Reproductive Justice Includes Palestinian Liberation!
With the support and love of our city, our movement, and our community, the DC Abortion Fund is proud to sign on to “Reproductive Justice Includes Palestinian Liberation,” a letter authored by our friends and partners to the South, ARC-Southeast. With this sign-on, DCAF joins our sibling abortion funds, fellow repro workers, “Doctors Without Borders, the World Health Organization, and the United Nations in calling for a permanent ceasefire, an end to the US-funding of the genocide of Palestinians, the release of all hostages currently being held by the Israeli government and Hamas, an end to the occupation and the ability for Palestinians to freely return to their homes, and an end to the suppression of repro workers’ voices in support of Palestine.” [1]
It is with immense gratitude to and respect for our DCAF family—our case managers, our volunteers, our community partners, our sibling fund staff—that we step into this borderless fight for bodily autonomy.
Read more from ARC-Southeast on why RJ is showing up in solidarity with occupied Palestinians:
“Just like the movement to expand abortion access, we know that being vocally supportive of our Palestinian siblings is crucial, because silence only supports the oppressors, especially at a time when islamophobia and anti-Palestinian sentiment is being encouraged and emboldened by the biases of our elected officials, and dozens are losing their jobs for simply expressing support for Palestinians. When we are silent, misinformation, lies, oppression, and repression are allowed to fester. True reproductive freedom requires the complete liberation of Palestine. We proudly stand in radical solidarity with Palestinians fighting for their human rights. Uplifting those denied dignity is at the heart of our mission for justice.
Palestinians have asked that advocates everywhere join them in demanding, as a bare minimum, an immediate ceasefire; the urgent restoration of water, food, fuel, medical supplies, and humanitarian aid; immediate protection of medical facilities and the reversal of the illegal and inhumane evacuation orders for hospitals; the facilitation of safe passage for casualties and critically ill individuals in need of medical treatment; and an end to the 75 years-long illegal occupation of Palestinian land. We urge all to amplify these demands that come directly from those impacted, and support these demands however possible.”
When abortion funds work together, beautiful things are possible; ARC-Southeast’s convening our network on behalf of the Palestinian people is a perfect example of that magic. We couldn’t feel more grateful for their labor and words, which have not only spoken truth to power in repro for months, but also set an example for mutual aid organizations everywhere.
Mutual aid networks cannot simply be passive band-aids for capitalism; we are the intentional tool of revolutionaries. We are meant to be a pool from which organizers can drink, but if we remain silent on that which we organize for—dignity, autonomy, safety, and a life of one’s choosing—we join the very systems we claim to oppose. We ride for our community, and we will choose to follow their lead, every time. So from Southeast DC, to the South, to the Global South…DCAF is proud to join our community in the streets for a Free Palestine 🍉
Learning and Actions:
SUBMIT: Ceasefire in Gaza now! A demand letter from DC residents to the DC Council
SUBMIT: Palestine is a Feminist Struggle: U.S. Feminist Organizations Call for Permanent Ceasefire Now
DONATE: Anera: Help Refugees In Palestine, Jordan & Lebanon | @gazamutualaid
DCist: Thousands Protested At Freedom Plaza To Demand A Ceasefire In Gaza. Here’s What They Had To Say
A note about DCAF’s funding:
100% of donations to the DC Abortion Fund go to people seeking abortions in the DC area—yes, we’re serious! $0 of yours go toward our staffing budget, which is paid for by the National Network of Abortion Funds. While staff and volunteers dream up our campaigns, lead our political work, and organize for justice in the city, making sure we can fund abortion for anyone who needs it is always our #1 priority. DCAF is one of the largest abortion funds in the country, and we operate without requirements, restrictions, or qualifications. You can read more about our vital work since the overturn of Roe here, and you can learn more about our abortion funding process here.
