This Monday, at the Massachusetts State House, the Joint Committee on the Judiciary will begin hearing testimony on the ROE Act.

The ROE Act expands and protects equitable access to abortion care in Massachusetts, a critical step as reproductive health care is under sustained and devastating attack across the country.

The hearing will begin at 1 p.m. in Gardner Auditorium at the State House and could continue into the evening. The ROE Act Coalition, including NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts, ACLU Massachusetts and the Planned Parenthood Advocacy Fund of Massachusetts, is asking supporters to show up in full force for the duration of the hearing.

If you can attend, please RSVP here.

If you cannot attend, please contact your State Representatives and State Senators to insist that they support the ROE Act.

Abortion care is health care. And it’s not fully accessible, even in Massachusetts.

The Massachusetts Citizens for Life held a fundraising ‘March for Life’ at the Frog Pond on Boston Common on Sunday, June 2nd—so we did too!

We resisted in solidarity with those who will be most directly affected by the recent abortion bans in Alabama, Georgia, and Missouri, particularly women of color, non-binary people of color, and trans men of color, as well as those who are poor and working class. These bans are part of a long and ongoing history of criminalizing and coercing the bodies of Black, Brown, and poor women and gender non-conforming people.

We also know that those behind these attacks often refuse to recognize the multiplicity of gender identities that exist in our communities, while actively working to harm and restrict the autonomy of transgender, non-binary, and gender non-conforming people. We will not stop fighting until everyone is free.

Here’s what we saw last weekend:

• Shame and judgment around bodily autonomy and women’s sexuality
• Crass insults to the memory of Dr. Tiller
• Myths and deceptions about abortion
• Lies about the ROE Act
• The warping of feminist terminology, such as “abortion is a tool of the patriarchy” or “feminists for life.”

But we also noted:

• A diverse, inclusive coalition of pro-choice activists and supporters
• The power and joy of showing up and raising our voices to support abortion access and fight stigma

In response, we’re aiming to match their anti-abortion fundraising with our own, to say loud and clear that all women, trans men, and non-binary & gender non-conforming people have the unconditional right of self-determination over their own bodies.

Donate $8 or more to the Jane Fund today to help us work towards a world where reproductive justice is a reality—a world where all people who can get pregnant have the right to have or not have children under the conditions that they choose and to raise the children they do have in safe and healthy communities. We want to show this reactionary group that they do not outnumber or overpower us.

Read more about the event in the Boston Globe. 

In the days surrounding Tax Day (Wednesday, April 17 in Massachusetts), we encourage our supporters to donate their tax return, or part of it, to abortion funds via a Trivia-Thon donation .

SIGN ME UP FOR TRIVIA!

Why? This action is a way to protest the fact that abortion care is currently barred from receiving taxpayer dollars . We want taxpayer dollars to go to funding abortion coverage because it’s a part of comprehensive healthcare and because it is a necessary social good.

Denying abortion coverage is a tax on people with low incomes . EVERYONE should have health insurance coverage, no matter how they get their insurance.

We’re grateful for a generous dollar for dollar match through April 15 to support the Jane Fund’s stance: We want our tax dollars to fund abortion.

To close the gap between our current total and our goal of $10,000, we’re offering a Jane Fund t-shirt to anyone who gives $100 or more during this stretch.

Hello, friends!

This Saturday, Worcester NOW and Planned Parenthood are phone banking in support of the ROE Act. Do you have a bit of time to help?

This is in direct response to the recent Gag Rule and opposition mobilization on Beacon Hill on March 20th. The group will be reaching out to abortion access supporters and educating them about the ROE Act, which will expand abortion access here in Massachusetts.

Saturday, March 16th, 1-4pm
UU Church at 90 Holden Street, Worcester
If you’d like to participate, please email [email protected] directly.

You may already be familiar with the W.I.S.H. Taskforce, a network of community members, leaders, service providers, youth workers, and more working toward improved educational, economic, and social outcomes for Worcester youth by making a positive impact on adolescent sexual health.

For three years, W.I.S.H. has worked to increase awareness and capacity for sexual health in the City of Worcester, and the implementation of a comprehensive, evidence-based, and inclusive sex education curriculum in the Worcester Public Schools is a critical component of this work. Just months ago, it seemed they were closer than ever to achieving this goal, but today, much of this work is in jeopardy.

