Advocates Rally In Support of Abortion Rights Outside Hearing on TRAP Lawsuit
Richmond, VA—On Friday morning, the Henrico County Circuit Court will hear arguments on a lawsuit brought by the notoriously anti-woman Family Foundation against the McAuliffe administration. This is the first step in what will likely be a long, drawn out case regarding last October’s repeal of the targeted restrictions against abortion providers (TRAP).
Advocates and impacted women rallied outside the courthouse to show support for the repeal and say once again that these sham restrictions are completely medically unnecessary and do nothing to protect the health and safety of women.
“The Family Foundation of Virginia has proven time and again that they will stop at nothing to shut off access to abortion care and other reproductive health care services for Virginia women,” Tarina Keene, Executive Director of NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia, said Friday. “The Board of Health called out the Family Foundation’s sham restrictions – which threatened women’s health and safety – and drastically amended the unnecessary and onerous restrictions on abortion providers. Increasing access to healthcare should be our number one priority, not reducing it. It’s time for The Family Foundation to accept that and drop this frivolous suit.”
“Women and families in our communities should have the opportunity to work hard and thrive. But that becomes impossible when they can’t access the health care they need and make decisions about when and how to have a family,” Progress Virginia Education Fund Executive Director, Anna Scholl said. “Targeted restrictions against abortion providers are designed to shut down women’s health clinics and are a violation of our constitutional right to access safe and legal abortion.”
“Today was an important day for pro women’s health activists to continue to show up in the fight against these sham restrictions. These restrictions harm Latina health in particular,” Margie Del Castillo, Associate Director of Community Mobilization for the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health in Virginia, said. “A Latina working to raise the necessary funds for reproductive health services must often choose between paying for food, rent, or utilities, and the healthcare she needs. Harmful, sham restrictions compound the cost for women due to lost wages and added childcare and transportation expenses. We will continue to show up and uplift the voices of our community and fight to lift this undue burden off Latinas and all women in Virginia, who deserve better”
The court did not make a decision from the bench, but will issue a written opinion within two weeks.