Shawano teen leading fight for abortion rights

The recently leaked opinion from the U.S. Supreme Court about the potential overturn of Roe v. Wade, the 1973 court decision that paved the way for legal abortion in the United States, has mobilized many in the country, with conservatives pushing to make abortions illegal and liberals seeking to codify the rights furnished by the historic court decision.

The pushback against the Supreme Court opinion had not been visible in the Shawano area. That changed over the weekend as Shawano teen Jaida Hill brought her new group, the Shawano She Devils, to Main Street on May 15 for a protest of the opinion and possible court decision, deciding that the time for being silent is over.

“I didn’t see anyone else willing to put themselves out there for this cause and be open about their beliefs the way that I believe members of this group are,” Hill said in an interview before the protest. “I personally think that any woman or man was capable of deciding to lead a charge regarding women’s abortion’s rights, but I think that as I have an interest in a political career path, I wanted to make it known that this is a matter I would intend to take seriously.”

Hill, who donned a costume out of “The Handmaid’s Tale” for the protest, said she was dismayed that it took so long to get local attention to the issue of abortion rights, noting that local reaction to the Black Lives Matter movement was fairly immediate.

“I saw the city of Shawano come together in regards to the wake of the Black Lives Matter Movement, but I fear people are not as willing to defend the women of Shawano as they were the vulnerable people of color,” Hill said. “While those are two very different issues, these are groups of people entitled to their rights and medical safety and should not be vulnerable to any forms of discrimination because of personal decisions.”

Overturning Roe v. Wade would not only impact abortion rights, in Hill’s view. She feels it would be the first domino in the stripping of other rights, as well.

“I believe no matter your location or income, you deserve access to health care without all of the ill-advised political interference and opinions,” Hill said. “Congress must take action to protect and increase abortion access. Lawmakers and medical providers must ensure people can make health care decisions of their own.”

In Wisconsin, the overturning of Roe v. Wade would reignite an 1849 law the state has that bans all abortions except if needed to save the mother’s life, and even then, two other people must sign off on the action. A final decision from the U.S. Supreme Court is not expected until next month, but Hill feels it’s important to take action now to support women and their ability to choose.

“This opens a gateway to sexual assault survivors and parenting rules or standards,” Hill said. “This is also extensive to the dehumanization of Planned Parenthood. They provide STD-testing, pregnancy testing, cancer screenings, birth control, family services, counseling, adoption and foster advising and much more. People opposing abortion are attacking the preventive at the source, and it needs to end.”

The name “Shawano She Devils” was something Hill came up with to grab people’s attention and focus them on the issue. However, as a student at Wolf River Lutheran High School, she realizes the name and her cause are at odds with churches and other religious organizations.

“This is not an anti-Christian organization. We are not here to attack people or pick commentary fights,” Hill said. “I do not want to offend anyone or make a target of myself. This issue is horribly divisive, and I am well aware of that. We want to widen perspectives and open the eyes of people in a small town. Shawano may not make a large difference, but there are thousands of Shawanos, thousands of small towns. Everyone is going to have to make a difference and play their part.”

Hill said the “devil” portion of the name was meant to just show disagreement, not invoke it as a mascot for the cause.

“The devil portion of the name was just to show an opposing force that everyone views as despicable,” she said. “We understand the controversy behind abortion is very widespread. We have no intention to lionize or embolden anti-religion or make religious groups feel uncomfortable.”

The protest on May 15 only brought out two people, including Hill, but she said she planned to organize other rallies with more advanced notice and might choose another site besides Main Street. She noted that despite the smallness of the protest, some people came up and provided support.

Hill said she plans to continue protesting the issue in Shawano but also plans to protest with others in Appleton. She hopes the protests will make people see different views on the abortion issue and understand what it means to people.

“Women will feel so emboldened speaking about this issue, they would no longer fear walking alone in the dead of the night, if it were to raise awareness to this issue, which emphasizes how scary this must be to some women,” Hill said.

lpulaski@newmedia-wi.com