Haines students and residents rally for abortion rights

After the leak of a United States Supreme Court draft ruling that could overturn Roe v. Wade, thousands rallied across the nation for abortion rights. About a dozen Haines residents and students joined a demonstration Tuesday evening in front of the courthouse. 

 

On Tuesday, about a dozen people gathered in front of the Haines courthouse for a demonstration to protect abortion rights. Some carried signs reading ‘Bans off our bodies’ and ‘We won’t go back.’

“I feel like we don’t have equal rights as women,” said Lynette Hart, one of the organizers. She stood with her 13- and 16-year-old children. “We don’t have them, still in the year 2022. We still don’t have an equal rights amendment. And this is healthcare! This is my basic right, my children’s basic right.” 

Haines resident Tawny Darling underscored the imperfections of contraception, and she says abortion needs to be a healthcare option.

“I want to be able to have a choice to not have a baby! There’s no reason for me to bring a baby into this world. If I want to raise a child, I can adopt somebody who’s been left behind. Why is it up to me to populate the world?” said Darling.

Siblings Robin and Jade Oakes came out to the demonstration together. Robin is 13 years old. 

“As a person that at a very young age that was almost involved in rape, it just makes me disgusted that people can think that they can just take care of like how we are. Putting all like that weight on a child in knowing that they could get hurt pretty badly. And what if they don’t even have enough money about it? They don’t, they can’t have any control over that. It’s just disgusting and disrespectful to women in general. It’s just not OK,” Oakes said. 

Fourteen-year-old Jade Oakes emphasized the importance of abortion as an option for teens. 

“It’s sad how there’s so many people out in the world who think that not having an abortion is alright,” Oakes said. “Like to put limits on our bodies, to say that it is an inhuman, that we cannot do this. It is our choice. And if we have so much going through our lives, like if we’re not financially stable, if our parents would disown us, where would we go? What would we do? We don’t have anything to raise the child.”

The group marched around the block and down Main Street. Some cars honked and people passing by called out in support. Jade Oakes said it felt good to see the group together in solidarity, and hopes more Haines residents join in. 

“It’s a good start,” Oakes said. “I know that there’s people out there who would also think that this is a huge, huge situation we’re in.”

Abortion rights are currently enshrined in the Alaska constitution under privacy protections. If Roe v. Wade were overturned, then access to abortion in Alaska would be protected. 

However conservative groups advocate for a change to the constitution. A ballot measure before Alaska voters this November is whether to hold a state constitutional convention.

Tears welled in Sara Chappell’ eyes as she spoke to the group. 

“I think it’s something that not a lot of people understand is Alaska has this right in our constitution, that Alaskans believe in the right to privacy. It makes me proud to be an Alaskan.”

Unless Congress acts to codify the right on a national level and if Roe v. Wade is overturned, then states would determine abortion rights. 

At least 23 states have pre-Roe abortion bans or enact laws that would sharply limit access to abortion in all or most cases.