Statements

Call to Action: Stand with Texas Women!

Something historic happened in Texas on June 25. Texas women, spurred on by the support of women all across the country, refused to back down in the face of the latest assault on their rights. They flooded the capitol in what may have been the largest gathering in Texas history and disrupted a legislative session. According to right-wing politicians, they used “Occupy Wall Street tactics.” And guess what? THEY WON.

SB5 — a reactionary bill that would ban abortion after 20 weeks and force the majority of Texan abortion clinics to close because of costly, unnecessary “safety” restrictions — was defeated because of the mobilization of tens of thousands of people.

But this struggle is not over!

Gov. Rick Perry and the right-wing forces that supported the anti-abortion bill are mobilizing to reintroduce the legislation and continue the attacks. A new special legislative session begins on Monday, and women in Texas have called for a demonstration at the Capitol Building in Austin.

Gov. Perry and the right-wing forces aren't the only ones on the move. Reactionary, anti-choice forces have introduced legislation state-by-state and in the federal legislature more and more over the past several years. They seek to undo all the gains the women's movement has won so far, and push women back to the days of back-alley abortions and untold numbers of deaths.

We must stand with the women of Texas and build a women's movement that can defeat this kind of legislation, and any attack on women's rights from Texas to North Dakota to Mississippi to New York and California.

WORD — Women Organized to Resist and Defend — is calling on all those who can to join the protest in Austin on July 1, and for those who can’t to organize and join solidarity actions across the country.

Chicago: Rally & speakout at Michigan & Congress at 6:00 p.m.
Join the Facebook event    [email protected] or 773-828-9205

Los Angeles: Rally on the west steps of City Hall at 5:00 p.m.
Join the Facebook event     [email protected] or 323-596-7340

Sacramento: Rally at the California State Capitol at 5:30 p.m.
[email protected]

San Francisco: Rally at 7th and Mission Sts. at 5:00 p.m.
[email protected] or 415-375-9502
Join one of these protests, or organize an event in your city! Click here to submit the details of an event taking place in your city.