Source: NewJerseyHills.com
As the 50th anniversary of Roe v. Wade approaches, the Beacon Unitarian Universalist Congregation q4 4 Waldron Avenue NJ in Summit will join others from around the country in Rise Up for Roe on Sunday, Jan. 22 to protest the overturning of the Supreme Court decision and to advocate for the immediate full funding of reproductive services in New Jersey, including abortion care.
Beacon will host a rally for reproductive justice from noon to 1 p.m. that day at Beacon Unitarian Universalist Congregation,
Organizers said the church is committed to reproductive justice, including access to safe, legal services to terminate pregnancy and to reproductive health care services and information for all individuals and families.
In anticipation of the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision, Beacon formed a Reproductive Justice Team which”
• Partnered with the Reproductive Justice Task Force of UU FaithAction NJ;
• Donated more than $4,000 to the New Jersey Abortion Access Fund;
• Wrote approximately 100 postcards to state legislators in New Jersey in support of expanded abortion access for uninsured, underinsured, and undocumented individuals; and
• Held a screening and discussion of Abortion: Stories Women Tell.
The Reproductive Justice Team at Beacon will also be coordinating with local clinics to support increased needs as demand rises for reproductive care in states that maintain its legal status, and continuing its reproductive justice advocacy.
“Beacon has been advocating and will continue to advocate for reproductive justice. In New Jersey, while we have safe and legal abortion, financial barriers continue to deny access to abortion to poor and low-income individuals,” says Rev. Dr. Robin Tanner, a member of Beacon’s Lead Ministry Team. “In 2011, Beacon took a stand to support state and federal funding for reproductive health care resources. We will not rest until abortion is safe, legal and accessible to all — in New Jersey and well beyond.”
Rev. Boggis, a member of Beacon’s Lead Ministry Team, has received training from the Spiritual Alliance of Communities for Reproductive Dignity (SACReD).
“As Unitarian Universalists, our faith informs our advocacy. Advocating for reproductive justice is an act of faith,” she says.
Unitarian Universalism supports reproductive justice, including that people of all identities and experiences have access to affirming, affordable health care, including reproductive care and abortion. people of every age can access comprehensive, sex-positive, fact-based sexuality education; people are empowered and supported to choose when, how, and if they will have children; that institutions and communities actively work to eradicate sexual violence, abuse, and coercion, and to heal the wounds of such harm; and that people are supported to make informed, values-aligned decisions about their sexual and reproductive health throughout their lives.