Roe v. Wade Has Fallen. What Now?

Is abortion now illegal? Which states still allow it? What does this mean for gay marriage? How can I help? We've got answers.

Jun 24, 2022

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We knew it was coming.

The Supreme Court on Friday overturned Roe v. Wade, eliminating the constitutional right to an abortion after nearly 50 years, in a 6-3 vote. The decision leaves abortions to individual states to decide, 13 of which will ban abortions within 30 days.

There are headlines and analyses and all sorts of misinformation flying faster than most can keep up. Here are vetted articles and answers to some common questions I found helpful:

Is abortion now illegal?

It depends where you live. Abortions are already banned in five states, and the so-called “trigger laws” that prohibit abortions almost immediately are set to take effect in eight more states in the coming days.

Which states still allow abortion?

The New York Times is tracking the status of abortion laws in each state.

Where can I find an abortion provider?

New York Magazine put together a state-by-state database of vetted abortion clinics and providers and will be regularly updating it as state laws around abortion access keep changing.

Link to Twitter thread here.

What can I do to help? Donate? Protest?

This is a Google document compiled by the activist Alison Turkos, which I found useful in looking for resources on where to donate, how to talk to kids about the ruling, etc. In New York, some are gathering in Washington Square Park tonight at 6:30pm to protest. Here are some other protest times and locations, courtesy of The Cut.

WTF is going on in Malta?

You may have heard about a pregnant American tourist trapped in Malta, where abortion is illegal, as she began to have a miscarriage and learned her own life was in danger. The woman and her husband were in need of an emergency procedure to remove the fetus. They flew to Spain on Thursday night and were safely admitted to a hospital.

Is gay marriage next?

In the abortion decision, Justice Alito wrote — and Justice Kavanaugh concurred — that the overturn of Roe v. Wade should not be understood to "cast doubt on precedents that do not concern abortion" like contraception or gay marriage. But Clarence Thomas wrote that the court "should consider" past rulings on other cases as well — including the three that codified rights to contraception, gay relationships and gay marriage. So, what the hell does this mean?

As a fresh analysis in the Washington Post puts it, nobody seems to know for sure. On the one hand, we have two conservative justices saying one thing. On the other, you have their colleague arguing the exact opposite. As The Post explains: "Thomas is but one of nine justices, and if Alito and Kavanaugh aren’t on board with revisiting those precedents, it won’t happen." But at the same time, "when one of their own colleagues and ideological allies is calling for overruling these cases ... it becomes significantly more difficult to argue that" this case couldn't "also be used to chip away at those rights." For a second opinion, here's what The Times says.

Where can I read the ruling?

You can read the full 213-page decision on the Supreme Court website. You can also read what Justices Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagain said in their dissent here.

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