Though Texans are no stranger to staunch abortion bans and restrictions, the Dobbs Supreme Court decision and the fall of Roe hit us the hardest. As a community, we understood that our work had drastically changed and we communally felt the gravity of it. In all of the circumstances we’ve been in, we were at least able to support people leaving the state to access care. But after Dobbs, we as an organization weren’t able to do anything due to threats of criminalization by anti-abortion extremists. We made the painful decision to pause abortion funding until we were able to get a decision from the state courts. An absolute devastation. We heard from folks on our board and in our Post Abortion Truth & Healing group about how triggering the ruling was; how hurtful and how overwhelmed they felt by grief and anger.
People say grief is something with nowhere to go, but when we all had to take a pause, it wasn’t just to grieve. In Texas, we literally had to stop operations and regroup. We couldn’t do the work we wanted to do. All we could do is try to fight against these harmful laws and see if we could regain our ability to support Texans.
What We’ve Done
Over the last year, we’ve kicked our efforts into high gear and strengthened our resources in the fight for abortion access in Texas. That fight has taken us across both familiar and unchartered landscapes, places and spaces that are in need of our support.
Fight for the Right to Out of State Abortions
- We gained the protections of a preliminary injunction in late February 2023, allowing us to begin funding Texans abortion care in safe legal states in March 2023.
Our Expansion to Reproductive Access
- We expanded our programming to support people in Texas in different aspects of their reproductive lives.
- We began with funding non-abortion repro services such as contraception and STI testing, including counseling. We also launched our My Choice, Not A Crisis campaign to educate the community about the dangers ofAnti-Abortion Centers(also known as Crisis Pregnancy Centers,) which includes providing resources and infant care products to families with infants and toddlers.
We Invested In Leadership
- We invested in the leadership development of people who have had abortions through our Post Abortion Truth & Healing (PATH) group
- We trained our PATH program participants in advocacy and public speaking skills so that they are more empowered when sharing their stories in ways that inspire change and support other abortion-havers.
- We also provided opportunities to deepen their knowledge of the legislative process in Texas to better equip them in advocating against anti-abortion legislation.
Introduced Rosie’s Law to Texas Legislation
- “Rosie’s Law” (HB 1362) and (SB 448), is meant to allow Medicaid to cover reproductive health services, including legal abortions.
- The bill is named to honor the life of Rosaura “Rosie” Jimenez of McAllen, Texas. Texas based abortion funds, Frontera Fund, Lilith Fund, and Texas Equal Access (TEA) Fund, are leading the effort to repeal abortion coverage bans through the Rosie’s Law Coalition.
We expanded our community care offerings
- We offered our first healing brunch, where PATH participants and their loved ones joined us for a brunch complete with snacks, self care activities, and shared messages of gratitude and updates from our team.
- We expanded our social worker services to provide one on one care for our PATH members as well as members of our community. These were achieved through our operating system as well as out in the community at our public events, including but not limited to our Infant Care Resource Drive.
We advocated for local government change needed to protect abortion-havers in our area in a post-Roe society
- We advocated to Dallas City Council to pass the GRACE Act, or “Guarding the Right to Abortion Care for Everyone” Act which would restrict city resources from being used to conduct surveillance or otherwise investigate abortions or other pregnancy outcomes that would violate Texas’ abortion bans.
- Using our local power with the Denton community and the strength of our voices and local presence, we were able to persuade Denton City council to decree that Denton Law Enforcement would make abortion-related investigations their lowest priority for their community, a huge win that drew strength and added to our efforts in the neighboring city of Dallas, too.
Get Involved
The fight for reproductive rights doesn’t end here. Together, we can continue to make change and support pregnant people in Texas who need abortions. Below are a few ways in which you can get involved immediately.
Donate Today
Your donation helps us continue our expansive support to help pregnant Texans and their loved ones navigate the current abortion landscape. From funding out of state abortion services to providing community support and resources on Reproductive Health Care, every dollar keeps the fight going to make reproductive rights a reality for everyone.
Make a one-time donation today, or consider making a sustainable donation by becoming a member of our GEM, or Give Every Month Program.
Know ‘Em & Vote On ‘Em(If You Can)
Knowing is half the battle when it comes to managing the ever-changing political landscape. Get to know who your Congressional representatives AND State representatives are, where they stand and how they align – or don’t – with your values. Don’t forget about local government as well, a space where decisions impact us the most.
If you’re able, let your voice be heard at the polls. Voting is an important part of civic engagement that lets your representatives know how you feel about the decisions they make about laws they will put in place that impact your day to day living. Keep up with upcoming elections, make sure your registration is up to date and plan ahead so you can confidently cast your vote.
Engage with Us
- Follow us on social media @teafund on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok.
- Give back by becoming a volunteer at teafund.org/volunteer
- Our newsletter is the best way to keep up with our efforts, upcoming events and ways to connect with TEA Fund. Tell your friends to join our mailing list today to keep the crew in the know.
- Be loud and proud – shop our threadless store today for new pro-abortion accessories.
Thanks for your continued support of TEA Fund and our efforts to make reproductive rights a reality for everyone.
Select photos provided by Juniper St. Butcher.
