I was 16-years-old, living with my high school boyfriend, and finishing my senior year of high school in Seattle. When I missed my period, I thought that I could not possibly be pregnant. I was on birth control. And we weren't having sex that often. I took a pregnancy test in my high school nurse's office. I sobbed when the strip turned blue.

I thought of my father, who was disabled and living off of a small pension from my mother's retirement that she was able to secure before she died and that had been reduced significantly once I turned 16. I thought of my mother, who I believe had great hopes for me and who would not have wanted me to suffer through an unwanted pregnancy. I wanted to go to college and become a journalist. I did not want to be a teenage mother. I told my boyfriend in our rusted Toyota truck in the parking lot of my high school. I told him I did not want to be pregnant, and I intended to get an abortion. 

I have never known a time that abortion was not a legal and private healthcare decision. I was lucky enough to have health insurance, and I was able to go to my doctor to have the procedure in a safe and comfortable setting. I sometimes think it is an exaggeration for me to say that an abortion saved my life--I know for many people who can get pregnant it is a matter of life and death. But it has always been a healthcare decision that I credit with giving me my young life and my body back.

Although these stories should be private, because this is our private healthcare information and our private healthcare decisions, it is so important to bear witness to how abortion has saved so many lives and has made it possible for so many incredible people to contribute in so many invaluable ways. —EmilyRose

Once again it has come to this. Five or six people have the power to inflict their own opinion on millions who certainly disagree with them.  Thus, the news that the Supreme Court is about to take away the federal right to end one’s pregnancy – even in cases of rape or incest.

The announcement of this potential ruling, though not a complete surprise, sent shockwaves for everyone who can be affected, either personally or through someone they know.  Many have stories to tell: about the impact of an unwanted pregnancy and about the decision to have an abortion. 

Our local NLG;SFBA board is no exception. And perhaps because we are a woman and gender-queer board, the decision struck a particularly sharp chord. So, we thought we’d share some of our thoughts and our own stories.

It was 1980, I was in my early 20’s, fresh out of college and working at my first “real” job in Los Angeles at UCLA Medical Hospital in the Medical Illustration Dept. I don’t recall if I had health insurance but I did have a relationship with Planned Parenthood having attended one of their “get to know your body” sessions and learn about birth control. I chose the cervical cap. For those who don’t know, the cervical cap was the “spontaneous” method’s answer to the diaphragm for birth control because you could leave it in for 2 days instead of interrupting the moment to push in a diaphragm. At that time, I was dating an Iranian-Jewish man (IJM, for identification purposes was an import-export glassware businessman of which the significance of this will be revealed at the end of the story). We were using condoms and the cervical cap with spermicide gunk. I guess the two methods were not full proof because I missed a period. I made an appointment and got tested. No home test in those days. I don’t recall how long it took for the results: Positively pregnant.

I knew that I wasn’t in the right place emotionally nor financially to bring up a baby. Also, IJM made it clear when we started “dating” that he was destined for an arranged marriage in his future and it wasn’t with a Southern Jewish girl from Louisiana! I called him and told him that I was pregnant and had an appointment to terminate the pregnancy. A roommate accompanied me to the appointment. Planned Parenthood was sensitive to the situation and I felt well cared for and safe. I remember feeling sad and a little vulnerable, but not too terrible. An old friend from Mississippi was in town visiting and, after I told him about my day, we went out to the Comedy Club that same evening. Laughter cures!

The most memorable part of the experience was that afternoon while I was at home resting post procedure, the doorbell rang.  Standing at the front door was IJM holding a large brown shipping box. Flowers? Soup? No, Mr. Import-export businessman brought me a flat of one dozen water glasses! Yes, he did and to this day every time I see or hold a fluted water glass–I take a large gulp of water and recall my abortion. — Debra

Without the right to abortion – which at its core is fundamental to bodily autonomy, women and people assigned female at birth are no longer able to be full participants in civil society. We are being treated as children, not being trusted to make our own decisions.

But this isn’t just about the right to have authority over our own bodies. The question of bodily autonomy goes to the heart of one’s liberation. One’s sexuality, one’s gender, and in essence one’s identity are all at risk when the right to control one’s reproduction is put into the hands of the state. 

The right to abortion has been steadily eroded. But this threat to reproductive rights, which includes all aspects of obstetrical and gynecological care, is just one aspect of control. It goes along with the attacks on trans and gender queer people, as well as the increasing censorship of any sex education.

