LEXINGTON, Ky. — A group of reproductive rights supporters gathered at Lexington’s town square this weekend to mark the 50th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision.
Fifty years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court voted to enshrine protections for women’s reproductive choices. The ruling was overturned last year, but five decades later, some groups are hoping to stand in the shoes of the people who came before them.
Organizer Mason Chernosky said he has dedicated over seven years of his life to actively advocating for women’s health. Now, he says his efforts are to affect change.
“In the past 10 years, I’ve seen a lot of changes like this where we will work and kind of make progress backward, which can be frustrating,” Chernosky said.
In June 2022, the high court decided in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health to overturn the landmark Roe decision, reversing decades of precedent and saying the U.S. constitution does not grant a right to abortion.
Opponents of the decision in central Kentucky, like a nurse practitioner Casey Meyer, drove from Louisville to be a part of the Kentuckians for Reproductive Freedom event.
“I want choices for my patients, choices for my daughter. Everybody deserves a choice,” Meyer said.
She says she is highlighting the focus on women’s collective health. “We have people in Louisville who are dying from pregnancies,” Meyer explained.
Kentucky voters nearly split the decision in November’s election to challenge abortion rights in the Commonwealth. Ultimately, over 700,000 Kentuckians rejected adding new language to the Kentucky constitution that would’ve explicitly denied the right to abortion care.
Chernosky says people should talk with those in office about their concerns about the matter.
“I think what makes the biggest difference is calling your legislators and telling them how you feel,” Chernosky said.
The group plans to move their focus to back planned parenthood with lobbying in February.