SOMEONE YOU LOVE MAY NEED AN ABORTION
Supreme Court has overturned Roe v Wade. We're disgusted and furious, and would like to share some resources from our friends at Planned Parenthood, for whom we offer huge gratitude and love.
The first section of this email is Planned Parenthood's immediate information for community members seeking reproductive health care. The second section is Planned Parenthood's messaging for this moment. The third section is additional talking points and social media graphics put together jointly between Planned Parenthood, A Better Wisconsin Together, and All in Wisconsin.
Information for Community Members
Now that the Supreme Court has repealed constitutional protections for abortion, Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin (PPWI) has suspended abortion services until we receive clarification from a court regarding whether Wisconsin’s criminal abortion ban is enforceable. Below is information you can share with community members and partners who would like more information about how to access abortion care and other reproductive health care in Wisconsin.
Resources and Services from Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin
PPWI will continue to help patients get the care they need. All of the PPWI family planning health centers will remain open across the state. Staff at the three PPWI health centers providing abortion will continue to help patients access safe abortion care where it remains legal. Staff will also continue to be a resource by offering day one abortion counseling, travel assistance, and providing appropriate follow-up care when people return home.
For individuals who have internet access, the most comprehensive and accessible source of information about how people living in Wisconsin can access abortion services is PPWI’s abortion resources on the Wisconsin information page. Please prioritize sharing this resource on social media.
To ensure that patients in need of abortion can access timely health care that meets their needs, PPWI recommends that patients continue to contact PPWI first to receive health care guidance and financial support if needed.
PPWI has added patient navigators to support patients in need of assistance with abortion appointments and financial resources. People in need of additional support to access abortion services or resources can contact a patient navigator directly via email at abnav@ppwi.org or by dialing 414-289-3002.
PPWI will also continue to provide all other non-abortion services, including pregnancy prevention services. In addition to birth control counseling, prescriptions and convenient quarterly contraceptive kits (QCK) by mail, PPWI is also providing people with a free Make-a-Plan pregnancy prevention kits at any PPWI health center. Make-a-Plan kits include 6 condoms, Emergency Contraception, a pregnancy test and information about threats to abortion access. To find the PPWI health center nearest you, go here.
For the most up-to-date information, hours, services, and directions, and to make an appointment at any PPWI Health Center, call 844-493-1052 or visit online at ppwi.org. If you have any questions, please contact Alyson Chavez, PPWI Bilingual Director of Community Relations at Alyson.Chavez@ppwi.org or by phone at 414-289-3711.
Planned Parenthood Messaging Sequence
1. Listen
Listen to what folks already know, their values that influence their views on abortion, and what is motivating them in this moment. People who feel listened to are more likely to listen in return. This sets the tone for discussion/conversation instead of debate.
2. Lead With Shared Values
Deciding if or when to become a parent is one of the most personal and life-changing decisions many of us will make; OR
Most of us can agree that decisions about our health care, including pregnancy, are personal. We want the ability to decide what’s best for us in consultation with the most trusted people in our lives, whether our family, close friends, faith leaders, or our doctor or doula, without politicians, interfering.
Examples:
"And at the end of the day, I hope we can all agree on this; we can't let our kids and grandkids grow up and have fewer rights than we did. That's going backward, and that's not the future we promised them, and that's not the future they deserve." - Gov. Tony Evers.
“As a father of five, grandfather of thirteen, and a man of faith, I have great respect for human life. I also strongly believe that it is not my place to make healthcare decisions for others." - Representative Dave Considine.
3. Acknowledge Feelings (Grief, Fear, and Outrage)
What is happening in our communities and to our loved ones with the loss of abortion access may feel devastating, scary, or infuriating. As we process this, it’s important to take care of ourselves and reach out to our friends and family
4. Set Context
With the overturning of Roe, the Supreme Court has gone against the overwhelming majority of Americans who want to protect access to abortion care .
This decision takes away the freedom for millions of people across the country to make incredibly personal decisions about their own bodies and their futures; these people include our mothers, sisters, friends, and neighbors.
"Abortion restrictions already harm Black, Latino and Indigenous people the most. And these communities stand to lose the most if Roe is overturned" - Tanya Atkinson, PPAWI President
Here in Wisconsin, this means that abortion is no longer accessible until we can determine whether our outdated criminal abortion ban from 1849 that had not been in effect because of the protections Roe v. Wade provided will be in effect.
5. Cue People to Think Critically
Tell people what this looks like in the real world:
The mother, who is just trying to make ends meet, now has to find childcare and transportation to travel out of state to get the care she needs
A patient and doctor discuss when the patient’s pregnancy complications will make them sick enough to get the abortion care they need to save their life
The young college student focused on their career ahead is now questioning those plans as they ask for time off to travel hours away to get an abortion.
A woman being unable to leave an unsafe relationship because she can’t imagine parenting on her own
Banning abortions won’t stop them in Wisconsin or any other state - it will make it unsafe, returning to the days when women die from unsafe abortions, putting people’s lives at risk just for accessing care they need.
