Q1. How did y’all meet? And, what inspired y’all to decide to organize to pass the G.R.A.C.E. Act in Fort Worth?
The group all started with the protest immediately following the Dobb’s leak. The organizer of the local Fort Worth protest created a GroupMe to communicate logistics for the day – and we (some of the attendees in the group) decided to keep it active going forward. From that we’ve continued talking about what we can do to make change happen locally – focusing on protests and organizing people to vote. We’ve actually had a number of our members go out and get registered as VDRs in the local counties. The main inspiration is seeing other cities (especially not strongly liberal cities) passing the G.R.A.C.E Act.
Q2. Historically, Fort Worth has been very conservative and anti-abortion. However, we know that is changing. Fort Worth is slowly becoming more progressive. But, it can still feel intimidating to advocate for 
policies that support abortion in historically conservative towns. What advice do you have for people who want to pass the G.R.A.C.E. Act in cities that are becoming “purple” in Texas?
The best advice is that you never know what you can get passed until you try! You’ll lose nothing by trying and have everything to gain – plus you’ll hopefully get a better understanding of your local government and who is up there representing you.
Q3. What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned while organizing your community to introduce an agenda item in your city council?
The biggest thing we’ve learned is that change can start with just a handful of people. Once you know what your goal is you just need to start the conversation and more people will join.
Q4. What would y’all like to do next as you continue your organizing around abortion rights, health, and justice in Fort Worth?
We want to continue to encourage people to get involved
(voting, attending city council meetings, running for office) especially on a local level. That’s really all it takes to start making a difference.
Q5. How can people get involved in passing the G.R.A.C.E. Act in Fort Worth? And, support future projects y’all are working on?
Check out our website https://ftwactivism.com – we keep it updated with local events (hosted by us and others) as well as follow us on social media. We will continue to work to get allies elected locally to further this and other important issues!