Now the state of Louisiana is threatening to charge women who have abortions with homicide.The state of Oklahoma just said abortion is outlawed from the moment of conception. And true to form, one legislator wants to outlaw contraception all together.

It was January 1972.  I was 21 years old and I was pregnant.  My boyfriend at the time briefly floated the idea of us getting married and having a child.  An idea –I rejected immediately. I certainly didn’t want a baby, I wanted an abortion, something I had fought for since I was a teenager.   It was part of my politics, just another aspect of health care and fundamental to women’s rights and liberation.  I knew women who had had illegal ones, but I was lucky, I lived in NY which had passed laws legalizing abortion in 1970.

It wasn’t tragic, it wasn’t a disaster. It just was something I needed to do.  I went to one of the new clinics.  It wasn’t free but it was cheap – I don’t think anyone had health insurance then.  Everyone was both kind and matter a fact.

 As I lay in the recovery room I was surrounded by women and girls from all over the place. Next to me was a 16 -year -old from the Midwest.   She was there with her mother, who, though  she was crying, made it a point to tell me that her daughter was too young to have a baby.  I felt the same way. 

I’ve had abortions since that first one, but that’s the one I remember the most.  I think it’s because despite different people’s feelings about terminating a pregnancy, all the women in the clinic felt incredible overwhelming relief that this was something they could do: safely and legally.   

So now we have to fight again – and we will! — Mirk

As always, these laws will impact Black, Brown and other women of color, along with poor white women, the most. This is already the case, where in many areas, even in this state, there are no providers. Violence against women is fundamental to white supremacy and always been used in force against Black, Brown, Indigenous and other women of color. Their history of rape, forced pregnancies, forced abortions, sterilizations show this only too clearly.

While billions of dollars are being spent on arms and warfare, funds for education, children’s health, and childcare are being slashed.  And now, the governor of Texas is threatening to deny education to undocumented children. Clearly the cliché: “that the right wing and right to lifers are only interested in life from conception to birth,” is proving itself to be truer than ever. Once children are actually born – both parents and child are on their own.

As we see right wing governments gain ascendancy in so much of the world (The news of another Marcos in the Philippines, being just the latest), it should come as no surprise to us this is accompanied by an attack on gender rights. To enforce this there is a rise in gender and sexual violence.

One of the cornerstones of fascism is patriarchy and misogyny. Thus, it’s no accident that when one looks at fascist societies such as that which existed in Nazi Germany, the rounding up of gays, the killing of those deemed “defective” such as the disabled and the assignment to women of Kinder, Küche, Kirche (children, kitchen, church), stood side by side with the racial laws against Jews.

On January 22, 1973, when I was a high schooler, Roe v Wade burst on the scene and opened the door to legal abortions throughout the US.  In 1974, I headed to college, and became pregnant. I remember that I was very clear, at age 18, in my first year of college, that I wasn’t ready to have a child. My boyfriend sought out an abortion clinic and made an appointment for me. We took a taxi to the clinic, where I was treated with respect and compassion.  I wasn’t judged, I wasn’t picketed, I wasn’t blamed or shamed. Within a few hours I was able to head home, to continue the life I had chosen, to go ahead and finish college, become an activist and a lawyer, have a family when I was ready, and make my own small mark on society. 

I am enraged, but not surprised, that the right-wing ideologues, in the guise of those calling themselves “Justices” are turning back the clock and furthering their right-wing agenda at the expense of women, people of color and economically challenged communities. As a member of the NLG Bay Area Executive Board, we at the Guild will fight in the streets, courts and legislature for the right to choose, for other rights that are imperiled by this ruling, and to support the communities most impacted by this attack on our rights. — Jody

We in the NLG have always supported the struggle for reproductive rights and justice. We are going to have to continue that work now. 

Perhaps we’ve taken some of it for granted, now we’ll have to examine our practice more closely, really find out who is doing this work within our organization and provide them with the necessary support they need.

We also know that the NLG will be providing solidarity and support for the people who will be organizing throughout the country. We think we can speak for all members when we say how angry we are about this potential ruling and that we’re completely committed to this fight. This is only the beginning of this conversation.

