Happy Friday? I don’t know, that’s how we always start these newsletters off but it just feels so weird to say right now with the recent news that the Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade.
I really make an effort to not get political with the content I put out - mostly because I think we all like a break from the news cycle that comes at us 24-7 from every digital screen imaginable.
But this news is just very bleak. Especially with the quote from Clarence Thomas saying “In future cases, we should reconsider all of this Court’s substantive due process precedents, including Griswold, Lawrence, and Obergefell.”
Which if you didn’t know (I know some of us haven’t been in history classes for a long time)
Griswold: Griswold v. Connecticut, 381 U.S. 479, was a landmark decision of the U.S. Supreme Court in which the Court ruled that the Constitution of the United States protects the liberty of married couples to buy and use contraceptives without government restriction.
Lawrence: Lawrence v. Texas, 539 U.S. 558, was a landmark decision of the U.S. Supreme Court in which the Court ruled that sanctions of criminal punishment for those who commit sodomy are unconstitutional.
Obergefell: Obergefell v. Hodges, 576 U.S. 644, is a landmark civil rights case in which the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that the fundamental right to marry is guaranteed to same-sex couples by both the Due Process Clause and the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.
It just feels so bleak and dark (and honestly nauseous) to read all of this.
So, my apologies to folks expecting Taylor Swift blind items (lol) but maybe we’ll just do that newsletter next week. Today is heavy, and rough, and just filled with a bit of background thoughts like…thinking of people in my life who are anti-abortion and happy with today’s ruling. And trying to not like, pop a blood vessel over that. Thinking of my friends in Texas and other states that have trigger laws around abortion. Just thinking about it all and it’s glum, and dark, and it just feels like the last two years have been a barrage of awful things. I don’t know how the human psyche carries all of this.
So, apologies for the bleakest Friday newsletter of all time but jesus lord it just feels dark right now. Thinking of you and I hope you’re doing okay. As we find out more news about this ruling, I would love to use the #PayItFluentlyForward campaign to help with some worthy causes around this - so let me know if there are any you would recommend.
Until the next one,
S
You're not alone in your sentiment today, Shannon. I am feeling very sad over the news.
I started crying the other day when I realized I'll probably never be able to live in my home state again, since they have some of the strictest abortion laws.
It’s so fucking bleak