Residents advocate for reproductive rights

Two years after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, groups of people from Whidbey and beyond continue to stand up for women’s right to choose for their bodies.

Monday afternoon, on the second anniversary of the Supreme Court decision, the intersection of Highway 20 and Main Street was dotted by men and women holding signs with messages such as “Vote like your granddaughter’s rights depend on it!” and “Women not breeding stock.”

Most of the responses seemed positive, as drivers honked and waved at the crowd, though some opposition was expected. As a man drove by the scene, he shouted “Kill those babies, right?! Kill the babies!”

Many of the protesters were members of Indivisible Whidbey, a progressive group that opposes Donald Trump and advocates for human rights. They shave been showing up by the overpass every second Saturday of the month, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., to raise awareness and encourage people to vote. Some others were members of Planned Parenthood, Women’s March or residents with no affiliations.

Liz O’Donoghue, a co-leader of Indivisible Whidbey, said she felt nauseous when she learned that abortion was no longer a constitutional right. Since then, she and other residents have been waving signs at drivers, first on a weekly basis and later, once a month.

“I couldn’t believe it was something that was happening in my lifetime,” she said.

Most were middle-aged and senior men and women advocating for their daughters and granddaughters. Pam Fick showed up to support younger women, who, she said, “have less rights” than older women do. She would like to see more young women come out and join the movement.

“Get out here and fight with us,” she said, wearing a shirt from the novel and TV show “The Handmaid’s Tale,” which tells the stories of women treated as childbearing slaves. “If we don’t (fight), we’re gonna lose rights every single day.”

Leann Dawson said it would be great to reduce the number of abortions, but birth control needs to become more accessible for that to happen.

Linda Wehrman, a retired nurse, said she respects people who oppose abortion and choose not to get one, but worries about the politicians who want to “control how women live” and win votes. She said a forced pregnancy could be fatal to both the mother and the child.

Werhman experienced two miscarriages, one of which caused her to lose enough blood to be admitted to the hospital.

“Had I lived in a time and place with abortion bans, I believe I likely would have been under investigation for causing the loss of another child we were excited to add to our family,” she said.

In January, a study from the Journal of the American Medical Association estimated that, after the end of Roe v. Wade, there have been more than 64,000 pregnancies resulting from rape in states with abortion bans. One of the victims was a 10-year-old from Ohio, who had to travel to another state to get an abortion after being raped by a 27-year-old.

“Just because we live in the blue state of Washington doesn’t mean we are safe,” Wehrman said.

Janet Harvey believes Roe V. Wade is only the beginning of a series of rights that will be taken from women, then men, which is why she believes men should show solidarity with the cause.

For most of her life, she was able to make decisions for her own body. At 65, she now worries for the women who won’t have the same autonomy, as “a bunch of old, gray-haired white men” get to make decisions on their behalf.

“The right to choose how we live our lives is the reason we live in America,” she said.

Island County Commissioner Melanie Bacon, who has been supporting women’s right to choose for over 50 years, said the most essential freedom in America is the freedom over one’s own body.

“I think you can tell by all of the honks we’re getting here today that Whidbey Island is pro-choice,” she said.

Photo by Luisa Loi From left, Denise Marion, Anne Woods, Island County Commissioner Melanie Bacon, Liz O’Donoghue and Michaline Bruyninckx hold signs.

Photo by Luisa Loi On the second anniversary of the end of Roe v. Wade, people flocked to the intersection of Highway 20 and Main Street to support women’s reproductive rights.

Photo by Luisa Loi Mikki Lipsey, Steve Lipsey, Cary Chapin and Linda Werhman reminded drivers to vote this November. Six out of nine U.S. Supreme Court justices were appointed by Republican presidents. A Democrat president could appoint justices with more liberal leanings in case of a vacancy on the court.