On June 24, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in a shameful ruling that aims to block access to abortion across the country.

This ruling directly impacts everyone who can become pregnant, especially in conservative states, where abortion clinics have been under attack for decades.

Access to abortion for cis women has long been an issue in the U.S., even before the repeal of Roe v. Wade.

It is one of the most vital forms of healthcare - nearly one in four cisgender women will have an abortion in their lifetime.

Anyone who can become pregnant deserves access abortion if they need or want one. But thousands of people who aren't cis women can become pregnant.

This includes non-binary people, intersex people, Two Spirit people, and trans men.

In the words of AC Facci of the ACLU, "The fight for abortion rights and LGBTQ+ rights go hand in hand because they are both ultimately about protecting bodily autonomy. But they’re also intertwined because lesbians, bisexuals, trans people, queer people and yes, some trans gay men, can experience pregnancy and deserve control over if, when, and how we become pregnant, and whether or not we stay pregnant."

When conversations about abortion reduce it to a “women’s issue", we exclude huge groups of people.

There is a tendency to exclude the fact that  some trans men, non-binary, and intersex people can become pregnant. Centering who gets to have opinions about abortion around whether or not people are currently able to become pregnant excludes people from our understanding of abortion rights.

Further, LGBTQ+ rights have been under attack in recent years, and abortion is part of the agenda. Over 300 anti-trans and anti-LGBTQ bills have been proposed in state legislatures in 2022 alone, and over 20 new anti-trans bills have become law over the past three years.

In the same period of time, 541 of restrictions aimed at pushing abortion out of reach have been proposed and 38 have become law.

To band together, we can use more inclusive language when speaking about abortion. We can:

1. Refer to people affected by abortion rights, rather than calling it a women's issue exclusively
2. Avoid phrases like "no uterus, no opinion" and opt for inclusive language
3. Continue to protest, call MPs, and support grassroots movements in the US and fight for inclusion of queer people in campaigning

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Abortion and gender-affirming care are our rights.

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