by: Ariana, Jane’s Due Process Youth Advocacy and Community Engagement Manager
On September 14th, San Antonio passed a historic $3.7 billion budget with $500,000 dedicated to establishing a Reproductive Justice Fund.
We’re proud that Jane’s Due Process worked alongside our partners, Suenos Sin Fronteras, Lilith Fund, and AVOW Texas, to create this essential fund. Since the Dobbs decision, Texas abortion funds have seen the cost of accessing abortion care skyrocket. Local officials nationwide have met this need by allocating funds, creating new partnerships, and establishing laws to protect abortion patients and providers.
When our organizations came together, we set out to do the same.
Together, we met with and educated council members and staff on reproductive justice, what this fund could do, and how it would specifically help each district. We also had an incredible show of support from community members who joined us at public comment, where they shared their personal stories and passion for the fund.
What’s included in the fund
When Black women developed reproductive justice, they set out to encompass people’s full lives and to ensure people are supported when they access abortion care and beyond. San Antonio has the highest rate of STDs of Texas’ big cities. This fund would not only be used to increase access to STI testing but also to increase access to emergency contraception, pregnancy tests, condoms, period products, diapers, baby wipes, and prenatal care. Another critical piece of the fund was ensuring community organizers who have established relationships and know what community members need can develop community doula models that provide culturally sensitive support during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum.
The fund also aims to provide education and empowerment opportunities for community members to learn about their sexual and reproductive health. Now that abortion is banned in the state of Texas, we also included raising awareness about out-of-state abortion care and providing logistical support to those needing to travel out of state for an abortion.
After all our hard work, the fund overwhelmingly passed into the budget. We are proud that council members listened and were unwavering in their support for Texans to get the care they deserve.
We thank council members and community members who fought with us and were essential to the passing of the fund.
The fight continues
As always, anti-abortion organizations want to control people’s bodies. Anti-abortion organizations are suing the city of San Antonio for the allocation of these funds. Our Interim Executive Director, Jaymie Cobb, reminded folks that it is legal to provide people access to abortion care and that funding travel expenses are “important and essential.”
Despite this legal challenge, we’re celebrating this historic win and will continue to fight for young people in Texas. We have faced many challenges over the last few years, and despite that, our commitment to Texas teens remains unwavering.
Can we count on your support?
We will never give up on this fight, and we hope you will join us.
It’s easy to feel defeated when young people’s rights are repeatedly being attacked at the national and state levels – and that’s precisely why we continue to find creative ways to organize and advocate for young people.
Feeling inspired? Make a gift to support our continued work making abortion and birth control more accessible for Texas teens.
