How we live through this: tapping into collective resources in DC post election

Written By Alisha Dingus

The reality

Right now, DC has amazing access to abortion care and no limits based on gestational age, no parental consent laws, and is home to one of the only all-trimester clinics in the country. 

But a federal ban wipes out any local protections--no matter what you may have read on the internet--making all those ballot initiatives null and void. 

Since DC is not a state, we are even more at risk. Congress can get involved in our local business whenever they want.

Here are some examples: 

  • Every year, Congress attaches a rider to our budget saying DC medicaid cannot cover abortion care. 

  • Those weird rules around cannabis? Another rider that prevents us from having a legal market. 

  • And this year, Congress voted to overturn DC law for the first time in 30 years. 

We are in a very strange moment where we have to wait and see what Congress decides to do with DC and our ability to govern ourselves. This guide was put together to help you prepare for whatever happens. If you're still processing the election results, come back to this when you are ready. But we want to make sure our community is ready, because at the end of the day, WE KEEP US SAFE.

What could happen


Practical prep for people who can get pregnant

  • Getting pregnancy tests, ovulation predictor kits, condoms: These items, like many items manufactured outside the U.S., may become expensive once tariffs go into effect. However, we would like to encourage folks to not over-buy (who remembers not being able to get toilet paper in 2020?) and consider your privilege and ability to access essential items. 

    • Best practice: Buy 1-2 packs of emergency contraception, pregnancy tests, etc

    • P.S. inexpensive pregnancy tests work just as well as name-brand 

    • Consistent pregnancy testing may seem over-the-top, but can be a first line of defense in knowing with certainty you are pregnant and need abortion care.

  • Period-tracker apps: You may have mixed feelings about period tracker apps– valid! But, before you delete your app or stop yourself from downloading one, consider that period tracker apps can absolutely be part of your contraception toolkit and there are some app options that are not going to sell you out:

    • Clue: this is a German-based app & Germany, like much of the EU has much stricter consumer data privacy laws than the U.S.

    • Euki: This app stores data locally and does allow third-party tracking 

Still not convinced? We get it. AND, we highly encourage y’all to refresh your (maybe limited, maybe non-existent) middle-school sex ed knowledge & understanding of your cycle, and track, at the very least, with good old fashioned pen and paper. 

  • Consider your long-term contraception options: We will say this first– YOU and only YOU know your body best and what contraception works best for you. And, we encourage you to speak with a trustworthy medical provider about your long-term contraception options, like an IUD, implants, or injections which can prevent pregnancy for up to five years. 

  • Emergency contraception: Head over to our friends EC 4 DC aka Emergency Contraception for DC, a mutual aid project providing free emergency contraception to DC residents: EC 4 DC.  They also provide fantastic information about how emergency contraception works, when to use it, and health impacts: Learn about EC

    • NOTE (we know this is trash and contributes to medicalized racism and body-shaming and limits TRUE bodily autonomy 🙄):  Some studies show that EC pills containing levonorgestrel (Plan B, Take Action, MyWay, etc) can have decreased effectiveness if the user weighs more than 165 pounds. An alternative option is ella, which can be more effective for those up to 195 pounds, but does require a prescription. 

    • Emergency contraception does have a shelf-life. Check expiration dates!

    • You can also pick up free emergency contraception at any DCAF event! 

  • Get abortion pills in advance: Order abortion pills now, for advanced access, to have on hand just in case. Our friends at Plan C Pills can help with information, questions, and delivery: Plan C | Get Pills in Advance.

    • While it’s good to have abortion pills on hand, don’t stockpile! 1-2 doses is plenty. 

  • Keep your abortion or pregnancy private and secure:

    • Since the overturning of Roe, we’ve seen a rise in pregnancy criminalization and we anticipate this to get worse during the next four years. That’s why it’s important to understand how information about your abortion or pregnancy can be collected, stored, and shared. Our friends at Digital Defense Fund have an amazing resource about digital security and pregnancy: Guide to Abortion Privacy — Digital Defense Fund 

    • Consider using protected messaging apps, like Signal, to talk about abortion care, your cycle, etc. 

  • DONATE TO DC ABORTION FUND: DCAF is for all of us, by all of us. A monthly donation is an investment in the future safety of not only you, but your entire DC community. We keep us safe. Our annual report data shows that in 2024, 70% of DCAF callers are living below the federal poverty line ($15,600 annually). The reality is that for many of our callers, it may not be feasible to buy pregnancy tests or order abortion pills in advance. For many callers, DCAF is where they will turn. This is the time to invest in EVERYONE’s safety. Our number one goal is to ensure people have access to the abortion care they want–in clinic, telehealth, self-managed–DCAF is here to help. 

Resources to tap in 

Resources to tap out

General words of wisdom

  • From Kaela Cote-Stemmermann: Words are one thing, micro-managing a $21 billion city is another. Additionally, any of Trump’s most drastic changes will need Congressional approval, and it’s not guaranteed lawmakers would play along. So, prepare, but don’t panic.

  • Yes, Trump is obsessed with DC, yes you need to be prepared for the worst, but remember DC’s core identity: punk, loud, resilient, and amazingly progressive.

  • Take care of your neighbors and take care of yourself.

  • LEAN INTO COMMUNITY!

  • Local politics matter–Mayor, DC Attorney General, our council members, ANC reps–who is in charge matters. 

  • They don’t want us to feel joy, they don’t want us to laugh, they don’t want us to rage–join us in doing all three!

    • And yes, dark humor is okay!

The people who move here to work for the new administration are not a part of the core DC community–there is Washington and there is DC. WE ARE DC.

With love and rage,

DCAF

Alisha Dingus
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