First, let me make it clear that I am 100% for abortion access for all women, and a woman’s fundamental right to choose. However, I do believe there is some good that could come out of the US Supreme Court overturning its previous ruling on Roe v. Wade if it does indeed come to that. Even though I don’t want it to come to that! Below are five ways overturning Roe v. Wade could help pro-choicers. And a little bit about how this news is relevant to my current book project.

Last night US Supreme Court Justice Alito’s drafted opinion regarding Roe v. Wade was leaked to the public by Politico. It’s 98 pages long and difficult to read, for more than one reason. The good news is that it is still just a draft, not an official opinion or ruling made by the Court. The bad news is that it does seem to reflect the real views of many sitting US Supreme Court justices and is reflecting the growing stack of laws being passed regarding abortion across the US recently, even though a majority of Americans still support upholding the official ruling of Roe v. Wade.

5 ways overturning Roe v. Wade could help pro-choicers

Here are five ways I think what’s happening now regarding Roe v. Wade could be a good thing.

1. Pro-choice supporters will become re-energized and vigilant in ways they have never been before. Women will unite and rally and recruit allies in record numbers to ensure their rights. And the number of people who dub themselves pro-choice will continue to increase.
2. Pro-choice supporters will get smarter and more creative with the legal means by which they will have to ensure their rights. Whether it be by expanding the number of justices on the US Supreme Court, ending the filibuster in the Senate, or introducing new legal arguments and precedents for women’s rights and healthcare. Such efforts might end up having a stronger impact than previous efforts of Roe v. Wade and might even end up revolutionizing our entire legal and justice system, in good ways that we can’t even imagine yet.
3. State-level legislation across the country will continue to be introduced in record numbers by pro-choicers (who are the majority), offering an onslaught of opportunities to bring more diverse and stronger legislation to the US Supreme Court in the near future. Even if Roe v. Wade is overturned, there will still be many, many legal opportunities to codify women’s rights and healthcare rights. And new legal precedents can be set that are even stronger and more formidable for women.
4. Organizations that help women around the country will grow exponentially. They’ll step up and help women who need abortion access and healthcare. It’s important to note that abortion is protected in a few states. And these states will now offer legal models for other states to follow, to overturn restrictions they may have on abortion and healthcare access.
5. The ugly truth of the subjugation of women and their bodies in our society will be blatant. And there will be no way to hide it. Women have had the protection of Roe v. Wade at this point in history. So they will not surrender their rights now or turn back and be ashamed.

What overturning Roe v. Wade has to do with the current novel I’m writing

Right now I am still in the beginning stages of writing my first novel. I’m currently working on the first chapter, so I still have a lot of work ahead of me! But in later chapters of my novel, I want to have my characters encounter a world where legal precedents don’t make sense and cause a lot of challenges that need to be overcome by some of the main characters– a world similar to the one in which we currently live–a world in which Citizens United still remains supreme and Roe v. Wade doesn’t exist. And I want this to be present in a subplot, potentially, that supports the main plot of the novel.

In the novel I’m writing, I want to envision how the characters would tackle real life in this world in a realistic-yet-humanistic way, in the not-so-distant future (era ~2030). I want to envision characters that change such legal precedents for the better, in realistic ways. And hopefully, I’ll be able to incorporate elements of a new type of feminism that most people can get behind in the novel, as well.

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