6. Bring it All Together
Part of the reason this hurts so bad is that we know the generations before us that fought tirelessly to gain and protect access to abortion.
It’s important now to feel our collective power, to use our strength in numbers and support our loved ones who deserve access to care.
7. Reaffirm Commitment to Patients and Community
PPWI’s doors are open and will do everything possible to provide a full range of sexual and reproductive health care and education. This includes helping patients navigate scheduling and paying for abortion care out of state and getting any follow-up care they need when they return home.
Planned Parenthood will never back down in fighting to ensure that patients can access the care they need. We are in this together and we have strength in numbers. This isn’t over. Together we have the power to show up, raise our voices, use our votes and fight for the freedom to make decisions about our own bodies and futures.
Talking Points for Social Media
We ALL deserve the freedom to choose if and when we want to start a family. Now that #SCOTUS has made the devastating decision to overturn #RoeVWade, Wisconsinites need our state leaders to take action to protect abortion access and repeal our state's criminal abortion ban.
For 49 years, #RoeVWade has protected Wisconsinites from a 173-year-old criminal abortion law that bans nearly all abortions. Now that #SCOTUS has overturned #RoeVWade, we need our state leaders to repeal this archaic law and protect abortion access in Wisconsin.
No judge, no politician, no elected or partisan-appointed official should be able to take away our freedom to make personal medical decisions or take away our ability to decide if and when we want to start a family. Together we can tell politicians to keep their #BansOffOurBodies
The decisions we make about our bodies and our health should be left up to each individual and their doctor, not politicians. Call 1-800-362-9472 and tell your state legislators that Wisconsinites are relying on them to defend reproductive care now that #Roe has been overturned.
Wisconsinites have relied on #RoeVWade to protect our right to an abortion for 49 years. Now, we are watching as extreme Republicans are taking us backwards in time. It’s time that Wisconsin Republicans stand with the majority of Wisconsinites to defend abortion access in our state.
We all deserve the freedom to make our own decisions about our bodies, our health, and our families. That’s why Wisconsinites are joining together to demand that our elected officials vote to repeal Wisconsin’s criminal abortion law from 1849. Call them at 1-800-362-9472.
The majority of Wisconsinites want abortions to stay legal in safe in our state. Now that the U.S Supreme Court has turned back the clock on abortion rights, we need our elected officials to take immediate action to protect reproductive care in Wisconsin. 1-800-362-9472
Most Wisconsinites believe abortion should be legal in most or all cases. Our leaders have a duty to stand with us. Tell Wisconsin Republicans that the time is NOW to repeal Wisconsin’s 173-year-old criminal abortion ban at 1-800-362-9472.
Now that #RoeVWade has been overturned, extreme Republicans are pushing for a total ban on abortions in our state. Our leaders have a duty to fight for our best interests. That's why we need WI Republicans to work with @GovEvers to keep abortions legal and safe in Wisconsin.
In Wisconsin, abortion access is on the ballot and we need to elect leaders who will protect our reproductive freedom. Call 1-800-362-9472 to tell your legislators that this fall you will be voting for leaders who stand with the majority.
We have the power to ensure abortions are legal, safe, and accessible to all who need one. Today, tell your legislators to support the Abortion Rights Preservation Act so that we can repeal our ancient abortion ban and protect abortions for all now that #RoeVWade has been overturned.
Additional Messaging Resources
Hashtags
Calls to Action
Demand that Wisconsin lawmakers pass the Abortion Rights Preservation Act
Tell Governor Evers “thank you” for standing up for our reproductive freedom by calling a special session to repeal Wisconsin’s criminal abortion ban
Urge your state legislators to take the Governor’s special session seriously and repeal the criminal abortion ban leading up to June 22nd
Call/tweet/write your senator to demand they support codifying Roe v. Wade
Amplify credible resources for folks seeking an abortion (i.e. abortion funds)
Helpful Links
WHY WE LAUNCHED THIS SERIES
This year is a pivotal crossroads for our state and our nation. In 2020, we came out in record numbers. We marched, we voted, we volunteered and we elected new leaders to govern in our interests.
But now, our time is running out to ensure that every person in Wisconsin knows how much they made a difference. If we cut through the noise, we can ensure they know that they changed the direction of our state, improved our lives, and will do it again.
Here’s the challenge: our collective knee-jerk reaction to disinformation and incorrect statements is to provide “enough” facts to win the day, argument and voter. But contrary to our instincts, this doesn’t work and can even make our opponent’s narrative stronger!
When we try to bust a falsehood, what ends up happening is:
We deepen the audience’s belief in the lie
We repeat and reinforce our opponent’s frame
We expose the lie to folks that might not have heard it before
At the same time, we know we can’t stay silent. This monthly newsletter will help inform how to dispel lies and call out dog whistles without repeating them.
