It’s currently illegal to get an abortion in Texas after six weeks, the shortest time frame in the nation. Texas’ new law, Senate Bill 8, signed by Republican Governor Greg Abbott, went into effect on September 1st. In addition to the harshest time limit in which to allow for abortions, it also actively allows anyone from the public to sue both abortion providers and anyone they suspect has helped in providing an abortion. Since September 1st, reproductive justice organizations and abortion rights activists in Texas have been scrambling to provide necessary care for their communities, especially for LGBTQ+ people.
While much of the national conversation has centered around cis women, reproduction and family planning impacts everyone who is involved in the process of family building and navigating reproduction. For transgender, non-binary, intersex, two-spirit, and gender-queer individuals, the law is even more dangerous because of the pre-existing institutionalized transphobia in the healthcare system that results in the gatekeeping of access to these resources in the first place.
There are many ways to help those in our community right now—from donations to social media advocacy. We’ve rounded up a list of ways to get involved based on your style of activism. Bonus points if you match with multiple traits. When it comes to fighting for our rights, more is more.
If you’re pregnant and are looking for an abortion, check out Plan C Pills to get connected with clinical providers who can help you access a medicated abortion in your state. For those living in the state of Texas, the Texas Equal Access (TEA) Fund provides financial support to lower-income individuals seeking abortion access. Teenagers can get support from Jane’s Due Process, also based in Texas, for free legal advice, one-on-one case management, and stigma-free information on sexual and reproductive health.
For the social media activists:
Plan C Pills was founded by Elisa Wells and Francine Coeytaux, who worked on the team to make “Plan B”, the morning-after pill, available over-the-counter. In 2016, they wanted to take the concept of reproductive access to the next level by launching the website for Plan C Pills to share information and resources on how to get abortion pills and self-managed abortions. On Plan C Pills, you can see what abortion services are available in your state along with any legal implications. Medical providers can also sign up through Plan C to provide abortion care in their area. In addition to donating to the organization and signing petitions through the site, Plan C Pills also offers a social media toolkit for the digitally-first generation.
For the wealth redistributors:
All of the organizations listed in this article accept donations to help fund their programs, pay staff, and keep their physical spaces open. If you (like us) want to find smaller, local reproductive justice orgs to donate to, but don’t know where to start, here are a few that we recommend.
SPARK Reproductive Justice NOW, advocates for policies that protect and expand access to family planning, abortion services, and sexual health education for women and youth of color in Georgia. They center Black women, women of color, and queer and trans folks to ensure that their voices are heard in the reproductive rights and justice movements. SPARK also has a page on their website for mutual aid resources. In this section, you can find different funds to donate to and even toolkits for building your own support networks in your area.
In Alabama, The Knights and Orchid Society (TKO) is made up of Black, trans, queer, and gender non-conforming folks. The non-profit is committed to building the power and resources of Black trans and LGBQ communities in Alabama. Through their Fair Access in Transgender Health (FAITH) program, TKO trains, employs, and supports TGNC and LGBQ people of color and POC living with HIV to lead an HIV testing and prevention program. Currently, TKO operates a Reproductive Justice Free Store that provides food, diapers, and cleaning supplies to black rural Alabama residents.
For the researchers and educators:
The National LGBTQ Taskforce is the country’s oldest LGBTQ+ advocacy group with 40 years of experience in advancing the full freedom, justice, and equality of our community. The organization focuses on a broad range of issues from discrimination in healthcare to reversing HB-2 in the NCAA to allow transgender students to play with the team aligned with their gender. They are also focused on queering reproductive justice, rights, and access and have a comprehensive toolkit that includes a glossary, history of the movement, and information around legislation such as the Hyde Amendment which withheld abortion coverage for those under government-sponsored health insurance plans. They also have a mini version of the toolkit if 67 pages is a bit too long for your first engagement with this topic.
For the book readers:
One favorite out of the pool of books on queer reproductive justice is Trans Bodies, Trans Selves: A Resouce for the Trangender Community by NYC-based psychiatrist Laura Erickson-Schroth. The book takes inspiration from Our Bodies, Ourselves, which is a comprehensive (cis) women’s health and sexuality guide published in 2005 and reimagines it for LGBTQ+ communities. Each chapter of Trans Bodies, Trans Selves is written by a a transgender or genderqueer author and covers everything from medically transitioning to parenting and intimate relationships. The second edition is available for pre-order now.
Healthcare workers will find A Clinician's Guide to Gender-Affirming Care helpful when caring for queer, trans, non-binary, and intersex patients. The book is sectioned into five parts starting with the context and history around transgender and genderqueer communities, especially as it relates to healthcare access, then it discusses transition-related care, psychotherapy, and most importantly, trans empowerment and advocacy.
