"I felt like I had way more power and control than I ever would have felt at a clinic."
Vol 4, Issue 7: July 2024
Welcome back to the Lighthouse! Disability Pride Month is ending, and Alice Wong’s latest for Teen Vogue — Mask Bans Insult Disabled People, Endanger Our Health, and Threaten Our Ability to Protest — is a great way to close it out. We also passed the 4th of July, for which I offer this succinct piece from EmbraceRace about someone talking to his granddaughter about why he doesn’t celebrate it. And here in Wisconsin, the RNC took place in Milwaukee (a very strange choice), which was met with protests mostly organized through the March on the RNC 2024.
On the COVID-19 front, we’re still in the summer surge, with 36 states in the “High” or “Very High” wastewater level categories1. (At the time of writing this, Wisconsin is in the “High” category per the CDC.) No matter where you’re currently at with your mitigation efforts, it’s never too late to start wearing a mask again and taking other steps to prevent the spread. I really appreciate the updated zine, Why You Should Still Care About COVID (and Wear a Mask) in 2024, which is a super comprehensive, well-researched resource presented mostly in a question and answer format that makes it easy to look back through for specific information later. In related news, The People’s CDC created a rad new flyer called Fight Fascism, Wear a Mask that breaks down the risks of mask bans and how to push back on them. Print and post them where you can! And I wasn’t sure where to include this, but since it’s public health related, here’s a link to get free at-home HIV test kits!
Now, onto the newsletter!
What the Abortion Pill Is Like During a Self-Managed Abortion
“Mifepristone, one such medication, blocks the release of progesterone, a pregnancy hormone that thickens the lining of the uterus and supports the developing pregnancy. When progesterone is blocked, the lining becomes thin and the pregnancy begins to detach from the uterus. Misoprostol, another medication that can either be taken alone or in addition to mifepristone, causes the cervix to open and the uterus to contract, expelling the pregnancy.”
Over this past weekend, I took a wonderful training through Holistic Abortions to deepen my skills for providing abortion support to others. After completing the training, it felt like the perfect time to highlight some information on medication abortion, starting with this Teen Vogue article. It provides an overview of what medication abortions are and how they work, as well as a first person account from someone who used them2. It also includes links to some great resources throughout, like Plan C, which helps people obtain abortion pills.
One of the things they touch on in the article, albeit briefly, is the fact that mifepristone isn’t necessarily needed, although it does improve the overall effectiveness. But misoprostol-only abortions are also possible (and common all over the world), and they’re still incredibly effective — studies vary, but it sounds like some of the latest analysis showed a roughly 87% effectiveness compared to about 95% when both mifepristone and misoprostol are used.
Something I wish they’d mentioned was the Miscarriage and Abortion Hotline (aka the M+A Hotline), a free and anonymous resource for people who are managing their abortions or are experiencing pregnancy loss. The volunteers that work the hotline can help guide people through the process and can answer questions, as explained in a Cosmopolitan article on their services:
Their work is so important when getting accurate medical information about abortion can be challenging, and having that reassurance or guidance from a trusted source can be vital. While abortion doulas/support people wouldn’t be giving medical advice like the helpline can, we can also play an important role in supporting people through the process and helping them get the information and material support they need3. And if someone is looking for legal advice, the Repro Legal Helpline is another great organization that can help for free. If you’re ever looking for more information about abortion — medication or otherwise — please don’t hesitate to reach out to me! (Just make sure to mind your digital security.)
See also: From The Nation, The Abortion Pill Underground explores the network of pill providers, abortion funds, clinics, and more that are weaving the web of abortion care across the country in uncertain times. This NBC News article about disability rights groups fighting for accessible abortion access is a couple of years old, but it brings up barriers to care for disabled people that are still present now. Political Research Associates’ 101: Abortion Abolitionists is a great primer on so-called “abortion abolitionists” who (mis)use the language of slavery abolition to promote a far right theocratic future.
What's Happening at Lakeshore Liberation?
Nothing new to share this time!
What’s Going on in Reproductive Justice
Two lawsuits filed by Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin and Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul will be heard by the Wisconsin Supreme Court, which could make it easier to protect the right to abortion in the state and open the door to striking down the current limitations our state has. Governor Evers has also asked to join one of the lawsuits. It’ll be interesting to see where these cases go.
Prism has a follow-up article after their recent exposé on Planned Parenthood’s contracting with Raytheon, covering Planned Parenthood’s response to their coverage, the information Planned Parenthood has obscured, and how pro-Palestinian voices in the organization have been shut down.
I talked about the 19th’s reporting on extreme heat and how it impacts pregnant people in particular last month, and they have another heat-related article this month I wanted to share that explains how the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act can help pregnant workers dealing with extreme heat now (as well as its limitations).
