From the Clergy Consultation Service on Abortion to the modern day struggle for intersectional reproductive freedom, religious voices have been at the forefront of fights that matter for generations. We’re here to amplify essential voices, tell stories that often go unheard, and lift up the holy and healing work of faithfully pro-choice activists like you.
Episodes
Friday Oct 27, 2023
Friday Oct 27, 2023
Faith Organizers Kelley Fox and Rev. Terry Williams check in less than two weeks before Election Day, giving listeners a rundown of where the pro-abortion Issue 1 campaign stands and what listeners can do to help this effort finish well.
Using a faith-soaked lens, Kelley and Terry also dive into the misrepresentations and outright lies being spread against Issue 1 by the anti-abortion crowd, laying out the true facts and examining why some folks just can't seem to tell the truth about reproductive health, rights, and justice no matter the season.
Links to discussed content:
- Faith & Repro Freedom Tour: www.faithchoiceohio.org/tour
- 58% of Ohioans Support Issue 1: www.bw.edu/news/2023/fall/10-bw-ohio-pulse-poll-shows-ohio-voters-favor-issues-1-and-2
- Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose Purges Voters Late in 2023: www.rawstory.com/frank-larose-ohio/
- The Truth About Issue 1 (Faith Choice Ohio's FAQs): www.faithchoiceohio.org/blog/the-truth-about-issue-1
- Read the Entire Issue 1 Amendment: www.readtheamendment.com/
- Roman Catholic Hierarchy in Ohio gives $900,000 to Anti-Abortion Cause: https://jezebel.com/ohio-catholic-dioceses-gave-nearly-1-million-to-fight-1850843727
-
Take the "I Am a Catholic for Choice" Pledge: www.catholicsforchoice.org/pledge/
Music by Korbin Jones
Friday Oct 13, 2023
Friday Oct 13, 2023
Faith Organizer Terry Williams welcomes special guest Nicole Morino — the Ohio Field Organizer for Catholics for Choice — to discuss the Faith & Repro Freedom Tour, an educational tour that is a collaborative effort between our faith-based organizations.
Nicole and Terry give a glimpse of what life is like on tour for reproductive freedom in Ohio, helping listeners understand the November abortion ballot initiative and laying out the case for a faithfully pro-choice “Yes” vote on the measure. Listen in for great resources on Catholic social teaching, more information about the Advocate’s Bible Study from Catholics for Choice, and an invitation to take the “I Am a Pro-Choice Catholic” pledge!
Links to discussed content:
- The Faith & Reproductive Freedom Tour: www.faithchoiceohio.org/tour
- The Advocate's Bible Study with Catholics for Choice: https://go.catholicsforchoice.org/a/abs2023
- Take the "I Am a Pro-Choice Catholic" Pledge: www.catholicsforchoice.org/pledge/
- Resources from Catholics for Choice: www.catholicsforchoice.org/resource-library/
- The Jubilee Fund for Abortion Justice (Ohio's first faith-based abortion fund): www.faithchoiceohio.org/jubileefund
- Ohioans United for Reproductive Rights: https://ohioansunitedforreproductiverights.win/
Music by Korbin Jones
Friday Sep 29, 2023
Friday Sep 29, 2023
Faith Organizer Kelley Fox sits down with our new Program Coordinator Samantha Allen to discuss her work with Faith Choice Ohio, her experience as a Patients to Advocates fellow during the fall of Roe, and the importance of abortion patients telling their stories to fight against the clamor of the loud anti-abortion minority.
Links to discussed content:
Friday Sep 15, 2023
Friday Sep 15, 2023
Faith Organizers Kelley Fox and Rev. Terry Williams keep the Labor Day vibes rolling in this latest episode by discussing wages, benefits, and the connection between strong labor unions and reproductive freedom.
Discussing recent labor disputes playing out across multiple reproductive health, rights, and justice organizations, Kelley and Terry explore why building a just future for all takes faithful action from everybody.
Links to discussed content:
- All* Above All Statement on Restructuring: https://allaboveall.org/updates/a-statement-from-the-all-above-all-executive-team-and-steering-commi...
