Wade
By Alex Free
It should never have come to this. We were called hysterical. We were told we were overreacting. And yet, here we are… Roe v. Wade is no more.
Thirteen states have "trigger bans", while others are preparing to re-activate dormant anti-abortion legislation. As I write this, Missouri became the first state to effectively end abortion — just hours after the ruling.
The impact of S.B.8 on Texas has caused surges at other health centers as people are forced to travel far for abortions. With 26 states set to restrict or ban abortion access, the undue burden this places on pregnant people and local providers will be enormous.
Justices Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor, and Elena Kagan lamented that millions of American women will lose a fundamental right because of the court's decision. - ABC News
Even though the decision is unprecedented, it's not surprising. Roe v. Wade was always about more than abortions. It's an attack on bodily autonomy and human rights. Abortion bans are inherently racist, sexist, classist, and oppressive. Anti-abortion laws are about policing - not just our bodies but our right to decide and privacy. These bans create a new tool for control against already marginalized people, further oppressing them. (It's not surprising that the same states with trigger bans are also states known for voting restrictions, anti-trans bills, anti-CRT bills, book bans, etc.)
The most frustrating part about restricting abortions is that people with privilege and resources will always have access. They will have the time, money, and connections needed to seek a safe and legal abortion. The fall of Roe is ultimately white supremacy in action.
Justice Thomas wrote:
"For that reason, in future cases, we should reconsider all of this Court's substantive due process precedents, including Griswold, Lawrence, and Obergefell."
These cases cover contraception, same-sex sexual relations, and same-sex marriage. We also know that in the leaked draft opinion, Justice Alito said that the overturn of Roe could be applied to undo Loving v. Virginia.
This is the beginning of a conscientious effort to roll back fundamental rights. It signals to control what we do to our bodies on a grander scale. When I read in the opinion that the "Court has been "reluctant" to recognize rights that are not mentioned in the constitution," I screamed. Why are we referencing that four-hundred-year-old document written to protect white men who colonized, raped, and murdered? An inherently racist and sexist document is what we use to decide what liberties and freedoms we deserve today?
This ruling will kill people, impacting not just those seeking abortions but the generations that follow. This is what we mean when we say the systems are broken. Oppressive systems create oppressive legislation. These legislations support white supremacy by maintaining the social order. This is why these systems must be demolished. They were never designed for most of us.
The people most impacted cannot do this work alone. And we know the fall of Roe doesn't just impact some of us. It affects all of us. So this is not the time for what-about-isms or if only — it's time for action. It's time to transform our collective rage and heartbreak into doing the work.
Please go here to learn more about how you can show up for abortion access. Please consider donating to your local abortion fund. If you want to know more about abortion options, please refer to and share: abortionpillinfo.org and ineedana.com. Never forget that abortion is health care and that bodily autonomy is a human right. The fall of Roe denies us one of our fundamental rights — and we must fight back.
Alex Free (they/she) is a fierce mental health & social justice advocate who focuses on topics spanning intersectionality, reproductive health, disrupting rape culture, healing & trauma, identity, and dismantling white supremacy. They are a creator, storyteller, speaker, survivor leader, and yogi as well as an intersectional, trauma-informed facilitator of social justice and healing spaces. Alex speaks about their own journey as someone who lives with AuDHD, CPTSD, chronic pain, and other chronic illnesses and believes there is power in our stories. They are also a queer, non-binary femme who was displaced through trans-racial and trans-national adoption. Their hope is that each of us goes on the journey to decolonize our minds and our spaces so we can truly fight for collective liberation for all of us.
