ILGA WORLD STATEMENT ON ROE V. WADE POSSIBLE OVERTURN

Long Beach, CA, United States – We, the global LGBTIacronym for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and intersex people. Although this is not the acronym available to describe people of diverse sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions, and sex characteristics, it is the most commonly used in United Nations spaces and advocacy. More movement gathered at the ILGA World Conference, are shocked and outraged at the news of a possible overturn of Roe v. Wade – the decision which guaranteed federal constitutional protections of abortion rights. The threat of such developments sent shockwaves across our global community.

If carried out, suddenly abortion would no longer be considered a constitutional right in the United States. As each State would be free to determine the legality of the procedure, large parts of the country could outlaw this essential health service that has been constitutionally protected for half a century.

In addition – if the legal argumentation that challenges Roe vs Wade was followed, this could easily jeopardise the dignity and rights of LGBTI persons, including access to healthcare and marriage equalitywhere national marriage legislation also includes same-sex couples or gender-neutral reference to the spouses. References to “gay marriage” that are sometimes made by media outlets and decision-makers incorrectly are incorrect, as no country has created a marriage law specifically for same-sex couples. More.

The right to abortion saves lives – it is a pillar of the right of bodily autonomy. The overturn of Roe v. Wade would have enormous political and social consequence, and could set an extremely dangerous precedent for other countries to follow suit where the policing of women and people with the ability to carry children has become a staple in the wider anti-rights agenda.

As LGBTI people, we experience every day how the surveillance on our bodies is a way to control our mere existence. And we know how the impact of abortion restrictions and bans will fall hardest on those already facing discriminatory obstacles to health care.

Almost 50 years ago, Roe v. Wade marked a pivotal moment in the history of civil rights in the United States. Since then, access to safe abortion has been established as a human right by numerous international frameworks, the UN Human Rights Committee, and regional human rights courts. We call on the United States not to turn back the clock on the dignity, the autonomy, and the self-determination of over half of its population.

We call on all our communities to unite for bodily autonomy, self-determination and the right to save abortion everywhere.