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Faith leaders convened on Capitol Hill on June 4th to deliver over 400,000 prayer petitions advocating for the “Right to Contraception Act” which goes to a vote in the Senate on Wednesday, June 5th 2024.
The event, organized by Family Compassion, focused on prayer and the need to protect contraception access before it is restricted or banned, in order to ensure that women continue receiving the medication needed to avoid serious health complications, and to guarantee that families have access to the birth control they need to provide loving, stable homes for their children.
The vote comes shortly before the anniversary of the Supreme Court decision, Griswold v. Connecticut, which established the constitutional right of married persons to use birth control—a decision which the Justices have signaled they may overturn.
Top 5 Highlights
Annie Bentley Waddoups, Director of Child and Family Advocacy at Mormon Women for Ethical Government remarked that, "Family Compassion received over 400,000 written prayers from churches and other organizations around the country and across the theological spectrum. The people who signed these prayers did so because they believe preventive contraception isn't a political issue, rather it's a necessary right to personally determine their family's formation and future."
Patricia Ruiz-Cantu of the Family Compassion Board and President of RENACE USA cautioned that “The Right to Contraception Act is not a partisan issue, it is a matter of basic human dignity and respect for our bodies.”
Ekemini Uwan, Public Theologian, Family Compassion Board and Co-Founder Truth's Table highlighted that “Contraceptives are a form of healthcare that helps women manage painful symptoms of endometriosis, severe cramps, heavy menstrual flow, and longer periods.”
Katie O'Connor of the National Women's Law Center noted that "Black indigenous Latin Asian American and Pacific Islander Americans and other people of color, immigrants, people with low incomes, those living in rural areas and those with disabilities. By no accident, these are the same communities that have been impacted by our country's dark history of racial violence and reproductive coercion."
Reverend Mark Thompson, Civil Rights Advocate and Host of “Make It Plain” urged men to stand with women in the fight for contraception and noted that the “lack of access to contraception disproportionately affects people of color, immigrants, people with low incomes, those living in rural areas and those with disabilities.”
Sr. Simone Campbell, Former Executive Director of NETWORK Lobby (Nuns on the Bus) highlighted that for Catholic sisters, contraception is an “important medication for the regulation of menstrual cycles and for Dermatological problems and several other issues.”
Learn more about the Right to Contraception Act and stay updated on the Senate’s vote here.