- Anonymous Post on Anti-Blackness at All* Above All: https://medium.com/@allaboveallisantiblack/all-above-all-is-anti-black-part-1-9a6dda785258
- Kelley's blog post on "Relearning Self-Care": www.faithchoiceohio.org/blog/relearning-self-care
- Conflict is Not Abuse: Overstating Harm, Community Responsibility, and the Duty of Repair: www.akpress.org/conflictisnotabuse.html
- Press Release on Planned Parenthood Federation of America Layoffs: www.1199seiu.org/media-center/mass-layoff-planned-parenthood-federation-america-sparks-uproar-amid-vague-restructuring-first-anniversary-overturning-roe-vs-wa#:~:text=Thirty%2Deight%20of%20the%20impacted
- National RCRC Disaffiliates from States: www.faithchoiceohio.org/blog/new-year-new-name
-
Repro Worker Aid Fund: www.reprojobs.org/aid
-
Resume Support for Repro Workers: www.reprojobs.org/blog/resume-support-for-repro-workers-from-reprojobs
Music by Korbin Jones
Friday Sep 01, 2023
Friday Sep 01, 2023
Faith Organizers Kelley Fox and Rev. Terry Williams address the latest foolishness of the Ohio Ballot Board, detailing how people of faith are organizing to overcome abortion misinformation and dirty tricks to ensure passage of the Right to Reproductive Freedom Amendment in November.
Modeling a practice of disciplined re-examination and truthtelling, Kelley and Terry also discuss how reviewing soul-stirring works (like adrienne maree brown’s "Pleasure Activism") and honing previously-learned educational skills can provide much needed personal growth and lead to community transformation.
Links to discussed content:
- Ohio reproductive rights group sues state Ballot Board over abortion ballot language: www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/ohio-reproductive-rights-group-sues-ballot-board-abortion-ballot-langu-rcna102382
- Full text of the Right to Reproductive Freedom ballot amendment: www.readtheamendment.com/
- Support ACLU Ohio: www.acluohio.org/
- Pleasure Activism, by adrienne maree brown: www.akpress.org/pleasure-activism.html
- Join our Moral Messaging Training: www.faithchoiceohio.org/moral-messaging-training
Music by Korbin Jones
Saturday Aug 19, 2023
Saturday Aug 19, 2023
Faith Organizers Kelley Fox and Rev. Terry Williams revel in the huge “Hell No!” defeat of Issue 1 with post-election analysis and issues-based insights about faith, repro, and the power of people to effect change in the Buckeye state.
Looking forward to the November 2023 election and the reproductive freedom constitutional amendment that Ohioans will get to vote on then, Kelley and Terry connect electoral fights with faith-rooted repro rights — making a clear case for sustained faith engagement in the nonpartisan revolution to secure abortion access and reproductive freedom across our region.
Links to discussed content:
- Center for Politics article on Issue 1 and what the August Special Election says about Ohio: https://centerforpolitics.org/crystalball/articles/ohios-issue-1-smackdown/
- Inequity, Equality, Equity, and Justice graphic: www.bu.edu/diversity/resource-toolkit/inequity-equality-equity-and-justice/
- The "Right to Reproductive Freedom" ballot language: https://protectchoiceohio.com/petition_language
- Ohioans United for Reproductive Rights: https://ohioansunitedforreproductiverights.win/
Music by Korbin Jones
Friday Aug 04, 2023
Friday Aug 04, 2023
Faith Organizer Rev. Terry Williams welcomes special guest Jen Miller — executive director of the League of Women Voters of Ohio — for an in-depth discussion of the fiercely nonpartisan fight for democracy in Ohio’s August 8th Special Election. Jen and Terry explore why so many organizations throughout the state have endorsed a NO vote on Issue 1 in August, outlining what’s at stake if majority rule is eliminated in Ohio, and laying out the history of the more than 100-year-old right that Ohioans have to amend our constitution by majority vote at the ballot box — including how this right affects the faithfully pro-choice abortion justice work we love so much at Faith Choice Ohio!
Links to discussed content:
- League of Women Voters of Ohio: www.lwvohio.org
- Political, Not Partisan: Religious Organizations, Elections, and Abortion Justice: www.faithchoiceohio.org/blog/political-not-partisan-religious-organizations-elections-and-abortion-justice
- Proceedings of the 1912 Constitutional Convention in Ohio: www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/courts/judicial-system/supreme-court-of-ohio/mjc/interest/law-libr...
- 200+ organizations endorse a NO vote on August Issue 1 in Ohio: https://votenoinaugust.org/endorsements/
- Polling on August Issue 1 shows broad bipartisan opposition to the issue: www.cincinnati.com/story/news/politics/2023/07/19/ohio-issue-1-poll-finds-most-ohio-voters-o...
- Richard Uihlein (billionaire from Illinois) is footing the bill for more than 80% of the Issue 1 campaign: www.cleveland.com/news/2023/07/whos-paying-for-the-campaigns-for-and-against-state-issue-1-n...
