Last Sunday a crowd of pink filled the Cathedral in East Austin for Beyond Roe: The Fight for Our Future. The Planned Parenthood Texas Votes event marked the one-year anniversary of the Dobbs Supreme Court decision, and the 10th anniversary of former state Sen. Wendy Davis‘ filibuster on abortion-restricting legislation (an event worthy of a 2013 Best of Austin award).
The main event was a conversation between Davis, currently a PPTV senior adviser, and Judge Denise Hernández, looking back at the impacts and lessons from the two milestones while also considering the hope for increased abortion access in the future. “We can not give up on [reversing abortion restrictions] in the same way that folks on the other side never gave up,” Davis said. “If there’s anything to be learned from them, it’s that we just keep fighting every day.”
“It is really weird when it ends up being you. Then when it does, you realize it’s really not much different than getting the health care you need for anything else.” – Austinite Cera Thornton, reflecting on her abortion
Austinite Cera Thornton, 33 years old, attended the event with her mother, Chris Varady. After an unplanned pregnancy last year, Thornton and her husband decided an abortion made sense for them. She said she feels fortunate to not only have had access to the procedure but also to know her family understood her decision.
“It is really weird when it ends up being you,” Thornton said. “Then when it does, you realize it’s really not much different than getting the health care you need for anything else.”
State Rep. Donna Howard was one of several state politicians at the event. Even though her colleagues were unsuccessful during the recent legislative session in establishing exceptions for abortion in cases of rape, incest, and medical emergencies that aren’t immediately life-threatening, Howard said they found a small but important victory in passing House Bill 3058, which the governor signed into law earlier this month. The new law allows for medical intervention in ectopic pregnancies and the premature rupturing of membranes.
Considering how people of color and people experiencing poverty are disproportionately hurt by the state abortion ban, Hernández said the courts play an important role in providing a platform for the people. “The courts matter because it’s where we tell our story,” she said. “It’s where we tell our story of injustice … of disproportionate impacts. … I think that’s where we begin to really educate our community as a whole.”
The talk marked Thornton and Varady’s first time attending a Planned Parenthood event, and they said it was inspiring to see several different generations come together for the same cause. “I am trying to make sure that other people have the same chance and opportunity [I did],” Thornton said. “It’s just keeping this movement alive.”
This article appears in The Books Issue.