For many LGBTQ people, getting pregnant is done with planning worthy of chess masters. Yet LGBTQ people who have been pregnant are also more likely to have had unwanted or mistimed pregnancies and to need abortion services than cisgender heterosexual women—meaning the end of Roe v. Wade will have an immediate negative impact on LGBTQ people, whether or not it leads to the erosion of additional rights.
The Supreme Court has ruled there is no federal right to an abortion—casting doubt upon a host of other rights. Here are some resources for queer parents and prospective parents wondering what to do next both to protect their families and to fight back.
In 1989, I was part of the March for Women’s Lives in Washington, DC, as abortion rights were at risk of being overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court. I was still recently out as a lesbian, with no thoughts of parenthood yet on my mind, but the idea of the government forcing people to carry unwanted or life-risking pregnancies was as anathema to me as it telling me who to love.
You’ve likely heard the news: A leaked draft opinion indicates that the U.S. Supreme Court will soon abolish the federal right to an abortion. This in itself will impact queer people as much as it will anyone—but could signal a threat to other LGBTQ rights as well.
The Texas abortion ban that was just upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court is a hugely frightening development for anyone who can get pregnant and for anyone who cares about reproductive rights, including not only abortion access but also assisted reproduction. That’s enough to make it a queer issue—but it has even more possible ramifications for other civil and human rights issues, including LGBTQ rights.
The only time I’ve ever been on birth control was when my spouse and I were trying to have a child. This just goes to show the variety of ways that birth control is used—and why the Supreme Court’s recent decision allowing more employers to refuse to cover it is very much a queer issue.
Many of us have experienced them in our doctor’s office: a speculum is cold, awkward, and sometimes anxiety-producing and painful. A team of designers is working to improve both the speculum and the entire pelvic exam process, however, and to do so in a way inclusive of women, transgender men, and nonbinary patients who need them.
LGBTQ and reproductive rights advocates are in court today to fight a Trump administration rule that allows health care workers to refuse to provide medical services that violate their religious or moral beliefs. They argue that the rule is unlawful and permits discrimination against LGBTQ people and our families, among others.
Summer may sometimes feel like a slow time of year, but there’s still a lot happening in LGBTQ parenting news!
A look at the news over the past few weeks leaves no doubt that abortion rights are under attack. This makes a new book for teens about abortion rights and reproductive justice a superbly timely and important read. Even better, it’s by a queer mom whose other books you may have read!
