On the same day that former president Donald Trump spoke at Treasure Island in support of Republican candidates for Nevada governor and U.S. Senator, hundreds marched just outside in 107 degrees on the Strip. Enthusiastic horns from Las Vegas Boulevard drivers joined in with chants of, “My body, my choice,” and “Abort the court.”
Organizers say more than 1,000 showed up for the July 8 Bans Off Our Bodies demonstration, which started at Bellagio and ended at the hotel and casino where Trump was singing the praises of Republican primary winners Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo, who is running for governor, and former state attorney general Adam Laxalt, running for U.S. Senator. The two candidates have voiced support for the Supreme Court’s 6-3 vote to overturn the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, which has left states to decide whether they would protect the right to abortion.
“It’s a huge disappointment … to think that my girls and granddaughters don’t have the same rights that I did,” said Las Vegas resident Nikki Murdock, 59. She is concerned that, although Nevada allows for abortion up to 24 weeks post fertilization, the right itself has been compromised, and women in other states don’t have access to it.
As a rape survivor and advocate for victims of sexual violence, she believes that women who obtain abortions do so out of necessity, not out of convenience. “Regardless of how you got pregnant, it’s hard to make that decision,” she said shortly before joining the Strip march.
Las Vegas resident Nikki Murdock protests at the Bans Off Our Bodies march.
Local physician Farzad Alikozai attended with a group of friends, carrying a sign that read, “Keep it between doctors and patients.” From what he has observed in Southern Nevada, abortion care infrastructure already is seeing a “strain,” he said, after the Supreme Court’s decision.
“It’s widespread among us in the medical community that we don’t support what’s going on,” Alikozai said, pointing to statements from several medical organizations including the American Medical Association, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the World Health Organization. He said his and medical colleagues’ No. 1 concern is the “safety” of patients, and that the high court’s ruling has compromised that.
Wearing matching pink feather boas, Lanyne Russie, daughter Amanda Russie and 9-year-old granddaughter Fay represented three generations of their family at the march. “There are other little girls not as fortunate to have a solid family dynamic,” Amanda said, adding that it’s important to teach kids about reproductive rights before they hit puberty, so they can better protect and advocate for their reproductive health. Grandmother Lanyne said the SCOTUS ruling left her “disturbed,” and she expects there could be further restrictions on emergency contraceptives, LGBTQ and other rights.
Sabrina Roggie recalled anecdotes from pre-1973 (before the Roe v. Wade ruling) of several friends who ran away or who died, because of the stigma of pregnancy and abortion, or for not being able to obtain a safe abortion. “People have died for this right. We have to stay strong and united,” said Roggie, who attended the march with her 20-year-old daughter.
Many protesters said they wanted to show solidarity for the states that are likely to ban abortion, which racks up to 26, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a policy research nonprofit. Before the high court’s ruling came down, 13 states had “trigger laws” in place to ban abortion in the event that Roe was overturned. At press time, seven states have completely banned abortion “with very limited exceptions,” and four have banned abortion at 15 weeks or less. Other states like West Virginia, Louisiana and Utah recently have had abortion bans or restrictions struck down by lower court rulings, allowing abortion services to resume temporarily, pending further litigation.
The patchwork of policies nationwide has become more pronounced, leaving many questions about liability and enforcement. If someone in an anti-abortion state travels to another state to receive legal care, will they be prosecuted? And will abortion providers be held liable in other states?
Farzad Alikozai (left) and friends at the march
The Wild West Access Fund, a nonprofit fund in Nevada to assist people seeking abortions, has seen a fivefold increase of out-of-state callers. Board member Lauren Beal, who coordinates intake managers, says the organization does everything it can to protect the privacy of patients, who could be held liable by other states’ laws. She says Nevada Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak’s executive order protecting access to reproductive health services was reassuring.
“That was the thing that let us feel safe, to be able to continue to support travelers,” Beal says. “We were very concerned about what it would mean for us, even [though remote and never having] been in these restrictive states, to support someone coming to Nevada.”
The order, which came days after the high court overturned Roe, says Nevada will not provide information or assistance to any state seeking to prosecute abortion providers or patients, and prohibits extradition of anyone for charges related to reproductive health care services. It also protects providers who are disciplined based on anti-abortion laws in other states, saying that Nevada medical boards should not count that discipline against them.
On July 8, President Biden announced an executive order with official guidance for the Department of Health and Human Services to push back on anti-abortion state laws, and directed staff to prop up a team of pro bono lawyers to defend people who face charges under those laws. The order also prompted the Federal Trade Commission to emphasize that it will investigate and hold liable companies that misuse digital data related to obtaining an abortion, such as location or search engine data that would reveal whether a person visited an abortion clinic or searched for information about accessing that care.
Additionally, doctors are protected under federal law when performing abortions to save the mother’s life, Biden said.
On the legislative side, the House of Representatives has passed two bills that could change the course of abortion policy nationwide—the Ensuring Access to Abortion Act, which would protect the right to travel across state lines for medical care as well as interstate access to medication abortion; and the Women’s Health Protection Act, which would codify abortion protection under federal law.
Reports say the legislation is unlikely to receive the 60 Senate votes needed to pass.
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