Centre Safe Will Not Remain Silent Today: Response to Supreme Court Decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization
Posted on June 24, 2022
*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*
June 24, 2022
Contact: Centre Safe Public Response Team
814-238-7066 or centresafe@centresafe.org
Centre County, Pennsylvania—Centre Safe will not remain silent today.
As a community organization, Centre Safe was created and exists to empower survivors of sexual violence, relationship violence, and stalking and to work toward the elimination of such violence. Our vision is one of safety, equality, and respect for all individuals and a community free of relationship and sexual violence.
With this mission and vision at the forefront, Centre Safe always has and always will continue to support the full range of reproductive healthcare options for all people, including birth control, prevention of sexually transmitted diseases, and abortion. We know firsthand the dangers of power and control dynamics that deny individual bodily autonomy. The Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, while shocking and heartbreaking, in no way affects the support that our organization will always provide to survivors of domestic and sexual violence, especially those seeking reproductive healthcare.
When a person is physically or sexually assaulted, part of what is stolen from them is their bodily integrity. Our ability to control and care for our bodies is a fundamental human right. When that right is taken from us the harm done is not only physical but psychological and emotional—most importantly these experiences are often indelible. The experience of your body no longer being your own, being forced to do something that you do not intend or desire, is one of the most severe forms of trauma that result from domestic and sexual violence. This same violence is perpetrated in forced birth, no matter the circumstances.
Today is a devastating moment in US history, but not the first of its kind. We have protected, nurtured, and cared for one another in community before, and will continue to do so. We will not allow this decision to steal our humanity, interrupt our services, or isolate us from one another.
As in the past, our community must come together, organize, and create safety for those affected by this decision. In the coming days and weeks, we will be providing information on history, how to organize, and how to seek legislative change.
But today, it is important that we remember our power, individually and collectively. Reach out to your friends, family, and community members. Seek comfort in the networks we have available and know that we will come back from this decision even stronger than we were before. Talk with your loved ones, grieve this moment, and prepare for the work ahead.
And perhaps most importantly, please know that you are not alone. We at Centre Safe are here to empower survivors, work to eliminate violence, and help to create new horizons from even dark days like this one. And we will continue to do so. Now, as always, we are here to help.
24/7 Hotline: 1-877-234-5050
Support Groups: https://www.centresafe.org/services/support-groups/
Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape (PCAR): Response to the SCOTUS Ruling Overturning Roe v. Wade
Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence (PCADV): PCADV Stands with Survivors in Wake of Supreme Court Decision to Overturn Roe v. Wade