The Rally for Reproductive Justice will be held at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 29, at the Luzerne County Courthouse, 200 N River St., Wilkes-Barre.
Co-sponsors NEPA NOW and Action Together NEPA say they are holding the rally in response to recent actions by the White House and state legislatures restricting critical access to reproductive health care for millions of Americans.
Speakers will include Dr. Helen Davis, associate professor of women’s and gender studies at Wilkes University; Flora Jenkins, vice president of Wilkes-Barre NAACP; Melissa Reed, president of Planned Parenthood Keystone; the Rev. Rebecca Barnes, St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Scranton; Sabrina Hannon, president of NEPA NOW; and Jessica Britain, Action Together/ Columbia County Indivisible chapter lead. Cindy Malkemes, Action Together Luzerne chapter lead, will emcee the rally.
The event will call attention to the gag rule the Trump Administration has placed on Title X health care providers, a move that targets the rights and health of more than 4 million people who depend on this funding for essential healthcare, including cervical and breast cancer screenings, birth control, and HIV and STD testing. Speakers will also discuss state laws restricting abortion and how obstructing access to reproductive services severely impacts low-income women, people of color and the LGBTQ community.
For more information, contact Lisa Napersky, Action Together NEPA, at 570-709-1165; or Sabrina Hannon, NEPA NOW, at 570-954-1831; or email at.luzerne@gmail.com or nepanowchapter@gmail.com.