Florida abortion fund workers share their memories from April 1st, 2024, the day the near-total abortion ban was passed.

It was a hard moment for all abortion fund workers, but over two years later, we've proven that abortions aren't going anywhere!

As a Southern abortion fund, we are experts in the local access landscape and what it takes to ensure care under a near-total ban. Part of our role as a fund is to destigmatize abortion and illuminate the deep care, compassion, and love that drive our support for bodily autonomy. That’s why we’re working to uplift the experiences and perspectives of our team members who dedicate their days to the fight for Reproductive Justice.

This is the first part of our Substack interview series featuring our Direct Services baddies! We’ll be introducing you to our team members, Gin, Lana’e, and Laci, sharing direct quotes from them about why they do this work, as well as their memories of when abortion access in FL changed for the worse on April 1st, 2024, the day the near-total ban was passed.

Before we get into it, we wanted to share a friendly reminder that donating to your local abortion fund is one of the best ways to level up your support for the Reproductive Justice movement. Every dollar goes towards supporting abortion seekers in FL, funding care in-state when possible and out-of-state when necessary.

Meet Gin

Gin, FAN’s iconic Director of Programs, has dedicated herself to FAN’s mission. From Direct Services to big-picture programming, she holds it down for everyone on our team.

“I’ve focused on [abortion funding] as my place because I know firsthand the barriers that are put up, especially for black and brown people. Whether we’re trying to parent already or trying to access abortion care, we come across so many barriers, whether it’s transportation to get to appointments, whether it’s the financial piece, you know, and too many people are just not being heard. The government is constantly attacking our rights, and I just want people to be able to feel free to make the decision that they know is right for their life without fear of consequences.”

Meet Lana’e

Lana’e is FAN’s mighty case manager who offers compassionate and judgment-free support for our clients on the daily!

“I do this work because I know that, deep down, we are helping people get their appointments and even giving them a little bit of additional information that might help them with other situations they are going through... ultimately, I think it’s just being a human and seeing them human to human and being able to connect with them and let them know that they’re okay.”

Meet Laci

Laci, FAN's bold leader in Direct Services, works to support clients and keep our services funded!

“When I started working in abortion care, my mom and I were talking about it, and she came out of nowhere and shared that she had actually had three abortions rather than two. She’s a person who’s intensely open about her experiences both back then and now, and she’s happy to share them loudly and proudly at any time.... When she shared that with me, it occurred to me, like it kind of hit me in the face... this really, really loud, proud pro-choice, don’t take shit from anyone woman had felt too stigmatized to share something with me until later. And that really pissed me off.

It’s so stigmatized, like it’s so intensely stigmatized that I want to be there. I want to be there to help make it normal to be like, listen, these families wouldn’t exist without abortion. Families wouldn’t exist in the ways that we love them, and that we need [without abortion]. And to me... Florida and Floridians and Southerners have really always fought for each other. I just want to be there to support and fight for Floridians now, not when it’s easy but when it’s most needed, and [abortion] is one of the things that are most under attack in the state. So, I want to be where I can be most helpful.”

Their memories from the day FL’s abortion ban was passed

Gin, Director of Programs at FAN

“So, funny enough, I was actually in Albuquerque, New Mexico, with other [abortion] fund workers for a committee that we were part of. And I believe that while the news completely fucking sucked, right? It was divine timing that I was in community with other fund people who understood my pain and were able to hold me in that moment... and folks that had already been through that situation, you know, folks from Texas and whatnot. And when I found out, my heart was so broken, I was crying, I mean, I was sobbing. I was sad and overwhelmed, I was grieving. You know, what we had was the bare minimum, and now we have nothing basically. I don’t know that one can truly make sense of made-up laws.

While it was a gut punch, we were able to support each other virtually here at FAN. We checked in with one another all the time. I think the reason we were also able to make a little sense of it was that we had been preparing for it. So we had a plan and an idea of how we were going to pivot, if this was to become our reality. But even through preparation, when the reality hits, it’s still fucking hurt, you know.”

