FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
05/03/2022

Contact:
Grace Friedman | Communications Director
[email protected]

Youth Organizations Issue Joint Statement On Leaked Supreme Court Opinion, Plan Joint Protest

After the leaked Supreme Court opinion overturning decades of judicial precedent on the Constitutional right to abortion, youth-led organizations Blue Future, Generation Ratify, Gen-Z for Change, March For Our Lives, Path to Progress, Sunrise Movement and Voters of Tomorrow plan to mobilize our generation outside of the Supreme Court on Thursday, May 5th at 5 pm, as well as across the country in the coming weeks and at the ballot box this November. The groups issued the following joint statement:

“Young people are appalled and horrified by the leaked Supreme Court decision to strip all people who can become pregnant of their basic right to choose. 5 unelected judges are sending us back to an era when a fetus had more rights than the human carrying the pregnancy. The Supreme Court is neglecting its duty to stand independent of the political system and has abandoned its duty to fairly read and interpret the Constitution. Instead, SCOTUS has become a fully political actor taking part in a coordinated attack against our nation’s youth.”

“This decision is regressive and indicates a desperate need for Supreme Court reform. The Senate must immediately act to (1) codify Roe v. Wade into law by passing S. 1975, the Women’s Health Protection Act, and (2) remove the deadline on the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment by passing S.J. Resolution 1, clearing the way for the Constitution to explicitly prohibit sex-based discrimination. Once published in the Constitution, the ERA will provide a strong legal defense against attacks on abortion access. The House has already passed both measures — the Senate must act immediately and send both to President Biden’s desk. We do not have time to waste.”

“Young people will continue our efforts to organize in support of human rights, youth rights, and reproductive rights for those in our schools and our country. Gen Z is the generation of choice and we will not be silent.”

With the reversal of this nearly 50 year precedent, abortion will soon be outlawed in 19 states, impacting nearly 36 million women – nearly half of all women of reproductive age (18-49) in the United States – and all people who can become pregnant in these states will lose abortion access. This rollback of rights is both unprecedented and unpopular with young Americans, with 80% of young voters supporting abortion rights.

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