Reproductive freedom is religious freedom.
Our Constitution promises everyone the freedom to believe what they want. But it does not allow anyone to use religion to deny others reproductive health care.
Our fundamental right to make our own decisions about reproductive health care depends on separation of church and state, which is the principle that ensures everyone has the freedom to live as ourselves and believe as we choose.
But religious extremists and their lawmaker allies want to force everyone to live by their beliefs. Effectively, this license to harm others threatens all of our freedoms and widens inequality in our country.
This dangerous agenda to block people’s access to birth control, abortion care, gender-affirming treatment, and other forms of critical health care especially harms women, LGBTQ people, and people of color. Which is why AU defends reproductive freedom against religious extremists everyday, in the legislatures, courts, and public forums. Because reproductive freedom is religious freedom.
In AU lawsuits against the Trump-era Denial of Care Rule, health experts said inviting health care providers to deny care because of their religious beliefs would further reduce access to abortions and other reproductive care.
Elected officials, including former Vice President Pence and state legislators across the country, have tried to impose their personal religious beliefs on all of us through anti-abortion policies.
More than 60% of people who have had abortions claim a religious affiliation, according to a Guttmacher Institute study.
