This May, Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed a law completely banning abortion after six weeks of pregnancy. The law, considered the most rigid and extreme nationwide, has been met with immense backlash from Texas residents and citizens as well as activists throughout the United States.
At six weeks, the first fetal heartbeat sounds can be detected, despite the embryo not yet having a developed heart. This milestone is the reason for the deadline, as conservatives feel that terminating a pregnancy while a “heart” is beating would be murder. However, many pregnant individuals do not know that they are pregnant by six weeks. It is possible to show no symptoms of pregnancy at six weeks. It is especially likely for people to be unaware if the pregnancy was unplanned. Many pro-choice activists argue that restricting abortion access before a person is aware of their pregnancy effectively diminishes the right to choose. There are no exceptions for instances of rape or abuse. This law will not only harm individuals who seek out an abortion, but also places grounds to sue on any person in Texas who “aids or abets” someone in getting one.
The law went into effect in September. The vote from the supreme court against banning the law was 5-4. Judge Robert Pittman issued a ruling in early October which temporarily stopped the law, but his ruling was overturned by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The Biden Administration then filed an appeal to the Supreme Court. On October 22nd, the court agreed to schedule for Judicial review on November 1st, but allowed the law to continue until then.
The supreme court currently has a 6-3 conservative to liberal majority. The fourth vote against the law was Chief Justice Roberts, who tends to lean more left than the other conservative justices. This new precedent has raised concerns about similar laws being passed in other conservative states. In 1973, Roe V. Wade established the abortion as a constitutional right. This law effectively undermines that decision, and sends a message to other state legislators that this is a possibility for them, too.
Protests have been raging throughout the nation in response to the law. There has been lobbying on Capitol Hill, organized marches, and even activism over the internet. Women’s March, the organization that put together annual marches for women’s rights during Donald Trump’s presidency, organized several massive marches on October 2nd in support of the right to choose.
Activists have also used social media platforms such as Tik Tok to spread awareness on issues within Texas. For example, there was a site on which citizens could report others for being involved with an illegal abortion. Olivia Julianna, a content creator who works for Gen Z for Change, posted a video sharing information about it. People flooded to the website, notifying it about an overflow of fake incidents, causing it to eventually crash.
The fight against this law is far from over. Activists will continue lobbying and organizing as the nation anxiously awaits the Supreme Court’s review on November 1st.
