By Angel Whaley (ARC-Southeast Co-Executive Director)
Those involved in the fight for Reproductive Justice have always known that Roe was the floor, not the ceiling. Despite Roe v. Wade’s privacy protections, obstacles like the Hyde Amendment and state-level regulations such as gestational limits, waiting periods and mandatory counseling delayed or often completely prevented access to abortion. Further, the narrow focus of Roe v. Wade, with its language of “choice,” marginalized many groups, including women of color, immigrant women, queer, transgender, and gender non-conforming people.
The state can erode even the most fundamental rights. A steady erosion of abortion rights has resulted in over 1,300 restrictions since Roe v. Wade in 1973, with 44% implemented within the past decade (Guttmacher Institute). Immediately following the 2022 Dobbs decision, many states eliminated the basic protections established by Roe v. Wade. In their book, Reproductive Justice: An Introduction, authors Ross and Solinger state, “Choice suggests that every woman possesses the wherewithal–the money and legal terrain–to enter into the marketplace of options and to pay for whatever option she selected: contraception, abortion, or motherhood. Clearly, many women lack the cash to pay for these choices, including motherhood, and thus face what might be called choiceless choices.”
Founded nearly a decade ago, ARC-Southeast was born out of a radical love for those facing these “choiceless choices.” We were created by Southerners for Southerners forced into impossible situations by the state’s intentional and harmful actions. Since our founding in 2015, we’ve had a policy of unconditional trust in our callers. Regardless of their income or “eligibility,” callers receive personalized, empathetic support from ARC-Southeast’s Healthline staff. As one of our callers recently shared, “The clinic gave me your number and told me that you could help me pay. I don’t know who else to call.” Callers, clinics, and fellow funds know: Call ARC-Southeast.
As Georgia’s only abortion fund and the front line for helping people from states with the strictest abortion laws—we know exactly what obstacles politicians intentionally put in the way. We support self-determination, recognizing every individual’s unique needs and right to thrive, unimpeded by shame, fear, resources, or discrimination. The working mentality of ARC-Southeast has always been that Roe wasn’t enough, particularly for folks in the South.
The realization of Reproductive Justice requires more than an illusion of choice and a patchwork of individual, private decisions. It requires a radical re-envisioning of our entire healthcare system and society, and reorganizing resources to prioritize health and human lives over profit and criminalization. We believe the South deserves a better future than Roe v. Wade gave us.
We’re fighting for that future and we hope you’ll fight with us. The fight for abortion access, bodily autonomy, and realizing Reproductive Justice is a continuous process that requires increased and sustained support from the ARC-SE community regardless of how the political landscape may change. While we brace for disturbances in our work, we’re also re-imagining how ARC-Southeast’s programming can help build a world centered on collective care.
On May 5, 2025, ARC-Southeast will celebrate a decade of Southern-centered care, defying the state’s intentional neglect! We hope you will celebrate with us. Your donations, whether one-time or recurring, will help us sustain our system of care and radical love, run by and for Southerners. Help fight back against the state’s deliberate neglect and obstacles.