Lubbock Community and Texas Tech Students Protest for Women’s Rights

The Lubbock community just hosted one of the biggest protests after a recent ban on abortion availability. On October 2nd, at Tim Cole Memorial Park, the Reproductive Rights Protest was held to protest the entering into force of SB8 all across Texas. 

On September 1st, the new bill entered into force. This bans abortion as early as 6 weeks and puts a minimum of a $10,000 bounty on anyone that helps someone obtain an abortion in Texas. It is the most restrictive abortion bill of the century. It goes completely against what Roe vs Wade stood for. 

The Lubbock Community and Texas Tech students weren’t going to remain quiet. Kim Gonzalez, one of the organizers of the Reproductive Rights Protest, commented on the impact of the recent ban on abortion access on the Lubbock Community:

“It’s been a huge impact, there’s a lot of women that need that particular form of healthcare, it’s important for women to be able to choose when and how they become a parent, and when they are not going to become a parent,” said Gonzalez. “And now some of that choice has been taken away from us.”

The law isn’t going to stop abortions for women in Texas, it’s just going to make it harder. Countries that ban abortion have a rate of 37 abortions per 1000 people, whereas countries that do not prohibit abortion had a rate of 34 abortions per 1000 people, according to statistics given by the Guttmacher Institute.

“We’re here and we’re going to keep fighting and we’re going to make sure that our voices and our choices are heard,” Kim Gonzalez said. “And that’s why we are having an event like today.”

Planned Parenthood health center in Lubbock will continue operations, as abortions are only of the services they offer. Only 3% of the services are abortions, while STI testing and treatment, and contraceptives make up 52 percent and 25 percent respectively.

Women will continue to fight for their rights, all over Texas, even as Gov. Greg Abbott, Henry Cuellar (TX-28) and all the GOP legislators have decided to abandon them to their luck.