More than 1,500 anti-abortion activists marched on the Connecticut Capitol grounds Wednesday, calling on lawmakers to halt a proposal before the General Assembly that would enshrine reproductive rights in the state’s Constitution.
The third annual March for Life drew religious leaders, Catholic school students and other advocates, including state lawmakers from both parties. This year’s gathering comes as abortion rights around the country are being rolled back in some states and expanded in others. Connecticut has extended access to HUSKY for undocumented people seeking abortions and enacted a legal shield to protect doctors who provide abortions, among other protections.
“Right now in Connecticut, we are home to some of the most heartbreaking abortion laws in the country,” said Erin Getz, a member of March for Life. “Fighting to change hearts and minds is worth it.”
A rallying cry for the attendees was opposition to S.J.4. In addition to banning discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity, the proposed constitutional amendment sets out to protect someone “terminating a pregnancy” — a phrase many believe would extend abortions past the state’s 24 week ban.
“Abortion is already legal in Connecticut. The only thing this would do is make it even easier than it already is,” said Peter Wolfgang of the Family Institute. “That’s the bad news.”
Rep. Treneé McGee, D-West Haven, one of the Democratic party’s most fervent abortion opponents, spoke at the rally, bringing the issue of race front and center to the debate.
“I hold strong concern with the abortion industry’s target on women of color and pieces of legislation that I believe are detrimental to my community,” said McGee. “I stand in place of whole-life, pro-life, black women and women of color across the globe.”
Rep. Jillian Gilchrest, a member of the Reproductive Rights Caucus, spoke to The Connecticut Mirror about her hope that S.J. 4 would ensure women have “broad access” to abortions in the state.
“Everyone’s entitled to their own beliefs, but there’s a distinction between public policy and belief,” said Gilchrest. “Public policy should reflect access to abortion.”
Gilchrest said the amendment would break down barriers so women who needed medically necessary abortions could get the help they need.
“My goal is to make sure women have medically accurate information and reproductive rights,” said Gilchrest.
If the amendment passes with three-quarters of the General Assembly in favor, Connecticut could put it on the November ballot.
Earlier in the day, McGee held a public forum with three other congresswomen, Robyn Porter, D-New Haven, Minnie Gonzalez, D- Hartford and Anabel Figueroa, D-Stamford, to discuss abortion from the perspective of women of color.
“From my personal experience as Latina, I can tell you that Latinas don’t really look for abortions,” said Figueroa. “I strongly believe that education and lack of medical benefits among our young females can be considered the main reason why a pregnancy is terminated.”
Many at the forum believed women of color were targeted by abortion clinics, saying they believe access to abortion is primarily located in brown and Black communities.
“There are abortion clinics in the ghetto,” said Anna Montalvo of ABC Women’s Center. “They’re easy to find. We make up more of the abortions although we make up less of the population.”
At one point, the legislators got teary-eyed listening to people’s accounts of abortion, with McGee comparing abortions to the death of Emmett Till, a 14-year-old boy who was lynched by a white mob in the 1950s.
“There are life advocates, people who call them extreme, but I’ll tell you this much, Mamie Till said, ‘Open up my son’s casket and show the world what people did to my son,’” said McGee.
In an interview with the CT Mirror, McGee said her priority is creating better social programs so women have an easier time choosing life. She believes that lawmakers should focus on fixing the maternal mortality rate and helping women of color pay for student loans.
When asked if she would support a ban on abortions, McGee said she “doesn’t even think about that in Connecticut.”
