Greetings from the Fascist State of Florida.
It’s already been a little over two months since Gov. Ron DeSantis quietly signed the “Heartbeat Protection Act” into law in the middle of night, effectively banning most abortions after six weeks. Unless the conservative Florida Supreme Court rules otherwise, the law likely puts the last nail in the coffin of Florida’s status as a sanctuary state for abortion access, a Southern oasis in the “pro-life” Bible Belt. According to the Florida Agency for Health-Care Administration, in 2022, 6,726 people traveled to Florida for abortion care; 2,980 have traveled in 2023 as of June 6.
As I write this, it would appear that we have entered the end stage of my state’s turn from a national punchline and bumbling playground for Florida Man’s endless adventures to an actual authoritarian hellscape mired in oppressive legislation. I work quite literally in the shadow of the state Capitol, so I get to witness the fallout up close. From the balcony of my building, I’ve had a front-row seat for countless demonstrations, protests, and rallies. I rub shoulders with these firebrands of freedom, and my heart aches as their strained, yet unwavering voices fall on the unlistening ears of those fortified in the ivory tower behind them.
“The fight to stop government interference in personal medical decisions is important to me because I’ve had traumatic pregnancies, said Sarah Parker, president of Women’s Voices of SW Florida. “I know at the end of the day my community will bear the brunt of this near-total abortion ban. This isn’t about politics. This is about health care, this is about Black patients dying, this is about the single mom who can’t afford to travel out of state. And this is about being able to choose our own life path.”
By choice, I will never bear children. However, I do sit at the treacherous intersection of Black, female, and queer identities, and understand that it doesn’t have to happen to me for it to matter to me. This brings to mind Martin Niemöller’s lament: “Then, they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.”
The fall of Roe v. Wade a year ago today cleared the way for a number of “trigger laws” to take effect, making abortion illegal in almost all cases.
Along with the governor’s mansion, Republicans control the Florida Legislature, and likely will for the foreseeable future. They’ll be aided by DeSantis’ egregiously gerrymandered congressional map, which stole Democratic seats and turned an arguably purple state into a bloodbath of red districts. You could say Florida has long enjoyed a dubious political reputation, and I wouldn’t argue. In fact, I’m pretty sure the ghost of the 2000 presidential election is in the room with me right now. In the past few years, though, conservatives have launched an unprecedented assault on civil and human rights, and DeSantis’ own political extremism has grown alongside his ruthless presidential ambitions.
He is spearheading the attack on all fronts, methodically hammering away at the very freedoms he claims our state offers. Voting is an obstacle course in general here, and a minefield if one has a felony conviction. Protests are only tenuously legal, thanks to unconstitutional “anti-riot” legislation such as HB 1, books being arbitrarily banned, and whitewashed history that make it more “palatable.” Drag queens are apparently grooming children by reading to them, and queer and trans people can’t simply exist. Don’t ask about women controlling their own bodies, because we don’t do that here.
The fall of Roe v. Wade a year ago today cleared the way for a number of “trigger laws” to take effect, and states like Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi have made abortion illegal in almost all cases. Florida Republicans have essentially done the same thing, as six weeks is before most people even know they’re pregnant. In addition, many do not have the resources to travel to less prohibitive states before the cutoff. Florida may have been feasible before, but for some, North Carolina is now the nearest place to go and it might as well be Siberia.
There are myriad reasons why a pregnant person might elect to have an abortion, all of them equally valid. In some cases, however, the decision could literally mean the difference between life and death. This is especially true for those who are Black, brown, and/or low-income. According the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Center for Biotechnology Information:
- The United States has the highest maternal mortality rate of any developed country, and about 4 in 5 of those deaths are preventable.
- In 2021, 1,205 women died due to pregnancy complications.
- Black women are disproportionately affected (regardless of socioeconomic status) and are roughly three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white women. In 2021, the maternal death rate for Black women was 69.9 for every 100,000 live births, compared to 26.6 for every 100,000 live births for white women. That year, the overall rate was 32.9 for every 100,000 live births.
- Data has also shown that from 1995 to 2017, states with harsh abortion restrictions had significantly higher maternal mortality rates.
“I am horrified about the current state of reproductive rights in Florida, and even more heartbroken that we still do not have reproductive justice for all.” Melanie Williams, a legislative manager with Planned Parenthood of South, East, and North Florida. She also has four kids.
“Reproductive justice is the right to have children, the right not to have children and the right to parent the children we do have in a safe and healthy environment,” Williams added. “It is so crucial that we listen to, believe and support Black women. We deserve adequate health care just like everyone else. The fight for reproductive justice in Florida is a fight for human rights.”
Yet, hope springs eternal. In May, Floridians Protecting Freedom, a citizen-led ballot initiative group, launched a multimillion-dollar statewide initiative to explicitly codify the right to abortion into the state constitution. The coalition, made up of the ACLU of Florida, Women’s Voices of Southwest Florida, Florida Rising, and various Florida Planned Parenthood organizations, aims to get abortion on the ballot in 2024 with its proposed “Amendment to Limit Government Interference with Abortion.” The amendment would block implementation of laws prohibiting or restricting access to the procedure.
Nearly two-thirds of Floridians support the right to abortion in almost all cases, and a 2023 University of North Florida poll showed that 57 percent oppose the six-week ban.
“Some days it’s hard, but I believe in the American freedom I was taught in school,” said Parker, who also sits on Floridians Protecting Freedom’s executive board. “I believe in Florida. I believe in my community. I believe that when it comes down to this ballot initiative, the voices of Floridians from every different political affiliation will be loud and will reverberate through the country in support of getting government out of our health care.”
Getting the amendment on the ballot requires the collection of more than 891,000 signatures, or 8 percent of the total votes cast in the previous presidential election, by February 1. Thanks to Florida’s distribution requirement, those signatures must come from half of the 28 districts. In addition, the Florida Supreme Court could reject the amendment if they feel it violates state or federal constitutional guidelines.
Abortion is not a political matter. It is a personal one which should remain in the hands of women and pregnant people. Floridians can sign the petition here.
