We Engage - Moving Forward

We Engage is a SUPER small org. We would love to post more about our last days at Jackson Women’s Health Organization, Nashville and Jezebel Rebellion, along with all the other important things to know about abortion access and getting engaged in pushing back on those who are pushing us backwards. And we will. But, hell, who can even keep up these days.

We can’t. Here’s why.

Derenda and I have always done the day-to-day work for the organization - administration, IT, organizing actions, miscellaneous everything, along with on the ground defending and escorting patients.

Up until the leak of the Dobbs decision, defending access and supporting patients was by no means easy at Jackson Women’s Health Organization, aka the Pink House. When the leak of the draft Dobbs opinion happened in May, it was a march to the end for the Pink House Defenders at the clinic. More days for patients, for access - long days of constant antis and press. Antis were even MORE aggressive than the regular aggressive and horrible, knowing the end game, knowing “victory” was theirs and it was coming soon. And the press y’all – all. the. time.

The last day for legal abortion in Mississippi was July 6th. The Defenders were at clinic on the 7th to support some patients coming in for checkups. Until the end, we were there for patients. And so were antis.

It was beyond exhausting. Neither of us have really unpacked it all. Hell, I haven’t even looked at my pictures of that time. During the last days, We Engage was also organizing Jezebel Rebellion, the week-long protest of Operation Save America’s national event in Nashville at the end of July.

We were so exhausted we managed to finally get caught by COVID between end of clinic and Nashville. Then we went straight into the week of protesting in Nashville. And NASHVILLE WAS GREAT! But…

We are SO VERY tired. So, in August, Derenda and I are taking a break. We need to rest and to contemplate what is next for We Engage.

The Pink House is gone, the building sold. There is NO legal abortion access in Mississippi, unless the pregnant persons’ life is in danger or in the case of rape. And they will be taking away the rape exception come January’s legislative session.

To add to the matters facing We Engage right now…due to issues beyond my control, I am leaving Mississippi. I am moving to Southern California - saying goodbye to Mississippi, to my defender family here, to the South. There is still much work to be done and we have to figure out the logistics of what that looks like.

Everything We Engage does, and the Pink House Defenders did, is and was for patients; our fighting against abortion stigma, showing the realities of abortion access and encouraging engagement hopefully contributes to making abortion more accessible, more normalized. Now We Engage must consider what the “next” is as an organization. Jezebel Rebellion is one of the things we have in mind going forward.

But here is the reality. ROE IS DEAD. Let it go. Dobbs is the law of the land now. There is no “post-Roe”, only Dobbs. Dobbs controls the now. If you think donating to abortion funds and practical support funds is ALL that needs to be happening now, then plan to lose what access we have left. We can’t be complacent with the taking of our legal right to abortion – and people can’t be allowed to forget it.

Right now though, We Engage – Kim and Derenda - are taking August to rest. Posts and actions will be fewer, and we will be taking some time to recuperate from all. the. things.

PLEASE give to abortion funds, PLEASE give to practical support funds. But if you think We Engage is a necessary voice going forward in this new Dobbs landscape, please let us know. Your encouragement, support, and donations will be what make this work possible going forward.

Thanks so much y’all for your continued support of We Engage and the Pink House Defenders.

--Kim