Carol Loscalzo & Jami Thall
Co-Chairs, Reproductive Justice Task Force
The Reproductive Justice Task Force has been busy this fall, with multiple projects underway.
Our Menstrual Equity Committee, under the leadership of Nicole Schultz, has been working with our Immigration Task Force and our partners at First Friends to develop a project to make sure that people detained at Delaney Hall have access to menstrual products. Currently these products are in short supply, and people who are being detained must use their own funds to pay for the sanitary supplies they need. This is a basic right, and one that is not being met by our government. The treatment of people who have been detained by ICE is horrific. We are finalizing the details of this project, and will be asking for your support, so stay tuned.
Our Sex Education Committee has been focused on supporting our trans children and youth here in NJ. Policy 5756 which protects the privacy of trans and non-binary children and youth has been under attack at a number of school boards around the state. We have been working, under the leadership of Regina Branca and with guidance from Rev Rosemarie Newberry, to develop a toolkit to share with all of our congregations so UU’s can respond quickly when needed. Attacks on comprehensive sex education, Policy 5756, and the push for “parental rights” are all part of a coordinated effort to undermine the rights of our young people to essential education, freedom, and safety. The toolkit will be shared with our congregational liaisons and other stakeholders, so if you are interested in learning more about this project please contact us or your liaison.
Our Abortion Access team has been advocating for the Reproductive Freedom and Health Equity bill package with our Thrive Coalition partners. We have also joined the People’s Agenda effort to pass a number of critical bills during the lame duck session. Our efforts have been focused on the two reproductive health bills. S3452/A4601 eliminates deductibles and cost sharing for abortion care here in NJ. These costs are a real barrier to accessing essential abortion care. S3491/A4656, provides protections for providers, patients and volunteers for abortion care and gender affirming care, this is essential as ever given the actions of the Trump administration.
Finally our Maternal Health Committee will be launching an effort to support legislation that will finally modernize midwifery care here in NJ. More to come on this as well.
If you’d like more information on any of these efforts please feel free to reach out, or join our monthly task force meeting on zoom.
closcalzo2@aol.com for more info