‘We are going backward’: U.S. abortion debate worries Canadian advocate

With word that the U.S. Supreme Court could overturn the historic 1973 case of Roe v. Wade, which legalized abortion nationwide, some advocates in Canada are worried about what could come next south of the border.

Michelle Fortin, executive director at Options for Sexual Health, a group that offers sexual health care, information, and education in B.C., says those who can get pregnant don’t appear to have much power in the current system, adding she fears more future decisions will be made by politicians — especially men.

“It is a reminder, just like the original women’s march in 2017 in Washington, D.C. and across the world, that women’s rights are human rights and that intersectional feminism, so that we’re reflecting people who also can get pregnant who don’t identify as women, are being preyed upon,” she explained.

Fortin stresses the importance of providing access to safe procedures, adding no matter where you are in the world, the number of abortions in places before and after they were made legal is the same.

“People who do not want to be pregnant will find a way to not be pregnant,” said Fortin.

“One of the biggest issues though around this is the pressure that it puts on people who have fewer resources — often that’s racialized folks, often that is single parents,” she explained, adding oftentimes abortions are sought by people who are already parents, suggesting other factors, such as cost, play a major role in decision making.

“People who are already trying to make ends meet and support the children that they have are going to be forced to travel farther, are going to be forced to access backroom opportunities, or they’re going to have to break the law.”

Roe ‘egregiously wrong’, says draft

On Monday, Politico posted published what was labelled as the first draft of an “Opinion of the Court” in a case challenging Mississippi’s ban on abortion after 15 weeks, a case known as Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.

The Supreme Court has yet to issue a ruling in the case, and opinions — and even justices’ votes — have been known to change during the drafting process. The court is expected to rule on the case before its term is up in late June or early July.

The draft is signed by Justice Samuel Alito, a member of the court’s 6-3 conservative majority, who was appointed by former President George W. Bush.

“Roe was egregiously wrong from the start,” the draft opinion states.

The draft opinion in effect states there is no Constitutional right to abortion services and would allow individual states to more heavily regulate or outright ban the procedure.

Responsibility to provide safe options

The bombshell report has sparked renewed public conversations around women’s health and a person’s right to choose.

“I guess I still struggle with the idea that anybody, other than the person who’s pregnant, has any input on what the choice of that person might be. I think that, as a society, it is our responsibility to provide as many supports and opportunities for people so that they aren’t put in this position,” said Fortin.

“If these are people who support access to free contraception and access to free childcare, then I would wonder why they would not want to support access to choice since, if those two things were in place, we’d have a lot fewer abortions.”

Fortin says she’s troubled by some of the decisions being made by lawmakers south of the border, adding, “the laws that we are seeing being perpetrated by predominantly white, cis, heterosexual men in positions of power will continue.

“And I’m really fearful for folks that can get pregnant, really fearful for LGBTQ2S folks, really fearful for people who already don’t have enough voice or power in that system,” she told CityNews.

“We are going backwards. I am shocked, I am saddened, I am angry, I am dismayed, I am all of the verbs that equate to confused.”

In the wake of the report from Politico, many U.S. politicians and government leaders have stepped in to share their thoughts.

In Washington state, Governor Jay Inslee reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring safe, affordable access for those in need.

“NOT HERE, NOT IN OUR LIFETIME. Washington is and will remain pro-choice,” his tweet reads in part.

Some Canadian political parties quick to lay out positions

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau weighed in on the matter Tuesday, saying in a tweet, “The right to choose is a woman’s right and a woman’s right alone.”

“Every woman in Canada has a right to a safe and legal abortion. We’ll never back down from protecting and promoting women’s rights in Canada and around the world,” he added.

Abortion laws in Canada are safe, according to NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh. However, he still has concerns about access to abortion services and is calling on the federal government to do more to protect these rights.

“So they don’t have to drive hundreds of kilometres to go to a hospital or clinic — that’s where we should be putting our efforts. The law is very strong in Canada. The right is protected but the access is something we need to improve,” he said.

Health services are provincial jurisdiction. Singh wants the government to punish provinces, like New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, that don’t provide adequate access by withholding portions of transfer payments.

“And any case where the province is not funding appropriately services that should be appropriately covered by the Canada Health Act and by public health funding. Enforce the rules,” Singh said Tuesday.

If that doesn’t work, he says he’s open to discussions about changing laws.

The Bloc Québécois was also among the parties standing by a person’s right to choose. The Bloc had planned to seek unanimous consent in the House of Commons Tuesday for a motion stating a woman’s body belongs to her alone and that the house recognizes her free choice in matters of abortion.

However, unanimous consent was denied, with some MPs opposing it. It’s unclear who exactly said no.

Meanwhile, several reports say Conservative MPs and Senators have been ordered by interim leader Candice Bergen not to comment on the news out of the U.S.

-With files from Katarina Szulc and The Associated Press