For video watchers:
Sometimes you just want to zone in and watch a video or listen to a podcast as you move about your day. For those who are inclined to learn in these ways, check out “Bodily Integrity and Personal Autonomy: Working for Transgender Liberation and Reproductive Justice”. This webinar from AIDS United features panelists from the National Center for Transgender Equality, Michigan Organization on Adolescent Sexual Health, and SPARK Reproductive Justice NOW! Discussing the intersection of the reproductive justice and trans liberation movements, how this impacts HIV and racial justice, and the best actionable ways to support cross-movement work. The Positive Women’s Network - USA, a national group of women living with HIV, also focuses on trans-centered reproductive justice. They explore what that looks like in a webinar titled “Advancing Trans Rights, Safety, and Justice: Imagining and creating trans-ceneted reproductive justice”. The expert panelists discuss full bodily autonomy and family planning issues that disproportionately impact the trans community and share their personal experiences as trans people who have experienced pregnancy.
For more resources check out some of these organizations fighting for reproductive justice and access for our queer, trans, non-binary, and gender non-conforming communities of color.
Advocates for Youth champions the next generation of activists fighting for policies and programs that advocate for young people’s access to sexual health information, services, and the resources needed to create sexual health equity for all. Their youth leaders launched the Youth Abortion Support Collective (YouthASC), a network of young people committed to becoming experts on abortion and being able to provide information to their communities.
The National Network of Abortion Funds strives to remove financial and logistical barriers for those seeking abortions through an intersectional lens of racial, economic, and reproductive justice. With over 80 organizations in the NNAF network, they help pay directly for abortions and provide support in the form of transportation, doula services, childcare, and housing if people need to travel to access an abortion.
WeTestify advocates for leadership and representation of those who have had abortions in an effort to increase storytelling around abortions and shift the cultural stigma around this issue. Their storytellers center on people of color, those from rural communities, queer-identified folks, and those with varying levels of disability and citizenship status—the most marginalized groups when it comes to accessing abortion care and services. WeTestify and Planned Parenthood’s short film “Ours to Tell” visualizes the power and freedom that comes with equal access to abortion care. They also feature digital comics and written pieces from their community of abortion storytellers.
The Frontera Fund provides financial and practical support for those seeking abortions in the Rio Grande Valley regardless of gender identity, race, ability, or immigration status. They also assist local Rio Grande residents’ travel across Texas state borders if they need to access abortions out of state.
CHOICES envisions a world where sexual and reproductive health services are available to everyone. The Memphis-based organization supports communities in the Mid-South to make informed choices about their bodies and healthcare through a full range of services from medical and procedural abortions, hormone replacement therapy, and no-cost birth control. The organization launched the first program in the United States to provide 24/7 gynecological care, counseling, and forensics services to victims of sexual assault
The Feminist Women’s Health Center is the only locally-based non-profit in Georgia that directly provides reproductive health services while advocating for reproductive justice. Led by Black women and women of color, the organization takes a multiracial, multigenerational approach to provide services to the marginalized communities who need it most,
king yaa is a queer birthworker and reproductive justice advocate in the queer reproductive justice movement. As a trans-masculine person who’s given birth three times, they saw firsthand the barriers and challenges faced by queer, transgender, and non-binary people when seeking equal access to reproductive and sexual health services. They pioneered Birthing Beyond the Binary, an educational program that builds on Sister Song’s definition of reproductive justice to include queer, transgender, and non-binary folks and teaches people to understand family building and reproductive health through an intersectional, decolonized perspective.
This Facebook group called Birthing and Breast or Chestfeeding Trans People and Allies is a space where transgender and gender non-conforming people can share their experiences about pregnancy, birth, and nursing. The group is also open to allies and healthcare providers who want to support these communities.
There are several sperm banks and storage options for those seeking to preserve their fertility. Legacy is a digital fertility clinic that allows you to test, store, and freeze your sperm at home. Cryochoice has over 50 years of experience and is the first company to provide at-home collection kits to store sperm privately. Newer startups like DadiKit also offer at-home sperm testing and collection kits and provide test results within 48 hours of sending in your samples.
LGBTQ+ individuals and couples looking to build a family can access financial and educational resources through organizations like Family Equality, Gay Parents To Be, and Just a Baby. Each of these groups focus on non-traditional family planning by connecting LGBTQ+ parents-to-be with sperm or egg donors and creating support networks for individuals to connect with each other. Family Equality and Gay Parents To Be also list grants and funds on their website that can help offset the exorbitant cost of creating a family.
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