Around 45 people gathered in front of the Governor George Deukmejian Courthouse on Saturday, July 23 for a candlelight vigil to mourn the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
“We’re safe right now in California, but other people are very instantly dealing with things that they did not envision in their lifetime,” said Lisa Del Sesto, who founded Orange County / Long Beach Women Rising and organized the vigil. “So this candlelight vigil is for them.”
At the vigil, attendees were encouraged to write postcards to President Joe Biden urging him to support reproductive rights. At one point, Del Sesto also asked every person at the vigil to take out their phones and call the White House.
A cosistent theme throughout the evening was the need for solidarity between residents of different states that live under drastically different abortion laws.
“We need to advance our rights for everyone whether they live in a red state or a blue state,” said Andy Hollister, an incoming sophomore at Wilson High School.
Del Sesto encourged concerned community members to donate to an abortion fund or campaign for competive Senate or House of Representatives elections in an effort to strengthen the Democratic majority in Congress and hopefully pass federal legislation protecting abortion access.
As of July 1, 16 states and the District of Columbia had laws protecting abortion access, while 22 states had laws that could restrict abortion access, according to Guttmacher Institute, a research organization focused on sexual and reproductive health and rights.
“I can tell you with certainty that this will have serious impacts not only on the health of women, but socially and economically,” said Joni Ricks-Oddie, director of the UCI Center for Statistical Consulting. “Nearly three quarters of the women who choose to have an abortion make that decision because they can’t afford another child.”
A 2008 study by the Guttmacher Institute found that 61% of people obtaining abortions already had at least one child and 34% had two or more children.
The same study found that 42% of the people seeking abortions in the United States in 2000 were poor.
“While we focus on whether someone will have the right to make a personal health decision, we pay no attention to providing families with economic assistance and social safety nets they need to thrive,” Ricks-Oddie said.
As night fell, volunteers passed out electric candles and scattered them across the cement in front of the entrance to the courthouse.
“We must stay committed to this movement. We can’t let it be a moment,” Ricks-Oddie said. “Tonight at this vigil I want to light a candle for all of the women, birthing people, families and all of us impacted by this decision. There’s mourning and reflection tonight but tomorrow those candles turn into torch fire that holds our elected officials accountable—that includes Republicans and Democrats.”
