Latinas Launch 'Yo Te Apoyo' Campaign in Honor of Roe v Wade Anniversary NLIRH
go to original January 23, 2013

On the 40th anniversary of the Roe v Wade decision, we say to women and Latinas everywhere: Yo Te Apoyo - I Support You. (LatinaInstitute1)

In honor of the 40^th anniversary of the landmark decision of Roe v. Wade, the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health (NLIRH) is launching a first-of-its-kind campaign, “Yo Te Apoyo,” (“I support you”) to correct outdated assumptions about Latino/as and reproductive care.

“The bottom line is that our community has compassionate views on abortion,” said Jessica González-Rojas, executive director of NLIRH, the only national organization working on behalf of the reproductive health and justice of the 24 million Latinas, their families and communities in the U.S. “Six out of 10 Latinos support a woman’s ability to make her own personal, private decisions about abortion. Moreover, we are willing to support a friend or family member who is making this difficult decision. Our community is declaring, ‘Yo Te Apoyo’ — I support you without judgment.”

Lingering stereotypes about Latino/a attitudes about abortion remain. The truth is that Latino/as have compassionate views on abortion and support access to the full range of pregnancy-related care for Latinas. NLIRH’s ground-breaking poll found that nearly three in four registered Latino voters agree that a woman has the right to make her own personal, private decisions about abortion without politicians interfering and that Latino/as agree we shouldn’t judge someone who doesn’t feel ready to be a parent.

Still, far too often, Latino/as are characterized as “anti-abortion,” even though research has consistently shown that outdated labels like “pro-life” and “anti-abortion” don’t accurately reflect Latino/a sentiment or complex views on this issue.

To bring attention to the changing attitudes about reproductive health, NLIRH is collecting stories of support from Latino/as across the country. Several of those stories have been collected in NLIRH’s original video above — a unique collection of Latino/as speaking openly about their support for women’s ability to make decisions.

The organization is also hosting events in Illinois, Florida, Washington, D.C., New York City, Massachusetts, Georgia, and Alabama and holding free, online trainings for Latino/as who want to learn to talk to their communities about abortion and to take action for reproductive justice.

“Every woman deserves a shoulder to lean on, a listening ear, a hand to hold. Our communities hold close the values of family, respect, and cariño; we take care of each other,” González-Rojas said. “That’s what ‘Yo Te Apoyo’ is all about –respecting and supporting a woman’s ability to make her own decisions about pregnancy, her family, and her future.”

The National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health is the only national organization working on behalf of the reproductive health and justice of the 24 million Latinas, their families and communities in the United States through public education, community mobilization and policy advocacy.

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