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 »
Abortion Clinics Must Stay Open – Young People Need Care
(Washington, DC) — Statement by Kimberly Inez McGuire, Executive Director of URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity in support of abortion providers in Texas, Ohio, and Alabama who are filing suit to keep abortion services legal and accessible during the COVID-19 pandemic. “Over the last two weeks, anti-abortion politicians in Alabama, Ohio, Texas, and other states have callously exploited the COVID-19 crisis to further their extremist agendas by instructing health care providers to halt abortion services to comply with temporary suspension orders on all ‘non-essential’ surgeries or procedures. “Let’s be clear: abortion is essential care. Period. Yesterday, in response to this dire threat to the reproductive health of millions of women, trans, and nonbinary people, abortion providers in Alabama and Ohio joined Texas in suing to ensure that essential… Read more »
Amid Pandemic, Young People Call for Sweeping Reform
(Washington, DC) — As COVID-19 exposes the failures of US institutions to meet the needs of working people, URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity, a reproductive justice organization led by young people in the South, Midwest, and California, is calling on elected officials, media, and thought leaders to stop belittling and blaming young people and to refocus the conversation squarely where it belongs: bolstering our health care, economic, and social infrastructure to meet basic living standards. Today, URGE is releasing the Young People’s Reproductive Justice Policy Agenda (the Policy Agenda), a new blueprint of what young people envision for their futures. Developed in conversation with young people across the country, the Policy Agenda calls on local, state, and federal policymakers to address the urgent needs of young people and… Read more »
URGE Statement: Abortion Care is Essential Health Care
(Washington, DC) — Statement by Kimberly Inez McGuire, Executive Director of URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity on Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s instruction that health care providers stop providing abortion care during the COVID-19 pandemic. “On March 20, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost instructed two abortion clinics in Ohio to cease providing abortion care under the order that health care providers stop all ‘non-essential’ surgeries and medical procedures.” “Abortion in not a ‘non-essential’ medical procedure. It is essential health care. Full stop. People across Ohio must be able to access abortion care without delay and with dignity and respect. It is disgraceful that anti-abortion extremists are politicizing the COVID-19 crisis by veiling their continued efforts to close Ohio’s abortion clinics under the guise of patient health and safety.” … Read more »
URGE Statement: COVID-19 Poses a Threat and an Opportunity
(Washington, DC) — Statement by Kimberly Inez McGuire, Executive Director of URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity on threats to young people in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. “As the COVID-19 pandemic takes hold, we risk losing critical ground to politicians who will stop at nothing to enact and uphold regressive policies that deny women and trans people our right to bodily autonomy, sever social and economic lifelines for low-income and other marginalized communities, detain migrants, and deprive people of color and young people of our right to vote. “URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity is committed to staying vigilant through this pandemic. No matter what happens, we will continue to resist those who would take advantage of this crisis to rob us of our right to… Read more »
University Administrators Must Support Students Affected by COVID-19 Campus Closures
(Washington, DC) — Statement by Kimberly Inez McGuire, Executive Director of URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity on the recent spate of university campus closures across the nation due to the COVID-19 pandemic: “We call on university administrators to consider and find ways to meet the health and other needs of students impacted by sudden campus closures amid COVID-19 concerns. For millions of young people, campus food programs, health services, and housing are essential life-saving resources. For many, these services are the only safety nets they have. Colleges and universities must prioritize young people of color and those who are low-income, first-generation, and LGBTQIA+. As we manage the spread of COVID-19, we must center young people and all who face homelessness, food insecurity, and the loss of healthcare access…. Read more »