The first time I found out I was pregnant, I was 18 years old. Several pregnancies followed into my 40s. Like many women, I have spent a lifetime making decisions about pregnancy for my body: trying to avoid pregnancy, trying to achieve pregnancy and decisions to terminate pregnancies. At 18, I was able to get a safe abortion at Planned Parenthood. At 40, when I wanted a child, I was able to safely abort a very rare molar pregnancy that would have killed me absent medical intervention to end the pregnancy. If someone told me when I was 18 that more than 25 years later—when I would be a mother by choice to an 8-year old girl and a 4-year old boy—that my daughter’s generation will have to fight for the right to a safe abortion, I never would have believed it. The lifetime I have spent exercising agency over my body and my future has been the singular expression of my freedom. We will not watch this intrinsic right being taken from women and girls. We will fight like hell. You have unleashed a dragon. Beware of her strength.
— Bobby

We haven't  seen each other  at a membership meeting since October 2021 and many of us haven’t seen each other in person since 2020.  Since then, we’ve experienced many changes, departures, and developments within the chapter. As many members have urged us: it’s time to meet.

According to our bylaws of the San Francisco Bay Area Chapter, “the highest governing authority of this Chapter shall be the annual membership meeting.” In order to do this we need everyone to participate because that’s the only way we can make decisions that are collective and fully-formed.  We will reflect upon recent work and challenges, hear updates from committees and also hear from the Staff Union and Executive Chapter Board.

Barring covid precautions a hybrid meeting is being planned in the East Bay. Please mark your calendars for the evening of Tuesday, July 28th. More information and a registration form will be shared with members soon.

On Sunday, May 1 the Demonstrations Hotline supported organizers from Arctic Ice Protectors and the Indigenous Environmental Network who rallied at a fundraiser for the Arctic Ice Project to demand that they involve and consult with directly-impacted indigenous peoples in the Arctic. There were no incidents.

Also on Sunday, May 1, two Legal Observers traveled to the International Workers Day & Immigrant Rights Day of Action in Santa Rosa. Four Legal Observers traveled to Roosevelt Park in San José for San José May Day. There were no arrests and no incidents at either event.

From Tuesday, May 3 to Thursday, May 5, the Demonstrations Hotline supported AFT 2121 as they demonstrated outside Conlon Hall, at the Ocean Beach campus of City College of San Francisco. Faculty union members demanded that the board of trustees vote against layoffs.

On Tuesday, May 3, four Legal Observers traveled to Oscar Grant Plaza for a demonstration against the Supreme Court draft Dobbs decision. There were no incidents.

On Saturday, May 14, two Legal Observers traveled to San Francisco for a protest to commemorate the 74th anniversary of al-Nakba as well as protest the murder of Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh by Israeli military. There were no arrests.

On Wednesday, May 18, the Demonstrations Hotline supported a protest against Wells Fargo’s failure to pass shareholder resolutions to divest from fossil fuel projects which exacerbate the climate crisis.

Also on Wednesday, May 18, two Legal Observers traveled to Oscar Grant Plaza for a vigil in solidarity with Buffalo, New York and against white supremacist attacks. There were no incidents.

Beginning Wednesday, May 25, the Demonstrations Hotline is providing ongoing support to students, teachers, and families occupying Parker Elementary in Oakland to protest OUSD’s decision to close schools.

The Demonstrations Committee meets every other Thursday from 6:30-8:00pm. Upcoming meetings are Thursday, June 2; Thursday, June 16; and Thursday, June 30. To join the meetings or to receive meeting notes please contact demonstrations@nlgsf.org

On Monday, May 23, we dispatched one Eviction Defense Legal Observer to a planned eviction in East Oakland on E 12th St and 22nd Ave. Due to a coordinated legal response from residents and supporters this eviction was canceled. 

Also on Tuesday, May 24, Eviction Defense Legal Observers were on site at a planned eviction off of Wake Ave in West Oakland. Law Enforcement was persuaded to support the voluntary relocation of residents through supplying gas for their vehicles by residents and supporters on site. 

The Right to Shelter Committee and the Eviction Defense Legal Support Network (EDLSN) is looking to update our Eviction Defense Legal Observer (EDLO) training. We hope to include lessons learned and tools developed over this last year. This updated training will train a new cohort of EDLO’s  Please contact E if you’d be interested in supporting the update or facilitating the training to get plugged in. 