- Ex-GOP Ohio speaker, lobbyist guilty in $60M bribery scheme: https://apnews.com/article/larry-householder-corruption-verdict-bribery-trial-ohio-30763b21fc02e62464c20a77609a63ac
Music by Korbin Jones
Thursday Jul 20, 2023
Thursday Jul 20, 2023
Faith Organizers Kelley Fox and Rev. Terry Williams let it fly in this episode about Ohio’s special election in August, addressing everything from the intentional voter suppression tactics of Ohio’s legislature to the pandemic of Christian anti-intellectualism that is currently plaguing our body politic.
Clearly outlining why the August 8th special election is primarily about abortion access, Kelley and Terry make it plain by drawing the links between the rise of White Christian Nationalism and assaults on reproductive freedom — like Issue 1 in August.
Listen in for an earful about the “Vote NO in August” campaign and what you can do to keep defending reproductive health, rights, and justice in the Buckeye state.
Links to discussed content:
- Vote NO in August Campaign: https://votenoinaugust.org/
- Ohio banned August elections. Then the GOP planned one that could help preserve an abortion ban: www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/ohio-banned-august-elections-gop-planned-one-help-preserve-abortion-ba-rcna85635
- Tiny Minority of Ohio Chamber of Commerce Board vote for Issue 1 Endorsement: www.cleveland.com/opinion/2023/07/disgusting-issue-1-surrender-by-tiny-board-minority-at-ohi...
- Cost of the August 8th Special Election: https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2023/06/09/local-boards-of-election-stressed-by-lack-of-funding-in-st...
- Ohio voter ID requirements from ACLU Ohio: www.acluohio.org/en/how-vote-ohio
- An introduction to Christian Anti-Intellectualism: www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/the-wasting-of-the-evangelical-mind
- Faith Choice Ohio's Religion & Repro Training: www.faithchoiceohio.org/religion-and-repro-training
Music by Korbin Jones
Thursday Jun 29, 2023
Thursday Jun 29, 2023
Faith Organizers Kelley Fox and Rev. Terry Williams reflect on a year of wildness since the catastrophic Dobbs decision that destroyed the federal law protections of Roe v. Wade. Focusing on the continuing legal limbo experienced by anyone seeking abortion care in Ohio, Kelley and Terry draw attention to the large number of states that now outright ban abortion and address what life has been like in a destination state over the last year since Dobbs. They also share plenty of spicy takes on Ohio’s internal political hellscape, as well as a healthy dose of spirit-lifting pragmatism and unwavering faith in abortion seekers in the Buckeye state.
Links to discussed content:
- This Far by Faith: One Year After Roe: www.faithchoiceohio.org/blog/this-far-by-faith-one-year-after-roe
- A Faith-Rooted Response to the Dobbs Anti-Versary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CcAGyJlb9Hg
- Grounding Practices for the Journey (July 5th via Zoom): https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAvduCsrT0iH9TnLEYNnVu3blwvWZUFf7DO#/registration
- August 8th Special Election: What You Need to Know: https://votenoinaugust.org/vote/
- Restorative & Transformative Justice Book Club: https://www.faithchoiceohio.org/blog/building-safe-and-sustainable-communities-one-book-and-practice-at-a-time
- Reproductive Justice Book Club: https://www.faithchoiceohio.org/blog/reproductive-justice-book-club-preparing-for-the-struggles-ahead
Music by Korbin Jones
Friday Jun 02, 2023
Friday Jun 02, 2023
Faith Organizer Terry Williams talks with Dr. Lauren Beene — executive director of Ohio Physicians for Reproductive Rights — about her whirlwind journey to joining the repro movement, encountering economic disparities in her pediatric practice, and why every day Ohioans like her are showing up for democracy building & reproductive freedom like never before.
Links to discussed content:
- Protect Choice Ohio: https://protectchoiceohio.com/join-us-ohio?utm_source=search&utm_medium=ohio&gclid=CjwKCAjwg-GjBhBnE...
- Ballot Initiative Text: https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/23686428/abortion-amendment-summary-and-text.pdf
- August 8th Special Election: www.npr.org/2023/05/25/1177921697/ohio-august-special-election-constitution-abortion-amendment
- Vote No In August (nonpartisan campaign): https://votenoinaugust.org/
- 'It Destroys Democracy': www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/may/23/ohio-abortion-rights-republican-ballot-super-majority
Music by Korbin Jones