Lana’e, Case Manager at FAN

“We know that Florida follows what other Southern states usually put into effect. So unfortunately, we knew it was coming, but... we weren’t going to let this ban come and affect our work, like yes it was affecting things, but we were ready. We were ready to make the jump. I made sure to make those partnerships with other clinics out of state and basically reverse everything. So with the 15-week ban, I was responsible for getting everyone in southern states before that. So I had made local partnerships with hotels to get a good rate because they’re our clients. Or, you know, knowing how our airports work to be able to describe to clients coming here who have never flown, hey, this airport, when you leave your plane, this is where you’re going to go for rideshare.

You know, it was different to have to switch it because it’s not just one place. It’s multiple states that people were having to travel to, so having to make those shifts all over, it was hard. But because [other funds were] doing it at the same time, I felt like there was a community around it making sure that we were all on the same page and not doing like triple quadruple work that other people were doing. Obviously, I remember with the ban going into effect, being extremely sad for the future of access in Florida. We knew, I knew, that it was just a stepping stone for more and more bans and more and more cuts to access. So I knew that it was coming, but it still didn’t make it easier. It still sucked, no matter what.”

Laci, Direct Services Manager at FAN

“So I was here with FAN when the six-week ban went through. We were devastated obviously, but we also honestly weren’t surprised. We knew it was coming. We had already been hit with the 15-week ban, and before that, the two-visit, 24-hour waiting period; it was a disintegration. There’s really no making sense of that moment to me. The information is out there. Abortion saves lives. That’s not an abstract or philosophical argument. It’s just reality. So, I think, as a fund, we knew we weren’t going to stop. We were going to do what other states in the South had done. Texas had already been under attack. Georgia had already been hit like this. We were just going to do whatever we needed to and whatever we could to get folks to care. I think there’s no making sense of that moment like, to want to hurt people in your state that much, but yeah, we’re just going to do everything that we can do.

[We spoke to] Texas, immediately Gin and I set up a meeting with, I want to say it was Fund Texas Choice and we were like, what do we do? What do you suggest? Like, help us here, and they were like, yep, let’s go… Here’s how we get through this together. And that’s grounding. Working within our communities and working with partners who have been through this. We don’t reinvent the wheel, we lean on each other, you know.”

Our Direct Services Team wants you to know…

Gin

“[I hope] that our communities continue to come together, to use our voice, to share the truth about abortion, about our stories, to educate on what reproductive justice really, really is, and to be louder than the antis that are spewing myths and lies to scare the people with their rhetoric. You know, I also hope that people start to pour more of their time and their dollars into local funds, because we truly help so much in providing holistic care to our clients.”

Lana’e

“Learn about your local abortion funds, support your local abortion funds, scream it from their rooftops. There is space for you in this movement, and I think it’s imperative moving forward to learn about what’s going on in your local area, your state, your nation, your country, the world. I think it’s just important to know what we can do. We can always be doing more to help serve the better good.”

Laci

“Abortion is a moral and human good. It helps save, shape, and protect families, and it’s been like that for over a millennium. It’s just a moral good. It’s not antithetical to God or religion; on the contrary, it’s a way of loving and caring for each other, and ourselves, and our families. When I say, if there’s a God, God’s plan includes abortion, it truly does... Love your communities, care for your communities, do what you can, lean on each other, listen and speak when you need to.”

Why donate to FAN?

If you:

• oppose FL’s near-total abortion ban

• believe Floridians deserve the right to make their OWN healthcare decisions

• admire the work led by our Direct Services team supporting abortion seekers in our state...

Your donation would go directly towards supporting the people most impacted by FL’s current abortion law. Every dollar goes towards meeting the needs of our clients, whether that’s covering the cost of their appointment or paying for food, travel, lodging, and any related medications.

We always say, a dollar donated to your local abortion fund is always a dollar well spent!