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The Reproductive Freedom Project of ACLU

History

The Reproductive Freedom Project is an institution founded in 1974 (within the larger context of ACLU) that is committed to defend individuals who feel abused by the government, especially with cases pertaining to a lack of access to abortions, birth control, or sexual education.

The ACLU continues to defend individuals who feel abused or improperly treated by the government. Often the American Civil Liberties Union is the group to stand up for an individual when being discriminated against because of their religion, sex, gender, sexuality, race, or class, even when they are not the popular opinion. The Reproductive Freedom Project, however, goes deeper than the ACLU. The Project promotes sexual and reproductive health by providing lessons about contraception, knowing about one's reproductive rights and assisting with the financial burdens of abortions and all of the logistics that may go into that.

Mission

The Reproductive Freedom Project of ACLU, according to their mission statement, actively works provide access to any and all reproductive health care for any human, regardless of race, gender, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, or political standing. In some cases, Reproductive Freedom Programs fund ultrasounds and abortions and any lodging, meals, or transportation that go with that. Because women have reported finding it necessary to cross state lines or wait weeks for an abortion, The Reproductive Freedom Project states that they want to fight for individuals "state by state and law by law" until every individual can pursue the kind of lifestyle they want. As stated on their website, "states have enacted more restrictions to abortion than they did in the previous 10 years combined"[2]. The ACLU claims to be committed to fighting injustices with access to education on what accessibilities one has to abortions, birth control, religious rights, as well as trying to diminish abstinence-only sexual education, for ACLU claims that abstinence only education promotes a lack of willingness to use contraceptives.

Major Accomplishments Pertaining to Reproductive Justice

As referenced in the larger ACLU article, in 1929, the ACLU defended Margaret Sanger's right to educate the general public about forms of birth control. In 1980, the Project filed Poe v. Lynchburg Training School after 8,000 women had been sterilized without their authorization. In 1985, the state decided to provide counseling and medical treatment for problems caused by what had happened 5 years prior. In 1977, the ACLU took part in and litigated Walker v. Pierce, the Supreme Court case that created federal regulations to prevent Medicaid patients from being sterilized without their knowledge or consent. In 1981-1990, the Project litigated Hodgson v. Minnesota, a case defending the rights of teenagers who chose not to comply with a state law requiring them to receive parental permission for an abortion. In the 1990s, the Project provided legal assistance and resource kits to those who were being attacked for educating about sexuality and AIDS. In 1995, the Project filed Curtis v. School Committee of Falmouth, the U.S.'s first first condom availability program.

Current Initiatives

The Reproductive Freedom Project is presently working on three ideas: (1) to "reverse the shortage of trained abortion providers throughout the country" (2) to "block state and federal welfare "reform" proposals that cut off benefits for children who are born to women already receiving welfare, unmarried women, or teenagers" and (3) to "stop the elimination of vital reproductive health services as a result of hospital mergers and health care networks[4] . The Project says they are hoping to achieve these goals through legal action and litigation.