Story and photos by Marisa Actis
Special to Focus Magazine
In the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision not to review Texas’s SB8 law, which introduced draconian limits on reproductive rights, several organizations came together and organized rallies in favor of reproductive rights on Saturday, October 2 in cities across the country. My spouse and I had planned a weekend trip to DC many months before the rally, and when we knew we’d be present for a historic gathering of voices, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to participate.
The rally in Washington DC began at Freedom Plaza, where speakers shared stories about why reproductive rights are so important to fight for and not take for granted. Life is complicated, and giving individuals access to reproductive rights and family planning helps everyone in life’s journey. In the afternoon, the rally turned into a march as the group moved down Pennsylvania Avenue, past the Capital building, and ended at the Supreme Court. Watching people march by, I was overcome with emotion, not only by the thousands of people that showed up, but by the makeup of the attendees. All ages and genders were well represented, and you could tell there were people rallying that had made their voices heard many times before in the fight for access to reproductive rights.