The next Right to Shelter Committee Meeting is scheduled for June 15, 2022 6:00-7:30pm 

The Right to Shelter Committee meets regularly on the 3rd Wednesday of every month 6:00pm-7:30pm.If you would like to join the Right to Shelter Committee or be trained as an Eviction Defense Legal Observer please contact E at econner@nlgsf.org

The Santa Rita Jail Hotline was started as a response to COVID-19. The Hotline’s partnership with prisoners has led workers to reconsider the scope of the project and to think about what resources are needed to continue.

Currently, hotline workers & supervising attorneys are generating new infrastructure, policies, and procedures, including regular meetings on the first Wednesday of every month.

If you are interested in joining the hotline, please contact srjhotline@nlgsf.org or fill out the volunteer form linked below.

The NLG-SFBA has received grant funds pursuant to NLG and Colin Kaepernick’s Know Your Rights Camp (KYRC), which includes funding for “Initial Litigation Support.” As part of this grant, the National Office awarded grants to chapters for actual costs incurred and litigation support. The time frame for this grant is from June 24, 2020 to June 30, 2022, as it is intended to reimburse for work previously undertaken by NLG chapters. Chapter grant spending must be complete by June 30, 2022.

Significantly, in 2020 the SFBA chapter and chapter members committed to more work related to the support of incarcerated people, including starting the Santa Rita Jail Hotline and supporting prisoner objections to the settlement in Babu v. County of Alameda. The chapter also committed to programs supporting sex workers and homeless residents directly impacted by encampment management policies of the cities of Oakland and Berkeley. However, the SFBA chapter does not currently have a dedicated litigation program nor staff attorney and is not a party to litigation initiated by individual member attorneys. The chapter has committed to producing more guides and resources for constituents, as well as improving infrastructure for existing programs.

Because leftover funds must be expended soon, the chapter is seeking input from members, including jailhouse lawyer members, to determine whether there is past or current work which can be supported via this grant, or if the chapter should return unused funds to the National Office.

The chapter is also seeking members who may be interested to restart the NLG-SFBA Jail & Prison Committee. We believe that there may be significant overlap between members interested to administer this grant and members interested to be a part of the Jail & Prison committee.

If you would like to participate in administering the funds remaining in this grant, please contact membership@nlgsf.org and share your availability to participate in at least one grant administration meeting. Please also share whether you would be interested to continue meeting with a Jail & Prison Committee after grant administration is complete.

So far, funds from this grant have been used to reimburse the chapter for qualifying costs such as:

• Writing materials, envelopes, and postage for the Santa Rita Jail Hotline and prisoner correspondents;
• Costs to maintain NLG Hotlines and associated fees related to jail calls;
• The purchase of books for prisoners related to mental health, stress, and trauma; as well as self-help litigation guides;
• Filing fees for pro se prisoner litigation
• Filing fees for appeals of the Babu v. County of Alameda Settlement
• Transcript fees for hearings in Babu v. County of Alameda
• Contract with the NLG-SFBA Healing Justice Coordinator, who facilitates mental health support for Legal Observers, Eviction Defense Observers, and Hotline Workers;
• Case Management system for the Santa Rita Jail Hotline and Eviction Defense;
• Production of a Know Your Rights Guide for sex workers;
• Stipends for law students & law grads doing legal research for the chapter and member attorneys

When: Tuesday May 31st 4pm-7pm

Where: 558 Capp St

What: BBQ and potluck hosted by the Law Offices of BC McComas and NLG-SFBA for law student chapter members and other law students interested in movement law.

The NLG Legal Worker Award honors a legal worker member of the Guild who has demonstrated leadership in the organization marked by one or more notable accomplishments and recognized by their peers. Legal workers are “any person who is currently working, or who has worked, or who is training to work in any office, collective, or other institution which has as its primary function the provision or administration of legal services, information or education; or who, as an individual, provides or administers legal services, information, or education as a major component of their work.”

The Ernie Goodman Award honors an NLG lawyer whose career and life’s work engaged them in legal struggle against financial, political or social odds to obtain justice on behalf of those who are poor, powerless or persecuted [or, most likely, a combination of these].

The C.B. King Award honors a law student whose commitment to justice is an example to others. The student furthers the mission of the NLG and honors the memory of C.B. King through organizing and agitating on academic and local levels. Throughout their time at the NLG, this person has demonstrated the kind of skill and passion that inspires other members and significantly contributes to our organization.