In Stamford, ‘Women’s Wave’ gathers for abortion rights
STAMFORD — This weekend, Stamford was one of a wave of cities where people assembled to show backing for political candidates that support abortion rights.
Jaclyn Williams organized Stamford’s event outside the state Superior Court on Hoyt Street with support from the Women’s March organization and local group PinkWave. Hundreds of “Women’s Wave” events took place around the nation this weekend with a month to go before the 2022 midterm election, according to Women’s March.
Four months ago, the overturn of Roe v. Wade triggered a protest in downtown Stamford that drew more than 100 people.
“It seems like the country is kind of reverting backwards, while we’re in Stamford really moving forward,” Williams said ahead of Sunday’s rally.
She cited recent elections, including wins by Caroline Simmons and Patricia Billie Miller last year. Simmons is the first woman to be elected mayor of Stamford, and Miller is the first woman — and the first person of color — to represent the state Senate’s 27th District.
“I think that people are really wanting to step up to make sure that things continue to move forward for Stamford,” Williams said, adding that the theme of Sunday’s event is community: “stepping up for each other and showing up for each other.”
“It’s important right now to have the right people in office (on) a national level to keep us protected and safe,” she said.
Planned speakers included Simmons; Miller; Democratic candidate for secretary of the state Stephanie Thomas; U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn.; U.S. Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn.; Lieutenant Gov. Susan Bysiewicz; Attorney General William Tong; Realist Ventures Co-Founder Marie Rocha; Connecticut Young Democrats President Gabriella Koc; and University of Connecticut student Dancia Brown.
Williams said she also invited Stamford OB-GYN Dr. Shieva Ghofrany in an effort to give people “the facts and the information that they need in order to know what’s at stake.”
Williams, a Stamford resident who previously lived in Missouri and Georgia, said her parents raised her to be involved in fights for rights.
“Every year, we marched on Martin Luther King’s birthday,” Williams said. “I was probably in a stroller the first time.”
She said Sunday’s theme of community ties to a King quote: “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
“This is really one of the first times in my life where I have been in a state where I feel like my elected officials are fighting for me, where I feel like my government actually has my back,” Williams said. “But I’m ... extremely aware of what it’s like to be in states where it’s not like that.”