'This is more important': Why Jodie Ashby marched for abortion rights after MU graduation ceremony

Jodie Ashby was ready for the most important event of her day.

She got some Pizza Tree, grabbed her protest sign, met up with Jess Alexander, her best friend since seventh grade, and kept her graduation cap on as she made her way to Columbia City Hall.

Ashby had just graduated with her master's degree from the University of Missouri's School of Social Work. The most important event of the day, however, was joining the Women's March Bans Off Our Bodies protest against the Supreme Court's leaked draft opinion that would overturn Roe v. Wade.

"We knew that we were wanting to come here, and we weren't going to let graduation get in the way of that," Ashby said. "This is more important."

More: Columbia abortion rights protesters march in response to Roe v. Wade leak

It was important to Ashby because of how significant it is for women's rights and safety, she said.

It's not her business, or anyone else's, why a woman would choose to get an abortion, she said. Of the myriad reasons why a woman would choose, not allowing them the right to a safe abortion could be deadly, she said.

"There's just no roundabout way of letting people have access to safe abortions," Ashby said. "You either have to legalize it or people will do it unsafely."

Ashby heard about Saturday's march through text chains and social media and was originally hesitant to go as it was on the same day as graduation.

But protesters were scheduled to gather outside of City Hall around 4 p.m., about an hour after graduation ended, and begin their march at 4:30.

Ashby made a sign that read "I didn't get my f---ing master's degree just to be thrown back to pre-1973," and carried it with her as she marched with the group from City Hall up to Walnut Street, down Ninth Street, across Elm Street and back up Seventh Street to City Hall.

Even in the 90 degree heat, the approximately 300 protesters weren't daunted. Ashby made sure she was part of the people, both men and women, making their voices heard.

Rev. Molly Housh Gordon, Planned Parenthood Great Plains abortion rights navigator Angela Huntington and Democratic candidate for state representative in the 47th House District Chimene Schwach also spoke after the march until about 6 p.m.

This was a much bigger turnout than the first protest the Women's March organized earlier in May.

Melissa Cameron, an organizer for Saturday's march, said the difference in numbers was because of how she extended her reach when planning the march.

"Not enough people knew about it," Cameron said. "I emailed everyone I could think of, I sent out Facebook messages and really stepped out of my comfort zone."

More: Mizzou law professor, statewide rights groups react to the Roe v. Wade draft opinion leak

Cameron said it meant the world to her that Ashby and other students would come straight from graduation to the march. To Cameron, it was a sign Columbia cares about women's rights, especially as Missouri is one of 13 trigger states.

Being a trigger state means nearly all abortions would become illegal in Missouri the day Roe v. Wade's overturning goes into effect.

"Honestly, it's overwhelmingly awesome," Cameron said. "It's a great way to show our representatives what we're passionate about."

That reach found Ashby. She said she was marching with the idea that overturning Roe v. Wade is more dangerous than helpful.

"I know that people get abortions for a multitude of reasons, and ultimately it's not anyone else's business," Ashby said. "Legislation, unfortunately, that comes with anti-abortion is also anti-sex education, anti-health care."

The more sex education is properly taught in schools, the fewer abortions there will be, Ashby said.

"Sex education isn't on the docket for our curriculum," Ashby said. "I ultimately want to do school social work."

It's difficult to vocalize at protests why sex education is important, she said. The conversation is focused on abortions. That's the difficult part for Ashby, as she said she has to pick and choose her battles at times.

"That's what leads to less abortions," Ashby said. "It's hard to come across in a protest."

Ashby could have more chances to raise her voice. Cameron said she thinks she will hold more protests to carry on the momentum she built Saturday.

If the marches continue, there won't be much that stops Ashby from being present.

"Like I said, this is more important," Ashby said.

Follow Chris Kwiecinski on Twitter @OchoK_ and contact him at CKwiecinsk@gannett.com or 573-815-1857.

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: MU student prioritized Bans Off Our Bodies Women's March over grad