NEWS
DEEP IN THE HEART OF TEXAS: STUDENTS RESPOND TO ABORTION BAN By Sophie Dorf-Kamienny
O
n September 1, 2021, the Texas state legislature passed the most extreme abortion restriction of any state in the nation, criminalizing up to 85 percent of the state’s abortion procedures. Texas is home to over 29 million residents, and is one of the top ten states from which Tufts admits incoming students. The news came as a shock to Tufts students, many of whom are affected directly or are fighting to protect abortion access nationwide. Texas bill SB 8, also known as the “heartbeat” bill, prohibits abortions after six weeks of gestation—when fetal cardiac activity can be detected on an ultrasound—which is often far before the pregnant person knows they’re pregnant. The bill does not provide exceptions for rape or incest, and allows individuals to sue anyone who provides—or “aids or abets”—an abortion after six weeks. Residents are incentivized to do so as plaintiffs stand to win $10,000 in court, in addition to a reimbursement of all legal fees, putting clinics, physicians, and citizens in danger of lawsuits brought by fellow residents. “The desired consequence appears to be to insulate the State from responsibility,” Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in dissent of Whole Woman’s Health v. Jackson, the case in which the Supreme Court declined to strike down the law for contradicting Roe v. Wade. Even though SB 8 unconstitutionally prohibits pre-viability abortions, the majority of justices ruled not to curb the law since it is not government-enforced. This sets a dangerous precedent for other states 24 TUFTS OBSERVER OCTOBER 11, 2021
aiming to undermine previous Supreme Court rulings on reproductive rights. “There needs to be an act stronger than Roe v. Wade that says there are absolutely no restrictions on abortions. I think the only reason that [Roe v. Wade] hasn’t been overturned by the Supreme Court is because it isn’t directly targeting the women who are receiving abortions. It’s targeting providers,” said sophomore Sabrina Rangwani, a Houston native and secretary of Tufts Students for NARAL, a pro-choice group on campus which works to defend reproductive rights both in Massachusetts and nationwide. The club is actively responding to restrictive abortion laws like Texas’ through local campaigns, and this year advocated for the passage of the Roe Act, which codified and expanded abortion access in Massachusetts. Abortion care is significantly harder to access for low-income pregnant people who disproportionately suffer the consequences of this Texas legislation. Many may be unable to seek care in neighboring states due to work obligations, inaccessible child care, and a lack of transportation. “People who don’t have the money for [ an abortion], they either have to go through with the pregnancy or find something else. And that’s terrifying,” said Gabriela Perez, a first-year from Houston, Texas. Growing up, Perez said the stigma surrounding abortion was ubiquitous, especially in her Catholic community. “Outside of the churches, they always have a little tombstone for babies that are aborted, and so it was always a topic that
was talked about. And obviously, it was stigmatized, and it’s seen as something you shouldn’t do,” Perez said. “I don’t feel completely safe in Texas as a woman, because it’s seen as women’s rights are just secondary.” In Texas, Perez organized with nonprofits like Mi Familia Vota, which encourages civic engagement and voter registration among Latinx communities. Coming to Tufts this fall, she said she looks forward to learning from activist groups on campus that could help her fuel change back in Houston for abortion rights. “Here, everyone seems to already be aware of what’s going on and feel more empowered than to make a change,” Perez said. “But in Houston, this is my community. They have their concerns, but they don’t feel like they can make a change or they can voice out their concerns. And so that difference in empowerment can be a big difference.” Rangwani said she feels supported by the Tufts community, something that is hard to find in Texas where legislation is so hostile against women and pregnant people. “Especially as a woman of color in Texas, it feels especially devaluing, because despite the fact that we make up a large percentage of the population and of the workforce in Texas, our voices still aren’t valued,” said Rangwani. According to a national poll by Monmouth University, four-in-five Americans disapproved of the law’s $10,000 “bounty,” and 70 percent didn’t think that private citizens should be responsible for enforcing the rule to begin
