Rally held in Richmond for women's rights

Jun. 29—Heavy rain on Saturday evening did not deter a group of protestors from gathering at the Madison County Courthouse one day after the U.S. Supreme Court announced it had overturned Roe v. Wade.

In a historic move, the highest court in the country reversed its 1973 decision on Roe v. Wade — the case which formerly guaranteed a federal right to abortions in the United States. It had been successfully argued to the court that abortions were a right of personal privacy safeguarded by the first, fourth, fifth, ninth, and fourteenth amendments to the U.S. Constitution.

Following Friday's 6-3 vote by the current Supreme Court, access to abortion services will now be determined by the states. Kentucky is among a handful of states that had trigger laws in place which prohibits abortions in case Roe v. Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court.

As part of Kentucky's 2019 trigger law, access to almost all abortion services are illegal (including in cases of pregnancy through rape or incest). A narrow exception to the rule has been carved out in cases where carrying the pregnancy would result in the death or permanent injury of the pregnant woman.

According to organizers of the Richmond women's rights rally, more than 40 people showed up to speak out against the Supreme Court's decision to end Roe v. Wade. Chris Preece, a Berea teacher who recently ran for the Democratic nomination for the Kentucky's 6th District seat in the House of Representatives, said he felt compelled to help organize a rally for those wanting to voice their opposition to the Supreme Court's decision.

"We were searching around to see if anyone was organizing something for Madison County and we didn't see anything. We felt like we should organize this and I reached out to the Democratic Party here, which I'm on the executive board of," Preece said. "They were amenable to that, and so I went all in and starting contacting as many people as possible to put this together."

Preece said it was important for men to speak out in support of women's reproductive rights. He said the loss of Roe v. Wade was also an attack on personal privacy.

"Women's rights are human rights and, at the end of the day, this decision also attacks the right of privacy, the 14th Amendment, which has been cited in a number of things and has been cited as part of how we can have interracial marriage," Preece said. "My wife is Chinese and I'm a hillbilly. We have a baby together. On top of that, Kentucky's extremely restrictive trigger law does not give exceptions for ectopic pregnancies. If my wife and I decide we wanna have another kid — and it's an ectopic pregnancy — that could kill her if we don't get out of state."

Hannah Bingham was among those that came out on Saturday. For her, knowing people who would personally be affected by the Supreme Court's decision was enough reason to stand in the rain.

"I certainly, maybe like 10 years ago, would not have come out here myself. But knowing people who are personally affected by these things, knowing people who have had ectopic pregnancies who would have died without access to the abortion that they needed in our stat, is one major thing," Bingham said. "Banning abortions is like treating a symptom without treating the sickness. I'm really tired of a party that pushes one issue, instead of addressing things that would actually reduce abortion rates. We're not allowed to talk about universal health care. We're not allowed to talk about free contraception. This is supposed to solve the problem and it's just ridiculous."

Some at the protest worried the repeal of Roe v. Wade would lead to the overturning of other landmark cases as well.

"As an eighth generation Kentuckian, my family has lived here for 200 years. My family has lived in this state, in this country, and fought for the right to live. I think it's only right that I stand here today to say 'I will not go silently' because a woman's right to her body is a fundamental right. Not just her body — anyone's right to their body is a fundamental right," Catherine, who did not wish to share her full name, said. "This is the first tumbling stone before they get to the point that they repeal other landmark cases that are fundamental building blocks of many peoples' lives in our state and country. I'm here to say that I do not stand with that. I stand with those that want to live their life free of choice from the government."

In his concurring opinion released with the overturning of Roe, Justice Clarence Thomas called on the court to also reverse decisions on other civil rulings like Griswold v. Connecticut (a 1965 ruling that made it a right for married couples to purchase and make use of contraceptives), Lawrence v. Texas (a 2003 ruling that that made it legal for consenting adults to have intimate relations with people of the same-sex), and Obergefell v. Hodges (the 2015 decision that established gay marriage as legal on a federal level).

Some of those in attendance at the rally were not always supporters of abortion rights.

"I grew up in a very conservative Christian household. When I hit adulthood, I changed my views, and am now vehemently pro-choice and it is something that I am very passionate about. I believe that bodily autonomy is a fundamental human right and it should be for everyone," Cheyenne, who also did not wish to share her full name, said on Saturday. "I am appalled by the Supreme Court's decision to end Roe v. Wade and I believe we have to fight this, because it will not be the only right they take from us."

Despite Friday's ruling, the people who came out on Saturday night believe this debate is far from over.