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The Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus and The Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus Foundation calls the Supreme Court Decision to Overturn Roe V Wade
ILLINOIS- It is a distinctive characteristic of being humans that we can, and must, make choices. All day long, all through our lives, we choose how we act. To the extent that choices are denied to us, we lose part of our humanity.
Latinos know too well what it is like to be denied choice. Many of us have experienced the denial of choices in this country, too, either directly through regulations like the previous administration’s “public charge” rules, or indirectly through a climate of prejudice and fear.
Now, a Supreme Court whose majority was assured by the appointments made by an anti-Latino administration has overturned Roe v. Wade and further limited the choices available. And many of us know that the logic of this decision does not stop with a woman’s right to choose, but potentially extends to other choices that have been established in Supreme Court rulings, such as the right to marry whomever one chooses and potentially the right to any form of contraception.
There is a common denominator that truly unites us all as Latinos: The women in our lives – our mothers, sisters, hijas, primas, abuelitas – are resilient and strong! They are the ones who despite all challenges had to learn how to navigate and transform micro and macro systems all across. And yes, it is a shame to see a US Supreme Court side with the idea that somehow these same women from our lives can’t advocate and choose for themselves. As a Latino Caucus – a majority women caucus – we are ashamed and ready to do what the women in our lives thought us – to roll up our sleeves to make sure our State honors women by not taking away their right to choose.