Dr. Colleen McNicholas, myself with my knitted uterus & Sarijane Freiman.
If you live in Missouri, you should have been there!
Over 75 women took over my home this past week ready to celebrate three “Mystery Guests” and to rally against the insane Planned Parenthood witch hunt these past months in the State Capitol.
I was nervous how we could fit everyone but sans furniture, we did it – with room for even more next time (next time???).
The very special guests wowed the crowd – Sarijane Freiman, whose late husband Dr. Michael Freiman was the very first legal abortion provider in 1973 in St. Louis AND Dr. Colleen McNicholas who is at the center of the political reproductive justice storm as an abortion provider to a clinic in mid-Missouri.
Sarijane charming the crowd with her stories of protecting women’s abortion access.
Sadly our third special guest, Dr. Jaclyn Grentzer, a local reproductive rights champion, had to miss the event at the last minute because of a patient’s emergency pregnancy crisis.
We ate, kibbitzed and were fired up with amazing stories from Sarijane how her husband and family continually faced harassment and threats for years, sometimes having to leave their home to be safe.
She explained how dedicated Dr. Freiman was to women’s abortion choices and her own renewed commitment to make sure women can access what they need. I have already adopted Sarijane as my new favorite friend and mentor!
ProgressWomen co-hosts – Lindsey Pattan, Aimee Knebel, Elizabeth Wiseman & Lindsey Toler.
Dr. McNicholas described her own dedication as a St. Louis OB/GYN, why she volunteered her services to the mid-MO clinic and lobbies with medical students in the state Capitol. Read the latest on the GOP’s attacks on her ability to serve as the new abortion provider at the Planned Parenthood clinic in Columbia, near the University of Missouri.
Right: Grooming my 5 year granddaughter Maya, with her mom Margo Newman, as our next family activist.
I will continue to work with Sarijane, Colleen and Jaclyn as the fight in Missouri rages on. The Missouri legislature goes back into session on January 6, 2016 and you betcha that more abortion attacks are coming.
You can count on me to keep being a LOUD voice in hearings and on the floor against the continual political attacks on women all over the state.
You can count on ProgressWomen to keep raising hell and fighting back to protect women’s reproductive care access that we ALL count on. Join with us!
Follow @ProgressWomenUS on Twitter, @ProgressWomen on Facebook and get frequent ProgressWomen e-news by sending your email address to stacey.newman@house.mo.gov. So do it now…what are you waiting for???