On Oct. 2, thousands flooded the streets of Los Angeles in defense of reproductive rights during the Women’s March. Across the nation, roughly 600 demonstrations took place to protest the Texas abortion law allowed by the Supreme Court.
LOS ANGELES PROTEST
As activists and protesters took to the streets with signs, reproductive rights became the subject of much debate. Since the passing of Texas law SB8, the bill was met with multiple lawsuits, including a lawsuit from Whole Woman’s Health, which made its way to the Supreme Court.
The Texas abortion ban prevents abortions after detection of a heartbeat or around six weeks. The ban received reactions from both major United States political parties, as well as on Biola’s campus.
The Orange County Register estimated tens of thousands of people in attendance at the fifth annual Women’s March on Oct. 2, though there is no official count. The LA march was the nation’s largest, the OC Register reported.
TITLE X
On Oct. 4, President Joe Biden reversed the Trump-era Title X, which barred clinics from refering clients to abortion services, according to the Associated Press. Title X is a 50-year-old family planning grant that supports organizations that assist in planning families.
Following the Trump decision to bar referrals, nearly 1,300 facilities stepped away from Title X funding, among them Planned Parenthood. In a tweet on Oct. 4, Planned Parenthood announced that they anticipated rejoining Title X, following the lift of what they call the “gag rule.”