Em-URGE-ing Voices

“Pro-Choice” House Lawmakers Advance Racist Hyde Amendment in Spending Bill

(Washington, DC) — Statement by Kimberly Inez McGuire, Executive Director of URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity in response to the House inserting Hyde Amendment language into the labor HHS spending bill. “We are in the midst of a public health crisis, record numbers of people are out of work, women and families are struggling to make ends meet, and no one has suffered these impacts more than people in Black, Indigenous, and Latinx communities. Under these circumstances, it is frankly shocking that any member of Congress who thinks of themselves as ‘pro-choice’ or a supporter of the movement for Black lives can back a bill that includes the racist Hyde Amendment.” “The Hyde Amendment was always unjust. At this moment in our nation’s history, this racist abortion coverage… Read more »

Supreme Court Upholds Abortion Access, But The Fight for Reproductive Justice Isn’t Over

(Washington, DC) — Statement by Kimberly Inez McGuire, Executive Director of URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity in response to the Supreme Court of the United States’ ruling in the case of June Medical Services v. Russo. “Today the Supreme Court fulfilled its obligation and struck down Louisiana’s discriminatory clinic shutdown law. While this is a win for abortion access, our work is far from over. In the midst of a global uprising for Black lives, we cannot ignore the ways that Black young people, women, trans and nonbinary people continue to be harmed by the hundreds of abortion restrictions left in place, policymakers’ failure to address Black maternal death, and the ongoing legacy of white supremacy. “The hundreds of abortion restrictions across the country are part of a… Read more »

Supreme Court Rules Employers Cannot Fire Someone for Being Queer or Trans

(Washington, DC) — Statement by Kimberly Inez McGuire, Executive Director of URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity in response to the Supreme Court of the United States’ ruling that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, applies to all LGBTQIA+ people. “By ruling that employers cannot discriminate against an employee simply because they are lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, or transgender, today’s Supreme Court decision in Bostock v. Clayton County is a major victory in the ongoing fight for LGBTQIA+ liberation and gender equity. Even so, we cannot let our joy overshadow the new and ongoing threats to the lives and wellbeing of queer and trans people. “When it was passed in 1964, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act… Read more »

Black People Must Risk Their Lives to Save Their Communities

(Washington, DC) — Remarks by Preston Mitchum, Policy Director at URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity spoken at Defending Black Bodies: A Reproductive Justice (RJ) Townhall on June 5, 2020, regarding the connection between reproductive and gender justice for Black communities and the Movement for Black Lives. “First, I’d like to acknowledge the Black women reproductive justice (RJ) leaders who organized this essential conversation ignited by the righteous indignation of Black people in the spirit of our pain, protest, and action. I’d also like to thank my fellow speakers for their powerful testimony.”  “This global uprising in support for Black lives didn’t happen in a vacuum. Violence against Black people led to this. Can you imagine how angry people must be to go outside — by the thousands —… Read more »

Statement by Jordyn Close on Police Violence at Peaceful Columbus, OH Rally

Click here for URGE’s statement condemning the police violence during the Columbus, OH protest. (Columbus, OH) — Statement by Jordyn Close, Ohio State Coordinator at URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity, board member of Women Have Options – Ohio (WHO/O), and abortion storyteller with WeTestify, on her experience with police violence during a peaceful community protest in Columbus, OH on May 28, 2020: “Last night, hundreds of people protested peacefully and beautifully in downtown Columbus, Ohio in the name of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Tony McDade and countless other Black and brown people that are terrorized, brutalized, and murdered at the hands of the racist police.  “I made the decision to protest with my community because for far too long Black voices have been silenced by white… Read more »

URGE Condemns Police Violence Against Protesters In Ohio

(Columbus, OH) — Statement by Kimberly Inez McGuire, Executive Director of URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity in solidarity with community pain and outrage for the brutal assault and arrest of Christopher Radden, a 42-year-old Black man, by police in Columbus, Ohio, after peacefully protesting in solidarity with community members in Minneapolis protesting the killing of George Floyd.  “Every day in this country Black women, Black men, Black youth, Black children, and Black trans and nonbinary people experience violence at the hands of police. And last night in Columbus, Ohio, was no different. “Hundreds of people — including our beloved Ohio State Coordinator Jordyn Close — gathered to peacefully protest the killing of George Floyd at the hands of police in Minneapolis. In turn, they were met with police… Read more »

URGE Condemns Anti-Black Police Violence

(Washington, DC) — Statement by Kimberly Inez McGuire, Executive Director of URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity in solidarity with community pain and outrage after the killing of George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, by Minneapolis police. “Every day. Every day in this country Black women, Black men, Black youth, Black children, and Black trans and nonbinary people experience violence at the hands of police. Every day, Black people experience violence that is bought and paid for with our tax dollars and committed in our name. Violence by white and non-Black people who are shielded by the near-bulletproof armor of white supremacy. “Violence against our loved ones locked in jails and prisons and cages. Violence in schools against little Black girls who only want to learn. Violence in hospitals… Read more »

Recklessly Reopening States Will Have Deadly Consequences for People of Color

(Washington, DC) — Statement by Kimberly Inez McGuire, Executive Director of URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity regarding the danger posed to young people and communities of color by reopening state economies in the South and Midwest as COVID-19 cases continue to rise.  “This week, governors in Georgia, Ohio, and other states rejected the advice of health experts and ignored the concerns of their own constituents by announcing plans to reopen nail salons, bowling alleys, and other non-essential businesses on or before May 1. The announcements come amid reports of mounting COVID-19 infections and woefully inadequate testing in these states, making it increasingly clear that reopening now will do nothing but accelerate death and suffering among communities of color already ravaged by the virus.” “In Georgia, Ohio, and other… Read more »

URGE Welcomes California Chapters

(Washington, DC) — JustCARE: Campus Action for Reproductive Equity, a campaign of students and allies to bring the abortion pill to student health centers, has joined URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity. In 2017, justCARE launched and began building a network of student leaders across California. Two years later, the efforts of the justCARE campaign and statewide partners culminated in the passage of California’s Senate Bill 24 (SB 24). Signed into law in October 2019, this bold piece of abortion legislation ensures that all public universities in California provide the abortion pill in student health centers. All justCARE staff and chapters are now part of URGE California (URGE CA). In California, URGE will organize and mobilize young people, advocate for progressive policies, and work to shift culture. In continuing… Read more »