Video footage of the event can be found here.

Richmond, Virginia—In the wake of the Supreme Court of the United States decision today to overturn Roe v. Wade and along with it nearly 50 years of precedent, advocates for abortion access held a press conference to say that abortion is still legal in Virginia and they won’t stop fighting until every person who needs an abortion is able to get the health care they need when they need it.

“This is an attack on our rights, our privacy, and our freedom. Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia will not back down. We will fight to defend the rights of people seeking sexual and reproductive health care, including abortion. Together, we will make sure that everyone has the care they need to control their bodies and their future,” Jamie Lockhart, Executive Director of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia, said. “No anti-abortion politician, no bans, no judges will block our personal medical decisions.

“This news is devastating, especially when Black women are three times more likely to die during childbirth than white women. The data doesn’t lie. Storytellers don’t lie about their situations Are we going to allow them to take our rights,” Kenda Sutton-El, Executive Director of Birth in Color, asked. “Either we’re going to stand up or we’re going to fold. At Birth in Color, we will be protecting our people of color to make sure they have access to what they need to like we always have. So either you will stand with us or you will stand on the side and let us do what we need to do.”

“While abortion is and will remain legal in Virginia, with this decision, the Supreme Court of the United States is removing our power to control our own bodies, our lives, and personal medical decisions. Make no mistake—this decision goes far beyond abortion. This ruling is about who has power over you, who has the authority to make decisions for you, and who can control your future. This impacts everyone, and shows that no right is safe,” LaTwyla Mathias, Executive Director of Progress Virginia, said. “Everyone should have the power to control their own bodies, lives, and futures. We must come together to take back our rights and ensure that we all live in a community where all of us can thrive and decide whether and when to become a parent for ourselves.”

Background:

This morning the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in its Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision.

In Virginia, abortion is legal and will remain legal thanks to the Reproductive Health Protection Act passed in 2020.