The Supreme Court’s 2022 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade has rippled through the LGBTQ+ community, especially among queer women and nonbinary parents. Without federal protection of abortion rights, LGBTQ+ individuals face unique challenges in family planning, mental health, and medical access. For many queer parents, like Candace Bond-Theriault, the uncertainty around healthcare access has become a central concern. When Bond-Theriault planned her second child, her ability to feel secure in her family planning was directly impacted by the restrictive abortion laws across many U.S. states. The lack of legal protections forced her to reconsider even routine travel due to the fear of potential complications.
This experience resonates with the findings of a recent study focusing on how the removal of federal abortion rights has disrupted the lives of queer women and nonbinary individuals. According to Abbie Goldberg, the lead researcher, participants in states with strict abortion bans felt a deep sense of fear and helplessness. Many of them feared complications during pregnancy, while others expressed concern about losing their bodily autonomy in regions with both anti-abortion and anti-LGBTQ+ laws. This overlap of reproductive justice and LGBTQ+ rights highlights a broader assault on personal freedoms, with these laws fostering anxiety and uncertainty among queer parents.
Navigating Health Risks Amid Legal Obstacles
For Black queer women, the risks of pregnancy have grown even more significant. As one study participant, Eve from Florida, pointed out, Black women already experience disproportionately poor maternal outcomes. She described the overturning of Roe as a “death sentence” for many people like her. Her fears reflect the harsh reality that Black queer women face, especially in states where healthcare access is already limited, and where medical professionals often fail to take Black women’s pain seriously.
LGBTQ+ parents have also reported moving or considering relocation due to these legal changes, but not all can afford such measures. The majority of the study’s participants lived close to or below the poverty line, further exacerbating the pressures caused by abortion restrictions. Many queer individuals are finding themselves caught in a web of discrimination that impacts their ability to access healthcare and make choices about their own bodies.
The Fight for Bodily Autonomy
The new study emphasizes the importance of centering queer voices in the ongoing fight for reproductive justice. Victoria Kirby York, an advocate and nonbinary parent, shares a personal story of medical neglect during pregnancy—a story that echoes the struggles many LGBTQ+ parents face. This neglect, rooted in both racial and gender biases, represents a broader societal problem where marginalized communities are often disregarded in healthcare settings. As York explains, the intersectionality of being queer and Black compounds the risks faced in a country where both reproductive rights and LGBTQ+ protections are under attack.
For the LGBTQ+ community, the fight for bodily autonomy goes hand in hand with the fight for reproductive rights. The rollback of abortion access disproportionately affects vulnerable populations, and for LGBTQ+ people, the stakes are higher. By placing queer experiences at the forefront of this battle, there is hope for a more inclusive future where reproductive and LGBTQ+ rights are fully realized.