On Saturday, October 2, 2021, local elected officials and activists gathered in front of the Stamford/Norwalk Judicial District Court to bring awareness to the current issues with women’s reproductive rights.

“[They] set back women’s abilities to effectively plan for when she and her partner are ready to have a family and makes our society less equitable because, unfortunately, measures like these further exacerbate racial inequities and injustices,” said State Representative and mayoral candidate Caroline Simmons. 

This event was started to help prevent these bills and laws from being passed and supported. It was organized by the organization Pink Wave, a Stamford non-profit dedicated to protecting the rights of women, girls, trans women, and non-binary people within the Stamford community as well as organizing feminist events. 

The rally had an impressive list of speakers including Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), along with several state representatives. The keynote speaker was Danielle Eason, the Board Chair of Planned Parenthood Votes Connecticut. Attendees were encouraged to bring homemade signs, which had many motivational messages. 

Throughout the day, topics ranged from internal grounding and connection to call and response chants. The event was very well attended, and Planned Parenthood had a booth with signs, shirts, and information available to all of the attendees. The main focuses of the event included “accessible, quality healthcare, reproductive autonomy, and safe and legal abortions for all who need them,” (Pink Wave). 

In an interview with Rep. Caroline Simmons after the event, she talked about why she wanted to attend the event personally. She explained she is a, “strong supporter of women’s rights and women’s health care rights, [and] wants to be an advocate for women and their rights. We’ve made so much progress, so we can’t go back.”

When asked specifically about Texas’s new legislation, she described the Texas Heartbeat Act as “barbaric” and “oppressive.” Currently, the law is temporarily blocked, but many abortion providers in the state are still hesitant to provide services because if the block is removed, they can be sued retroactively. All in all, Simmons expressed that not only are these laws repressive, but they are deterring advances in healthcare and reproductive rights. 

As for what you can do, Simmons said, “Grassroots advocacy is critical. Everyone must make their voices heard [and] elect government leaders at all levels who will be champions for everyone’s rights and families making their own healthcare decisions.”