WILKES-BARRE, Pa. — Hours after the landmark Supreme Court decision overturned Roe v. Wade, dozens of people rallied in Wilkes-Barre in support of abortion rights.
"A large majority of Americans support reproductive rights and that matters,"
said Helen Davis, professor of women's studies at Wilkes University. "I'm frustrated because our rights have been rolled back instead of going forward."
Davis spoke on the steps of the Luzerne County Courthouse, saying she worries about the future for her daughter and her students.
"There are all kinds of situations where someone needs abortions to stay alive, to support viable pregnancies in the future, for all kinds of reasons," Davis said.
"It's heartbreaking," said Tatum Maslousky of Kingston. "No woman should have that taken from them, especially by men."
Maslousky, who attends Luzerne County Community College student, believes the choice to have a child should be up to the individual.
"It could go really bad on them. They don't need to do anything. They shouldn't be forced to bear a child for nine months," Maslousky said. "That is going to affect their body. They could have postpartum depression. So many things could happen to them. It's just not right."
While abortion rights remain intact in Pennsylvania, activists here are already looking ahead to the November elections, determined to keep their rights.
"We have very clear delineation in our current races in Pennsylvania between politicians who support reproductive rights and those who do not," Davis said. "So, because of that and because the reproductive rights now fall to states, this is going to be a really critical issue for Pennsylvanians and it's going to be a really critical issue in this election."
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