With all the prohibitive abortion legislation in recent years, it's been easy to feel like we've been been losing the war over women's rights. But today, there is some hope. The Supreme Court has just issued a historic decision in Whole Woman's Health v. Hellerstedt, striking down key parts of Texas House Bill 2 (HB2) in a 5-3 vote. The Supreme Court said that the bill, which required abortion clinics to have the same standards as ambulatory surgical centers, among other unusual and onerous restrictions, placed an undue burden on the clinics and limited their ability to provide abortions. Considering more than half of abortion clinics in Texas have closed since HB2 was introduced in 2013, the strain on abortion providers has already been obvious. This ruling is such an important step toward redressing some of the harm done by the bill.
“Every day, Whole Woman’s Health treats our patients with compassion, respect and dignity — and today the Supreme Court did the same,"Amy Hagstrom Miller, Founder and CEO of Whole Woman’s Health and lead plaintiff in the case, said in a statement shared with Bustle. "We’re thrilled that today justice was served and our clinics stay open.”
And what about Planned Parenthood, which described the case as "the Supreme Court's biggest abortion case in decades?" They echoed the joy, but also emphasized that the fight isn't over. They are one of America's most popular women's healthcare providers and educators, and are quite frankly heroic to women like me, who grew up in rural America and needed access to condoms and sexual health advice. They immediately showed their support on Twitter:
But they also insisted on the need to continue the fight, and reminded us that HB2 is far from the only regressive legislation passed recently, posting on their Facebook page:
This is a win for abortion access in Texas, but only a first step. The Supreme Court made clear that politicians can't pass laws to block safe, legal abortion, but it doesn't undo five years of unprecedented attacks on abortion access.
So the fight continues, but this is a vital step toward every woman having a choice. Tweet with #MyDecision and share your story:
