12 Latinas Taking a Stand Against the Alabama Anti-Abortion Law
On May 15th, Alabama governor Kay Ivey signed into law the most restrictive abortion bill in the country, a near-total ban on the procedure with no exceptions for incest or rape
Photo: Unsplash/@luciadong
On May 15th, Alabama governor Kay Ivey signed into law the most restrictive abortion bill in the country, a near-total ban on the procedure with no exceptions for incest or rape. Under the new law, doctors could face up to 99 years in prison for performing an abortion. Since Trump took office, six other states — Georgia, Ohio, Mississippi, Kentucky, Iowa, and North Dakota — have passed laws banning abortions when a fetal heartbeat can be detected, which occurs as early as six weeks. Though it’ll be enforceable in six months, it’s believed that, like the other six states, it may not go into effect. The response to the law has been overwhelmingly negative with women across the U.S. calling it an attack on women’s rights. Here are 12 Latinx who have taken a stand against the law, taking to social media to share their thoughts.
wp_*posts
Denise Bidot
Denise Bidot is a 32-year-old plus-size model, who is half Puerto Rican and half Kuwaiti and made history as the first plus-size Latina model to ever walk the runways at New York Fashion Week in a “straight-size” show in 2014. She founded #NoWrongWay, a self-love movement raising awareness about the fact that there’s no wrong way to be a woman. In response to the ban, she wrote: “Feeling so vulnerable this morning with all the news. Can’t believe it’s 2019 and we are still having to fight for rights. I’m disgusted with these states passing these abortion bills and hurting for everyone who will be affected by this. Wow, I’m at a loss for words.”
wp_*posts
Nalgona Positivity Pride
Gloria Lucas is the founder of Nalgona Positivity Pride, a Xicana-indigenous body-positive organization providing support and education for people of color struggling with poor body image. Lucas is a Xicana from California with a background in sexual health education among other areas who promotes self-empowerment, resistance, and healing and fighting social oppression through her work with NPP. In the post, she wrote, “access to abortion for all people is a body-positive matter. After all, isn’t body autonomy the goal?” She then added “It is super scary what is going on. Also, stop shaming. Don’t like abortion? Then don’t have one. It’s as simple as that. Let’s see how many followers I lose.”
wp_*posts
Latina Rebels
Latina Rebels is an online platform for empowering Latinas made up of five women including founder Prisca Dorcas Mojica Rodriguez, a prominent Latina writer, and speaker. According to their Facebook, they empower Latinas “by disrupting the binary expectations that are placed on Latinas bodies and minds. We function to disrupt the ‘good’ girl versus ‘bad’” girl binary that is a product of white colonization, which functions to police the bodies and minds of womxn of color.” They posted a poem by feminist poet Jasmin Kaur that breaks down how women suffer as a result of attacks on reproductive rights that asks “at what point do you begin to hate the child?”
wp_*posts
Muchacha Fanzine
Muchacha Fanzine is a native Xicana feminist fanzine founded in 2010 that promotes social consciousness and decolonizing beliefs. Founder Daisy Salinas was inspired by punk rock feminism to develop the self-funded publication that functions on a submission basis, compiling work centered around social justice by marginalized artists and writers. In the post, which includes artwork that states “there’s nothing feminist about being pro-life” and went on to say “Bodily autonomy is a core feminist principle. No matter what “pro-life feminists” tell you — there’s absolutely nothing ’empowering’ about forced pregnancy or forced parenthood. Your opinion on abortion shouldn’t impact someone else’s ability to have one. Instead, understand that women and people are capable of making decisions about their own bodies.” wp_*posts
Yarel Ramos and Jessica Molina of Wait Hold Up
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bxh-UQOAkvd/
Wait Hold Up is a lifestyle podcast hosted by journalist Yarel Ramos and Jessica Molina, creative producer at Spotify, that focuses on spirituality and self-care among other topics. Both women are involved in social justice movements and use their platform to elevate the voices of prominent Latinx women including entrepreneurs like Patty Delgado of Hija de tu Madre and immigration activist Sara Mora. In their post, they wrote “We are up in arms about what’s happening in #Alabama and #Georgia with the #heartbeatbillthis is absolutely unconstitutional and insane! We cannot let men in office dictate what happens to our bodies! Our bodies our rights.”
wp_*posts
Kim Guerra of Brown Badass Bonita
Kim Guerra is the woman behind Brown Badass Bonita, a lifestyle platform and brand of t-shirts, prints and other items that promote self-love and empowerment for the Latinx community. A writer herself, Guerra’s words are emblazoned all over her merchandise including her latest tee, which she shared in response to the ban. She writes, “mi cuerpo, mi cucú, mis reglas. Reinas you make the rules for your queendom, your body, your soul. The love you have for yourself will dictate these rules. Ámense Reinas y celebren sus cuerpos y sus cucus!”
wp_*posts
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
Ultimately, this is about women’s power.
