Protect reproductive rights for Tennesseans
As the only black woman of reproductive age in the Tennessee State House, I often find myself reminding my colleagues of the realities black women face: inadequate and unequal pay, managing child care challenges, oftentimes with no paid family leave, educational inequities and navigating hurdles to access health care.
The same challenges we faced outside the COVID-19 pandemic are the same yet amplified challenges we’re facing in the pandemic. No one stops needing reproductive health care and support in a public health crisis.
Women need birth control, pregnancy care, parenting support and abortion
Tennessee has attracted national headlines as one of the states where anti-abortion officials have exploited the COVID-19 crisis to push their political agenda and try to ban abortion--attempts to ban procedural abortion are currently blocked.
It’s not surprising that the states that are now trying to use the COVID-19 crisis to stop people from getting abortion care are the same states that have tried to ban abortion or shut down abortion clinics in the past.
We must stay focused on our values, truths
For me that means ensuring that all Tennesseans--no matter race, gender, sexual orientation, citizenship status, or economic status--have equal opportunity, freedom and a fair shot at achieving their dreams. It means working toward a reproductive freedom where each person can decide if, when, and how they want children and making sure that families have the right to raise their children in safe and sustainable communities.
The decision to become a parent is one of the most important life decisions we make. Having consistent access to affordable, high-quality birth control enables people more freedom to control that decision.
Especially now, as we face the global COVID-19 pandemic, people should be able to access birth control over-the-counter without unnecessary trips to the doctor for a prescription.
Securing rights for everyone
Reproductive freedom means improving health outcomes for mothers and infants, particularly black mothers and infants. Research shows that Tennessee has some of the worst rates of infant and maternal mortality in the United States and is ranked 41st in maternal mortality and 39th in infant mortality.
If this is the reality that Black women and children face in PRE-COVID-19 times, you can imagine what the added stress of COVID-19, social distancing, and limited birthing support and hospital care means for Black mothers.
This past legislative session I was able to pass House Bill 379, a bill that enables students who become pregnant to keep their HOPE Scholarship funds. This bill moves us a little closer to the reality of reproductive freedom.
Because of this bill young people do not have to decide between parenthood and their education. They will have the support they need to make sure their life is stable so they can be as successful in college as possible.
London Lamar is the State Representative of Tennessee’s 91st District.