In a disappointing turn of events, the Worcester School Committee has announced plans to vote this Thursday, February 7th on an abstinence-based sex education program known as the “Michigan Model.” It is dangerously inadequate.

The Michigan Model will move Worcester in the wrong direction. The program entirely excludes lessons about affirmative consent, how to prevent pregnancy, and LGBTQ youth. Worcester’s young people deserve better. We believe incomplete, shame-based sex education has no place in Worcester Public Schools.

Fill out this form to sign a public letter to demand the Mayor and School Committee vote NO on the Michigan Model. You can also sign up to submit testimony for the School Committee meeting and other ways to take action , such as sharing the open letter with the people in your networks.

After you fill out the form, contact the Mayor and key votes on the School Committee and ask that they vote NO:

Mayor Petty: 508-799-1153, [email protected]
Molly McCullough: 774-502-8731, [email protected]
Dianna Biancheria: 508-753-3440, [email protected]

We only have a matter of days to make our case. Thank you for taking action to stop the Michigan Model.

As we close out 2018, I want to take a moment to say thank you and make a small request.

Our work as an abortion fund centers on a radically simple concept: raise money and turn it around to help pay for abortions . Every time someone calls us in crisis, it’s because of you that we can offer financial assistance. (And, through our doula project, emotional support, as well.)

In light of how central you, our supporters and donors, are to funding abortion in Central Massachusetts and beyond, here’s my request: As you consider any end-of-year charitable giving, send something our way. And by our way, I mean in the direction of our callers.

Even $20 gets us that much closer to another pledge, and another person out there who’s better empowered to direct their own life.

Looking forward to 2019, we anticipate even more phone calls, pledges, events, community-building, and activism. Thank you for being central to that vision .

Happy New Year from all of us at the Jane Fund!

This year, and every year, we’re thankful for you!

This year has been an incredible one for The Jane Fund. With an influx of new supporters, and the wisdom of those who have been funding abortions for years, we are full of gratitude and excited for the future.

With that in mind, please donate to The Jane Fund tomorrow, Giving Tuesday. You can make a one-time donation, or set up a recurring donation to support us all year long. As a 501 (c) (3) charity, your donation to The Jane Fund is tax deductible.

Election Wrap-Up: Massachusetts and Beyond

Midterm election results left us feeling energized. We were thrilled to join the Yes on 3 coalition to protect trans rights across the Commonwealth and to send a message to the rest of the nation that trans rights are reproductive rights. We were also thrilled to see pro-choice, first-time candidates Tram Nguyen and David LeBeouf both beat anti-choice incumbents for seats in the MA House.

While this new generation of Massachusetts leadership, and trailblazers like Harriet Chandler and Jim McGovern, have committed to protecting abortion rights in our state, other states are slashing access to abortion .

The Jane Fund’s weekly budget includes funds for out-of-state callers. That money is gone by Monday afternoon. Here’s an overview of what those callers are facing:

• In Alabama, a ballot initiative granted full legal rights to fertilized eggs, meaning people can be prosecuted for obtaining or performing abortions in the state.
• In West Virginia, the state voted to change their constitution to include language that no longer supports the right to abortion access.
• And in Ohio, the House just passed a 6-week abortion bill. If passed by the Ohio Senate and signed by incoming Governor-Elect Mike DeWine, this law would ban abortion after the six-week mark, before most people even know they are pregnant.

We’re steeling ourselves for more calls from these states , but we can’t help them without your support. Even $25 make a huge difference in helping someone access abortion care. You can also support abortion funds in Alabama, West Virginia, and Ohio directly.

Coming Up

Be on the lookout for invitations to our Annual Meeting, where we’ll share our vision for 2019. Thank you for being a part of our mission!

If you voted early, congratulations! You’re awesome. If not, tomorrow’s the big day .

Here are some election-day resources to ensure you’re supporting abortion access with your vote:

Find where to go…

Find Your Polling Place (via Vote.org)

Learn what’s at stake across the country…

A Midterm Voting Guide for Reproductive Justice (via The Mary Sue)

Identify candidates that share your values…

Find the Pro-Choice Champions on Your Ballot (via #voteprochoice)

Pro-Choice Voter Guide (via Planned Parenthood Action Fund)

And get the info on voting Yes on 3:

The Ballot Question (via Freedom for All Massachusetts)