January 2007

Bay Area Feminists Protest "March for Life"

Dear Defender of Women's Rights,

While voters soundly rejected oppressive anti-choice legislation in South Dakota and California during the November elections, the fight for reproductive rights continues and indeed is more urgent than ever.

The rightwing remains on the offensive and for the third year running plans to bus thousands of fundamentalists to San Francisco on Saturday, January 20 to stage another “Walk for Life—West Coast” on the anniversary of the historic Roe v. Wade decision. Organizers of the “Walk for Life” want to strip women of their right to a safe, legal abortion and drive women back into the home. Their agenda is also anti-birth control, anti-gay rights and anti-equality.

But, as in previous years, feminist activists and allies from the labor, people of color, immigrant, youth, disability, lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender, faith-based and anti-war communities are organizing a grassroots, multi-issue, pro-choice response to the anti-abortionists, and we need your help. The Bay Area Coalition for Our Reproductive Rights has initiated a January 20th Coalition to bring together local and national community groups and individuals to organize a peaceful counter-demonstration with one united voice. This year's theme is “Forward, Not Back—Reproductive Justice for All!”

We are asking you to join this important effort to send the message to reactionaries in San Francisco and throughout the nation that abortion rights – and all human rights – are here to stay and that Roe v. Wade must be defended and expanded.

In past years our efforts were endorsed by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, San Francisco Labor Council, ACCESS, East Bay NOW, Watsonville Brown Berets, California Coalition for Women Prisoners, Radical Women, Code Pink, Women of Color Resource Center, GABNet, the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, and many more.

Here's what we need you to do:

1.        Endorse the counterprotest of the “Walk for Life—West Coast.” We ask for a $25 donation, but any amount is appreciated. Please make checks out to: Women's Choice Clinic and mail to 570 14th Street, Suite 3, Oakland, CA 94612-1080 with Jan. 20th endorsement in the memo line.

2.        Spread the word to your constituents, friends, contacts, supporters and coworkers – please forward this message far and wide and also download flyers, posters, and a sample labor resolution from www.BACORR.org.

2.        Commit to bringing folks to help line the march route of the “Walk for Life” with pro-choice supporters on Saturday, January 20, 2007. Meet at 10:30 a.m., Pier #5 on the Embarcadero (to the left of the Ferry Building at Embarcadero and Market Streets) in San Francisco. Wear green, bring signs, and defend women's right to choose! The counter-protest will be followed by a community rally at Jefferson and Hyde Streets near Aquatic Park.

Please call 415-864-1278, email bacorrinfo@riseup.net , or visit www.BACORR.org for more information.

BACORR stands for: free, accessible abortion on demand; no forced sterilizations; universal healthcare; pre- and post-natal care and childcare for all; safe and accessible contraceptives; an end to discrimination against people of color, queer, immigrant, and youth communities; embracing (not controlling or denying) sexuality; providing reality-based sex education in our public schools, and more. We hope to see you in San Francisco on January 20, and to work with you in the future to defend women's health and lives.

In solidarity,

Anita O'Shea
Radical Women and
Bay Area Coalition for Our Reproductive Rights (BACORR)