Protesters gather at Ohio Statehouse in support of LGBTQ, abortion rights
Nearly 250 protesters braved the wind and rain Saturday at the Ohio Statehouse in support of LGBTQ youth, people of color and abortion rights.
The first rally attracted a small audience to condemn House Bill 616, which restricts discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through third grade— as well as critical race theory and other “divisive” concepts.
The crowd grew significantly for the demonstration hosted by the Columbus branch of the Party for Socialism and Liberation. The organization drew supporters out in defense of Roe v. Wade, following the report of a leaked U.S. Supreme Court draft majority opinion to overturn the landmark decision.
Both groups marched around Downtown.
Columbus protests condemn House Bill 616 and support Roe v. Wade
“We will not be marching to the voting booths; we will march in the streets,” PSL Columbus member Hannah Simon told the audience. “No one in Congress is advocating for us, so we will advocate for ourselves. We are tired of having to fight for the same issues over and over. Nothing is guaranteed under capitalism, and the time to organize is right now.”
Simon and other activists led the crowd in chants, encouraging them to “stand up” and “fight back.” Individuals brought signs with abortion-rights messages.
Krista Feick, 34, of the Hilltop, was holding a sign that read “Aunties for Choice.”
“I was very devastated to hear about the leaked Supreme Court draft opinion, and I’m just here because that’s not what the majority of Americans want,” Feick said. “This is a choice that should be between a pregnant person and their doctor, and politicians have no place in this decision-making process.”
Alecia Gillespie, a 36-year-old teacher from Hilliard, attended the event with her best friend.
“I don’t just see this as a woman’s right; I see this as everybody’s rights,” Gillespie said. “I feel that once they try to take this, then they go on to the next one and everything that we worked on so hard for the past 60 years is gone because of one decision.”
An Ohio State medical student, Morgan Perryman, also addressed the crowd.
“A pregnant person’s body has to change so much to support a fetus,” said Perryman, 22, of King-Lincoln/Bronzeville, who also is a member of Medical Students for Choice. “There are a lot of things that can go wrong, all putting the patient at grave risk of death. I say all this to show the great undertaking giving birth is. The risk that a person takes on to have a child should not be taken lightly. And no government has the right to force someone to do so against their will.”
Perryman also addressed potential implications for Black women, who have higher maternal mortality rates, compared to their white counterparts.
“I will have to stare down those statistics and there’s nothing that will protect me. I should have the choice to decide if and when I take that on. And if the people who say they care so much about women and children really meant it, they should be dedicating their resources to fixing that.”
ethompson@dispatch.com
@miss_ethompson
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Protesters marched against HB 616, for Roe v. Wade at Ohio Statehouse