When women are in control of their sexuality, it threatens a core element underpinning right-wing ideology: patriarchy.
It’s a brutal form of oppression to seize control of the 1 essential thing a person should command: their own body.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) May 16, 2019
U.S. Representative for New York’s 14th congressional district Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, an outspoken Democratic socialist, took to Twitter to denounce the Alabama anti-abortion law. She describes it as a form of oppression and a way for the government to control women and their bodies. She writes, “Abortion bans aren’t just about controlling women’s bodies. They’re about controlling women’s sexuality. Owning women. Ultimately, this is about women’s power. When women are in control of their sexuality, it threatens a core element underpinning right-wing ideology: patriarchy. It’s a brutal form of oppression to seize control of the 1 essential thing a person should command: their own body.”
wp_*posts
Hala Ayala
Convinced yet that local elections matter?
AL just passed an abortion ban, joining the likes of GA and OH.
The attacks on our reproductive rights are not random.
The GOP made a huge investment to take control of the State Houses in these states.
Virginia WILL NOT be next.
— Hala Ayala (@HalaAyala) May 15, 2019
Hala Ayala is representing the 51st district in the Virginia House of Delegates. The Democrat made history as one of two Latinas elected to the state’s House of Delegates in 2017. Ayala, who is of El Salvadoran descent and Irish and Lebanese descent, was a former cybersecurity specialist who helped organize the historic women’s march. She wrote, “Convinced yet that local elections matter? AL just passed an abortion ban, joining the likes of GA and OH. The attacks on our reproductive rights are not random. The GOP made a huge investment to take control of the State Houses in these states. Virginia WILL NOT be next.”
wp_*posts
Dani Fernandez
They’re not actually pro life. We all know that. When a black pregnant mom is shot by cops, they arent bothered. When brown babies are ripped from their mothers, and lost, completely unaccounted for, or DIE in custody, they don’t care.
They’re not pro life, they’re pro control.— Dani Fernandez (@msdanifernandez) May 15, 2019
Latinx comedian, actress, and writer Dani Fernandez is the co-host of the podcast Nerdificent. Fernandez, who had a role in Ralph Breaks the Internet, contributed to the U.S. publication of The Good Immigrant, a collection of essays, writing about the prejudice she experienced as a Latina among white students. In response to the abortion ban she wrote, “They’re not actually pro-life. We all know that. When a black pregnant mom is shot by cops, they aren’t bothered. When brown babies are ripped from their mothers, and lost, completely unaccounted for, or DIE in custody, they don’t care. They’re not pro-life, they’re pro control.”
wp_*posts
Maria Hinojosa
Shut up. I’m not listening to your BS as a woman or an immigrant. Not today.
— Maria Hinojosa 🥑 (@Maria_Hinojosa) May 16, 2019
Mexican-American Maria Hinojosa is a pioneer Latinx journalist with decades of experience under her belt. She’s the anchor and executive producer of Latino USA on National Public Radio, which centers around Latinx issues. In 2010, she founded Futuro Media Group, focused on multi-platform, community-based journalism, and which produces the show on NPR. The mother of two, who has been open about her struggles to get pregnant, has called Trump out for his anti-immigration stance and the treatment of immigrants on the border. When the anti-abortion law passed she tweeted, “Shut up. I’m not listening to your BS as a woman or an immigrant. Not today.”
wp_*posts
Nathalie Molina Niño
https://twitter.com/NathalieMolina/status/1128793163085230081
Nathalie Molina Niño is a serial entrepreneur and author of Leapfrog: The New Revolution for Women Entrepreneurs published in August of last year. She is an impact investor targeting high-growth businesses that economically benefit women. In 2016 she founded Brava Investments, which invests in high-growth, scalable businesses that help women attain financial success. She wrote on Twitter, “Behind millions of successful women is an abortion they don’t regret. Including THIS #latina. #RoeVWade #WomensRightsAreHumanRights #AbortionRights #ShameonAlabama.”
wp_*posts
Cristela Alonzo
What concerns me about the abortion bill in Alabama:
IF the goal is to save lives of the unborn, what about the mother's lives that might be in jeopardy when pregnant? Do their lives not matter? The irony that the importance of one's life is capped at a certain age is insane.
— Cristela Alonzo (@cristela9) May 15, 2019
Cristela Alonzo is a stand-up comedian that made TV history in 2014 when she became the first Latina to create, write and star in a network TV sitcom for her show Cristela. Alonzo was also the first Latina to star in a Disney Pixar movie when she was cast as Cruz Ramirez in Cars 3. Her comedy special Lower Classy is on Netflix and she’s also passionate about her advocacy work fighting for issues that include immigration and poverty. She wrote, “What concerns me about the abortion bill in Alabama: IF the goal is to save lives of the unborn, what about the mother’s lives that might be in jeopardy when pregnant? Do their lives not matter? The irony that the importance of one’s life is capped at a certain age is insane.”
