Grassroots Fights for Women’s Rights
On October 2, 2021, nearly 500 people gathered in Franklin Park in Boston, Massachusetts, for the Boston Rally to Defend Abortion Rights. Organized by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Massachusetts, National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League (NARAL) Pro Choice Massachusetts, and Planned Parenthood, this rally hosted people of all ages and genders—from babies in strollers and toddlers on shoulders to elderly men and women. The purpose of the rally was to inform people on the state of abortion legislation in this country and rally support for current bills and policies in the House and Senate. It also served to draw attention to the situation of voting laws in America and create outrage as part of a national movement to defend abortion rights and curb right-wing legislators enacting laws such as the abortion ban in Texas.
October 2, 2021.
The six-year-old daughter of one of the rally’s organizers kicked off the pro-choice event, stating to accompanying cheers that “If men should have control over their own body, women should too.” Congresspeople and activists introduced active legislation, such as the Roe Act and the Women’s Health Protection Act. Among others, Congresswomen Ayanna Pressley, Senator Ed Markey, and Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey spoke. Speakers advocated for comprehensive sexual education, shared personal experiences with abortions, and championed the Voting Rights Act. Others simply drew attention to the life or death situation that has become abortion rights in America—all to cheering from the animated crowd.
Talia and her friend Sophie at the October 2 Protest in Boston.
Keeping with other pro-choice rallies across the country on October 2, 2021, the purpose of this event was to draw attention to the democratic crisis in our country—a crisis exemplified by very severe restrictions to abortion Americans are seeing in their states, most notably Texas, whose legislature has recently passed a law which bans abortions at about six weeks from the patient’s last menstrual period, before most women even know they are pregnant. In light of these restrictive laws, each speaker ended their remarks with a call to action, asking attendees to reach out to their representatives and advocate for the Women’s Health Protection Act, the Roe Act, and the Voting Rights Act—to sign petitions, call representatives, and vote on legislation and for legislators who will keep access to abortion legal in America. For younger attendees not yet able to vote, the rallies serve as an education on what democracy looks like as well as the specific voting agenda they are likely to face. The Boston Rally for Abortion Rights event ended with a march through Franklin Park, with organizers leading chants and waving signs as a crowd of around 500 pro-choice Americans marched into Boston to voice their opinion before the Supreme Court goes into session on Monday, potentially jeopardizing Roe v. Wade, the landmark ruling that affirmed that access to legal, safe abortion is a constitutional right.
July 4, 1776.
The statistics indicate that a majority of Americans support access to first-trimester abortion; yet, the politics reflect that this opinion is not being represented in policy. A variety of political maneuvering including gerrymandering and voter suppression laws is what is perverting this expression of majority opinion. On a larger scale, the Boston rally reflects an ongoing battle in America between majoritarian and pluralistic democracy. Majoritarian democracy—the idea that whichever group gains the majority of the vote wins—has been perverted into a system that allows for minority rule. In America, around 60% of Americans support first-trimester abortions. Even in Texas, where some support the ban, 56% of pro-life Texans support abortion in the case of rape, incest, or danger to the mother—exceptions not permitted under the current law. Despite these public opinions, the Texas government has passed a law that virtually outlaws all abortion, and states like South Carolina and Mississippi are considering similar legislation. Our democratic system has become distorted in that the minority is not only influencing policy but has taken control of the legislative agenda. In the case of abortion rights, this seizure of control has become a life or death issue for many low-income women seeking now-illegal abortions.
“Each speaker ended their remarks with a call to action, asking attendees to reach out to their representatives and advocate for the Women’s Health Protection Act, the Roe Act, and the Voting Rights Act—to sign petitions, call representatives, and vote on legislation and for legislators who will keep access to abortion legal in America.”
Additionally, America clearly sees influences of pluralistic democracy, the idea that every voice and opinion gets a seat at the table, through the public voice of interest groups such as Planned Parenthood and the ACLU. While the influence of minority rule is clearly being seen at the federal level, particularly within the Senate, interest groups are fighting back, pushing for legislative reform that reflects the opinions and views of the majority. Funding plays a huge role in a pluralistic democracy; as seen with interest groups like the NRA, whose powerful lobby has kept gun control at bay, whoever has the most money generally has the most influence on policy and the federal government’s agenda. Through money and political manipulation, the form of pluralistic democracy is also being somewhat corrupted; money behind the scenes is giving some groups more advantage than others, leaving an unfair playing field. While the Boston Rally to Defend Abortion Rights was not a fundraiser per se, organizers capitalized on the rally’s momentum to advocate for donations to abortion clinics in Texas, so doctors can pay to send their patients out of state to obtain an abortion.
Through protests, petitions, the internet, and the press, many voices have a chance to be heard on this issue. These rallies serve to empower the individual and encourage them to vote as a bloc in favor of the interests groups’ goals. In this case, the organizers used this rally to magnify interest in securing and defending abortion rights and the power of the vote, ultimately to support the Women’s Health Protection Act of 2021. This law would finally codify the 1973 Supreme Court decision Roe v Wade, and this rally is especially timely as the Supreme Court is beginning its October term, and Republicans are aggressively advocating to overturn Roe. In Massachusetts specifically, legislators present thanked the crowd for their support in and voting on The Roe Act, “An Act to remove obstacles and expand abortion access.” Finally, as the United States continues to watch the battle between majority and minority rule develop over abortion policy and the Women’s Health Protection Act and other civil rights legislation, such as the Voting Rights Act of 2021, the act of voting will become more important than ever.