Rosann slept on a blanket in the freezing rain. Aimee and Lisa, bundled up in sweatshirts, kept vigil through the night, taking breaks only to go to the bathroom. Chandler relied on delivery Dominos pizza and her "All You Need Is Love" shirt to power through her third day camping out on a sidewalk. They were just four of the hundreds of women from different corners of the country who spent long hours in the bone-chilling cold because they wanted to be a part of history Wednesday as the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in one of the most significant cases on abortion access in a generation.
Dozens of people camped out overnight in the nation's capital in hopes of watching the arguments unfold live. Others traveled hundreds of miles to show their support as part of dueling demonstrations on the courthouse steps.
"It's one thing to express yourself on social media, but to actually be here in the physical shows your full effort, your full support that this is an issue that we need to address," said Brayah Marson, a 19-year-old from Georgia who traveled to Washington, D.C. for the day to attend a pro-abortion rights rally. "We sacrificed time, school work to be here not only for us, but for the generation to come. Even people we don't know are affected by this."
"This" is Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt, a challenge to Texas' sweeping new abortion regulations. The Supreme Court's decision in the case could determine not just the fate of the law, HB2, but how far other states can go in setting standards and requirements for abortion providers.
Supporters of the Texas law, which was famously fillibustered by state Sen. Wendy Davis, say the new rules are necessary to protect the health of women. But critics say it is part of a troubling pattern of "TRAP" (Targeted Regulation of Abortion Providers) — regulations aimed at shuttering clinics and restricting access to abortion that masquerade as safety measures.
"We are at a real inflection point — this case will literally determine the constitutionality of these laws and it could determine reproductive access for decades," Dawn Porter, the filmmaker behind Trapped, a new documentary on the issue, told Refinery29. "There hasn't been a more important case in front of the Supreme Court in 25 years."
Refinery29 traveled to Washington this week to cover the historic case and speak with the women (and men) on both sides of the issue who braved the cold and crowds to express their views.
“It’s like taking a thousand steps back in time, really. We’re young women, and it affects all of us. I believe we need to stand in solidarity with young women across the United States because this will affect everyone.”
— Tori Shriver, 21, Johnstown, PA. (center)
"I think this is really defining — is abortion actually a right and is it something that women can attain? Or is it just this theoretical thing that's in the books but isn't really part of our lives? It's our lives and our choices, and we're not going to be free until we can decide when we want to have kids. All the choice we keep saying we have, if it's not financially accessible, if it's not in a clinic in our hometown that we can get to, it's just a myth."
— Rosann Marieppuram, 28, Austin, TX
"When the Supreme Court justices come in, and lawmakers see us, they see that the pro-life movement is more than just the stereotypical white male. It’s kids who care. It’s the next generation that they’re serving.”
— Lori Kostka, 21, Fairfax, VA
"I think it's important not only for abortion rights but also as a way to say it's not okay to create sham laws, for lawmakers to do that... If it's going to be representative government then you can't have laws that are trying to circumvent rights that people already have."
— Mae Hardebeck, 20, Hanover, NH
"People should have the right to a safe and accessible reproductive health care. This [law] is concerning to me, because I feel it's another attempt to make reproductive health care and reproductive justice [less] accessible to people."
—Gabi Nelson, 25, Georgia
"As a pro-life feminist I oppose all acts of domestic violence against human beings, and believing that and knowing that abortion kills a human being, I'm out here to demand creative, non-violent options to abortion: adoption, kinship care, other models of care for children, definitely resources for pregnant women, greater care for women and children in society in general. Usually people think that pro-lifers want to punish women who get abortions and lock them up forever and ever, and that's not our goal. Our goal is to create a culture of life where nobody has to be sacrificed for career success or education and academics."
— Aimee Murphy, 25, Pittsburgh, PA
"I'm here because I see a coordinated attack on women's rights across the country by conservative groups and I don't think a lot of people like to stand up for the right to choose because it's an uncomfortable subject, but I think it's really critical."
— Joan Heider, 27, Philadelphia, PA (left)
"I think there is some level of, well, we won the right already, so now we're good. Some people in our lives are definitely very aware because this is an important topic to us, but I think a lot of people we know don't see the nuances of the issue. They haven't seen how it's progressed and how the fight has gotten a little more strategic, the way that it has. It's gotten now sneakier. It's not just about whether or not you have the right to an abortion. It's about finding ways to take it away."
— Lauren Amira, 26, New York City
“This whole conversation is about human rights and for anyone to come out and stand for what they believe in, for their human rights or what they think are human rights, those are all us enacting our human rights. I respect everyone that comes out here, regardless of whatever, everyone here is making the sacrifice to stand for what they believe in.”
— Jeanne Marie Hathway, Silver Spring, MD.
"I’m here to express my belief that abortion access is a fundamental right for women, and politicians, especially men, don’t have a right to say what women do with their bodies... It’s important for women to know that not all of us are assholes. I’m here in solidarity to make sure people know that Texas men are supporting bodily autonomy.”
— Daniil Eliseev, 19, Dallas, TX
"I feel like I need to stand up and be counted for a voice in my generation. Just like these [pro-choice] women feel called to speak up for what they believe is being attacked, I feel called to stand up for life, not just for the pre-born, but for women."
— Lisa Twigg, 27, Spotsylvania, VA
"The inaccessibility to legal abortion, in my view, that is the tool for oppression. I stand with Wendy [Davis], but I think Texas should secede. If it sets a precedent, it's not good for the United States of America. It's not good for health, especially when you factor in emotional health."
—Chandler Wiland, 55
“It’s not just about necessarily pro-life or pro-choice. It’s about safety. We’re pro-life for the child and we’re pro-life for the woman also, and we want the woman to be just as safe as the child in their womb... Men are alive, too, and part of this world. This issue touches everybody, not just women.”
—Charlie McKenna, 18, Richmond, VA
“I’m here because I believe that at no point in a woman’s pregnancy should she lose her civil, constitutional rights. Access to health care is a human right and restrictions on health care present an undue burden for women seeking such care. Regardless of where people stand with regard to the spec of opinion on abortion rights, we should all come together in defense of the right to dignity and personhood for pregnant women. this is not only about abortion. it is about health care, it’s about family leave, it's about childcare, it's about other forms of ObGyn health for women of reproductive age who are incarcerated — it's about all of those things."
—Jeanne F., 50
"Allow us to trust our own bodies; trust what we want with our own life decisions. It shouldn't be in the hands of people who don't even know us."
—Brayah Marson, 19, Georgia
"I think even if you are for abortion you should want it to be the best and the safest abortion it can be for the mother and the family... People think that change will not happen in our lifetime, or that we'll make little steps, but when you come out and support and make a difference and people see you, it changes people in little ways, which impacts massive change."
— Izzy DiRita, 18, Bethesda, MD
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