News

Louisiana Abortion Fund Releases Podcast Reflecting on the post Roe Landscape in the Gulf South

In “The South Has the Answers,” the Louisiana Abortion Fund team spotlights s Southern legacies of resistance as inspiration in the current fight for reproductive justice 

New Orleans, LA Saturday, June 24, 2023 – One year after the Supreme Court handed down its earthshaking Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision, the Louisiana Abortion Fund is urging folks across the country to listen to Southerners and the people most impacted by the Dobbs decision. 

Click here to listen to “The South Has the Answers.”

“Last year we saw a lot of folks, especially white folks and people living in states where abortion was protected, react as if the sky was falling. Make no mistake, the Dobbs decision was absolutely catastrophic, but as Black folks in the South contending with the after effects of slavery, Jim Crow, and the mass criminalization, we had never really seen a day where people like us actually had a guaranteed right to abortion,” said Louisiana Abortion Fund Executive Director Chasity Wilson. “Last year there were only three abortion clinics left in Louisiana with compulsory waiting periods, mandatory misinformation, and no public financial assistance for abortion care. That means access for people who can afford to travel, take time off work, and can afford to hand over the equivalent of two week’s salary for someone working a minimum wage job for abortion care. That’s not guaranteed access.” 

Since the Louisiana Abortion Fund’s founding in 2012 (formerly known as the New Orleans Abortion Fund), the organization has paid for abortions and provided practical support—helping to cover the costs of flights, hotels, childcare, and the miscellaneous costs associated with traveling for abortion care—for their callers. When the Supreme Court’s decision shuttered the remaining abortion clinics in the state, the organization pressed on, increasing the amount of practical support provided as they worked with their callers to get them abortion care in states as far as New York. 

“We really saw two reactions last year. On the one hand we saw an outpouring of support and the determination of our community to hold each other during these times, and on the other hand, we saw individuals and institutions throw up their hands as if our entire region were a lost cause,” said Louisiana Abortion Fund Board Chair A.J. Haynes. “As a Louisianan, as a queer Black woman, and as someone invested in the future of the place I love, that withdrawal of support doesn’t sit well with me. Instead of disregarding this region and the millions of people who call this place home, it’s time for folks to try to better understand the ways that our communities have managed to thrive under oppressive systems. The ways that our communities have cared for each other should be our guiding light on the path towards liberation.”

Louisiana Abortion Fund emerges from what was the New Orleans Abortion Fund 

Organization pledges to center the needs of marginalized communities as they continue to fund abortions and provide practical support for those seeking out-of-state abortions

New Orleans, LA February 9, 2023  – The organization formerly known as the New Orleans Abortion Fund announced their transformation into the Louisiana Abortion Fund (LAAF) with a commitment to funding abortions and providing practical support for people across the state and the Gulf South region. 

“We’ve always provided funds to cover the cost of abortion care to people across the state and the Gulf South,” says LAAF Executive Director Chasity Wilson. “By becoming the Louisiana Abortion Fund, we’re deepening our commitment to supporting the bodily autonomy of all Louisianans, including those in rural corners of the state who face even more barriers to accessing the care they determine is right for them.” 

The New Orleans Abortion Fund was founded over ten years ago to provide financial support for those seeking abortion care. They continued that work even as Louisiana lawmakers passed legislation further restricting access to abortion care. Over the past three years, the organization has undergone a tremendous transition that ushered in the organization’s first Black executive director and Black-majority board of directors. 

“As an organization rooted in the principles of Black feminism, we envision a world where folks can self-determine how they shape their families in safe & sustainable environments,” said LAAF Board of Directors Chairperson A.J. Haynes. “I am honored to carry forth this beautiful legacy of the beloved community.”

The organization will continue providing financial support to callers seeking abortion from Louisiana and the Gulf South. LAAF helps callers pay for their abortions and provides funds for childcare and travel expenses as folks travel out of state for abortion healthcare. 

