On Monday, May 9, Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot joined reproductive justice leaders to announce the Justice For All Pledge, in response to the leaked draft opinion by the majority of the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS), doubling down on her commitments to create a safe and equitable city for all. This pledge signals that the City will continue to be a safe haven for all who are unjustly denied the resources and opportunities they deserve; to fight for the rights of all people; and to ensure that no person will be attacked, assaulted, bullied, or discriminated against because of who they are, the choices they make regarding their bodily autonomy, or who they love.
Therefore, today, the City of Chicago introduces the Justice For All Pledge:
“Justice and freedom are core tenets of our American democracy, and as public and private institutions we have a responsibility to protect and advance justice and freedom in partnership with the communities we serve. We pledge to protect and create fair access to opportunities and resources that enhance and facilitate everyone’sability to thrive. This means we must create and maintain in Chicago a safe haven for all who are unjustly denied the rights, privileges, immunities, resources and opportunities they deserve as human beings and residents ofour city and country.
- Fight for the rights of all people regardless of race, color, sex, gender identity, age, religion, disability, national origin, ancestry, or sexual orientation. We will fight to ensure that no person will be attacked, assaulted, bullied, or discriminated against because of who they are, the choices they make regarding their bodily autonomy, or who they love;
- Protect and increase access for all safe reproductive, obstetric, and gynecological healthcare regardless of the patient’s age, sex, gender identity, race, disability, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, place of residence, or immigration status inorder to support the choices of all people to have or not bear children on their terms;
- Build capacity for anti-racist leadership, reckon with the impacts of racism and protect and advancejustice in partnership with the communities that we serve;
- Create safe environments to support and directly address the racial and health disparities experienced by people of color, specifically the rates of maternal and infant mortality experienced by Black women inChicago; and
- Support and affirm a search for the truth and free expression that does not propagate hate or eraseanyone from our history and our present-day fight for justice.
In addition to the pledge, Mayor Lightfoot and the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) announced aninvestment of $500,000 as part of their maternal and reproductive health work. These funds will support access to reproductive healthcare for Chicagoans and patients seeking safe, legal care from neighboring states that have or ultimately will ban abortion if the Supreme Court decides to strike down Roe v. Wade, as outlined in the leaked decision.
“Through this investment, my administration is reaffirming our commitment to ensure safe access for anyone seeking safe reproductive healthcare. That includes access to transportation, lodging, care, and, if necessary, safeand legal access to an abortion procedure,” said Mayor Lightfoot. “All people, regardless of race, sex, age, income, or immigration status deserve to have access to healthcare, and that includes reproductive rights and the choice to decide over their own bodies.”
Mayor Lightfoot called on the philanthropic and business communities to support the scaling up of the critically important reproductive health safety net in Chicago for all those in need, both here in the city and across thecountry. She also called for other cities to join her in taking the Justice For All Pledge.
In addition to this investment, CDPH funds a multitude of services to support individuals in their health and safety regarding…
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