Also at the intersection of reproductive & labor justice, the 19th highlights the nursing people who are suing their employers under the PUMP Act for not providing adequate accommodation for pumping at work.
What’s Going on in Wisconsin
Wisconsin Watch reported on how the Gerald L. Ignace Indian Health Center in Milwaukee is integrating cultural practices into addiction treatment to better address the needs of Indigenous people seeking help. Meanwhile, the Bad River Band of Lake Superior has provided almost 15,000 free doses of Narcan (naloxone) across Wisconsin since starting their mail-order program in 2022 as part of their larger harm reduction program. And over in Madison, the city is looking into creating a drop-in site for safer drug use supplies. Lots of fantastic harm reduction efforts happening across the state!
Also in Madison, officials are installing air quality sensors to better track pollutants by neighborhood. These are meant to compliment the two existing DNR sensors to give people a better information about their local air quality.
What I've Been Reading
The Uncommitted National Movement, as well as groups like Jewish Voice for Peace, are calling on VP and Presidential hopeful Kamala Harris to halt the flow of weapons and money to Israel if they expect to have a chance at winning back the votes that Biden had already lost. Frankly, that’s the bare minimum she could do and seems unlikely, although I still hope she does it. The horrors of genocide continue, with “safe zones” continuing to get bombed and Israeli militants and politicians trying to protect soldiers charged with sexually assaulting a Palestinian prisoner, as well as the recent reporting that confirms what many of us already knew — the official death toll is likely far lower than the true death toll so far, which is now estimated to be 186,000 or more. Some related articles I read this month include a piece in In These Times by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz called We Must Understand Israel as a Settler-Colonial State, which gives a very quick overview of how settler-colonialism operates and how it applies to Israel and Palestine; A Waging Nonviolence book review of Safety Through Solidarity: A Radical Guide to Fighting Antisemitism, which reviews the book and also shares tidbits from it that certainly make me want to read it; and the newly-released Safer in the Streets Volume 2 from Jewish Currents, a follow-up to the Safer in the Streets link I shared previously.
One of Devon Price’s latest pieces on supporting people who are suicidal is a challenging read (in that it’s a complex and often painful subject), but it’s one I’d highly recommend to anyone wanting to deepen their skills on supporting people who are suicidal without trying to control them or take away their autonomy.
From Cosmic Anarchy, a detailed article on what to do to de-center Middle-Classist organizing and start mutual aid efforts locally.
One of my favorite newsletters has started back up! Check out Conflict Transformation’s latest on how to use conflict skills to help prevent police violence.
The Intercept is back with another how-to related to the encrypted messaging app Signal, this time detailing how to get a fully anonymous Signal account, aka without having to use your own phone number. Spoiler alert: it involves utilizing a pay phone. Even if this isn’t information most people would personally be using, I really appreciate their dedication to experimenting and sharing what they find related to digital security!
What I'm Watching
We ended up watching a lot of really good movies this month. Godzilla Minus One took us two nights to get through given how long it is, but it was definitely as good as everyone said it was and well worth it! We also watched I Saw the TV Glow, which is by far one of the best movies I’ve ever seen. Having grown up watching Buffy as a kid, this film somehow managed to capture that specific experience. It was such an emotionally moving watch for us, and that’s not to mention how incredibly trans the whole thing is. Very much hoping A24 does a collector’s edition when physical copies are finally released!
What I'm Listening To
Outward has had some great episodes this past month, including one about gender doulas and the work they do and another about the return of “bathroom bills.”
In light of Kamala Harris becoming the likely Democratic nominee, Code Switch takes a look at her history. (Code Switch’s newsletter is one of the few podcast newsletters I read, and their recent look back at Hillbilly Elegy was also wonderful.)
Places to Donate To & Actions to Take
An online acquaintance and their sister have been struggling to avoid becoming unhoused due to unfortunately-common capitalism reasons: being unexpectedly fired from a job, being promised hours and then not given them, etc. While they both work to find more stable income, please help support and share their GoFundMe to keep them afloat!
The Milwaukee Anti-war Committee is a grassroots anti-war organization committed to de-militarization in Milwaukee and abroad that takes action against the war machine. Their vital work can be supported via donations on Cashapp.
Hammer & Hope just released their Summer issue! You can support their continued work by donating on their website.
If/When/How is an abortion and pregnancy defense fund that also offers free, confidential legal services that helps people in a variety of reproduction- and abortion-related situations. You can support their important work by donating.
Questions? Comments? Suggestions?
Feel free to share them below or contact me directly.
Regarding wastewater testing, The Sick Times put out a great article that goes over the current state of it and what to keep in mind when utilizing this data (as well as how to find it, how to make sense of the data, etc).
For more personal accounts of abortions of all kinds, check out Shout Your Abortion’s stories, where you can share your own as well.