The Los Altos-Mountain View branch of the American Association of University Women is scheduled to mark the 50th anniversary of Roe v. Wade with a virtual event 1-2:15 p.m. Jan. 22.
The landmark 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision legalized abortion, a ruling that was overturned last June. The AAUW program will focus on the next steps in the fight for reproductive rights.
“For a number of years AAUW marked this anniversary as a celebration of reproductive freedom,” said Allyson Johnson, a director of the local AAUW branch. “This year, with the overturning of Roe v Wade, it will be an event in memory of that freedom, and also an effort to wake up awareness for what has been lost. Turning back the clock 50 years means a return to an era where women were prisoners of their bodies, where an unwanted embryo would be kept alive until birth, after which any problems would be the mother’s fault.”
The program, presented via Zoom, will feature Lauren Rankin, author of “Bodies on the Line: At the Front Lines of the Fight to Protect Abortion in America.”
Rankin is a communications strategist specializing in domestic and global reproductive health and rights. She spent six years as a clinic escort at an independent abortion clinic in New Jersey and has written about reproductive rights and gender politics.
Attendees are encouraged to prepare an 8-by-11-inch pro-choice sign for display in a group screenshot at the close of the meeting to share on social media.
The meeting is open to all.
To join the meeting, email name, affiliation and email address to c.noonan@yahoo.com. A Zoom link giving access to the meeting will be sent a few days in advance.
For membership details and more information on the local AAUW branch, its activities and scholarships, email Susan Ware at sware1223@gmail.com.
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