Accountability, Healing, and the Path Forward

On January 17th, the National Day of Racial Healing and we are looking inward, examining past harms committed by the New Orleans Abortion Fund (NOAF), as we work to build an organization rooted in solidarity rather than charity, that centers the needs of Black, Brown, queer, and immigrant communities. An essential part of our rebuilding is addressing past harms and being transparent about what we’re doing to heal. 

Throughout NOAF’s history, the organization harmed communities it purported to serve through an ethos of white saviorism, and macro and micro aggressions committed against our most marginalized communities. NOAF disrespected and insulted clients, alienated or ignored Black and Brown people looking to get involved, and overworked and at times exploited staff, volunteers, and board members in a way that perpetuated the harms of racial capitalism. We apologize.

Over the last two years, we have embarked on a journey of transformation in an effort to build the kind of organization our communities deserve. We have: 

  • Restructured and rebuilt our board and staff so that it is more representative of the folks NOAF serves. Our majority-Black staff is rooted in the principles of Black feminism, are working to ground the organization in reproductive justice framework, and are dedicated to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of clients, staff, and volunteers. 

  • Transitioned from a mostly volunteer organization, dependent on folks overworking themselves, to an organization that compensates its workers and provides the time necessary for staff to take care of their physical, mental, and emotional needs. (Want to learn more about the centrality of rest in liberatory practice? Check out The Nap Ministry.)

  • Distributed more direct abortion support funds than 2020 and 2021 (stay on the lookout for our ‘22 annual report to find out just how much support we’ve distributed!)

This National Day of Racial Healing, we invite you to reflect on the ways you may have perpetuated oppression, been victim to oppression, and can disrupt systems of oppression while building a more liberated future. If you’ve supported this organization in the past and are curious about what it means to be an explicitly Black feminist organization rooted in the principles of reproductive justice, please stay on the lookout, as we’ll continue to share information about our work and resources for learning.

If you’re interested in joining us for the next steps in this journey, please stay on the lookout for big news on Thursday, February 9. 

Thank you for your grace as we grow and learn. Thank you for continuing to believe that together we can ensure our friends, neighbors, and community members can access the abortion care they need. Thank you for being in community with us. 

In solidarity, 

The New Orleans Abortion Fund staff and board 

P.S. This work is hard. Oppressive systems thrive off us getting too tired to continue and giving up altogether. Don’t do that! Care for yourself. Find beauty in this world, no matter how

Friday, June 24, 2022

New Orleans Abortion Fund Responds to SCOTUS Decision to Overturn Roe V. Wade

The New Orleans Abortion Fund is still here.

Fear is excitement without breath–and anxiety is fear without action. Here at NOAF, we are continuing to move with intention, breathing into our mission to fund abortions and taking direct action to address the demoralizing climate of reproductive care. In the immediate aftermath of this decision, we are prioritizing efforts to best serve our community. In order to do that, we have made two important decisions, 1) we will not be taking interviews at this time, and 2) we have closed our line in order to provide space for our Access Coordinators to take care of themselves. However, in response to today’s devastating ruling, we want to make a few things clear: 

  • Louisiana is one of 13 states with a trigger ban, making abortion illegal in the case of Roe v Wade being overturned. Louisiana’s legislation is an immediate ban on abortion due to today’s ruling. That means, if you have an abortion scheduled in Louisiana today or in the future, please contact your clinic for direction. 

  • In Louisiana, one of the most heightened battlegrounds for anti-reproductive health legislation, barriers to abortion have already created a post-Roe reality for many. And barriers to abortion disproportionately impact low-income, rural, BIPOC, and LGBTQ+ communities, regardless of legality. 

  • For over a decade, NOAF has funded abortions. We are committed to our mission of funding abortions and assisting with abortion access in the Gulf South. Here is a copy of our annual report to help clarify the breadth of our work, which includes Practical Support (financial assistance to cover the various costs associated with receiving abortion care, such as travel, lodging, child care, etc.)

  • Although they are often overlooked, many local abortion funds operate across the United States and work together to increase abortion access across state lines. We are here and will continue to do this work.