On Tuesday, May 21, 2019, hundreds of San Diegans will attended a Stop the Bans rally, joining the National Day of Action to defend reproductive freedom nationwide and to #StopTheBans.

This event, co-sponsored by Indivisible San Diego Central and Women’s March San Diego, joined local and national organizations including Planned Parenthood the American Civil Liberties Union to rally in support of reproductive rights and sent a strong message to lawmakers across the nation that we will unite in opposition to the new “heartbeat” laws and Alabama’s extreme abortion ban.

Speakers at today’s event included local leaders, activists, and elected officials including Nora E. Vargas, Vice President of Community and Government Relations at Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest, Supervisor Nathan Fletcher, Sarah Dolgen Shaftel, Allies for Women,  Norma Chavez-Peterson, ACLU San Diego Imperial County, Tasha Williamson, San Diego activist and founder of The Compassion Project & Building Justice, Wendy Wheatcroft, San Diego gun violence activist, Jordan Malinalcihuatl, trans-border community member, Adrian Donovan Scott a trans/nonbinary activist, Kenya Taylor, youth, family, and senior advocate, Aeiramique Glass Blake, community activist. The event concluded with a rallying cry from Kim Sontag-Mulder, President of the San Diego chapter of NOW. Speakers gave personal accounts for sharing their voice and support to #StopTheBans. Tasha Williamson noted, “I do not believe that we should take choices away from any group of individuals because what we do now will echo in the future.”