Victory for women’s hard-fought freedom

I just read Chris Churchill’s column about how “disrespectful” it was for Gov. Andrew Cuomo to light state buildings pink Jan. 22 as though women don’t have a right to celebrate hard-fought freedoms for women just because it makes some people uncomfortable (“When a celebration becomes disrespectful,” Jan. 31).

The Reproductive Health Act was not the only bill passed that day in support of women. The Comprehensive Contraceptive Coverage Act, which ensures insurance coverage for contraceptives, and the Boss Bill, which prevents an employer’s religious beliefs from infringing on women’s health care decisions, also passed that day. Women in New York have been fighting 12 years for the right to make these personal health decisions without being denied care under outdated laws, and abortion providers have long had to fear criminal sanctions for providing compassionate, medically necessary care to their patients because abortion law still resided in the state’s criminal code. I have counseled women who faced the tragic scenario where a wanted pregnancy became unviable, only to be denied the care they needed because of state law restrictions. I feel a deep sense of relief knowing that these women, and their medical providers, no longer have to suffer. But this day was not just about abortion — it was about being able to make our own decisions about when and if to have a family without paternalistic interference.

Women have lived with the feet of men on their necks for too long. If our victory makes people uncomfortable now? Too damn bad. Aimee Furdyna, J.D., M.ed. Ballston Lake Board Member, Planned Parenthood Mohawk Hudson