Reproductive Rights News Roundup – February 7th 2025

We are less than one month from the start of Florida’s Legislative Session which means soon, we’ll have weekly calls to action and rapid response. This year, help us ensure our lawmakers know where Floridians stand on the issues that impact our day-to-day lives.

We have a responsibility to advocate for people-centered policies, provide community support, and destigmatize reproductive health care through education and storytelling. Let’s get to it!

The Pride Flag Ban Bill (SB 200 / HB 75) bans public buildings from displaying any flag that represents a “political viewpoint,” and the sponsors have expressly stated they want to ban Pride flags, defining “political viewpoint” to include “sexual orientation and gender.” Born largely from far-right activists protesting LGBTQ pride flags on government buildings, it attacks visibility in public spaces and classrooms for all minority groups.

Click here to contact members of the Senate Governmental Oversight & Accountability Committee and ask them to OPPOSE this bill on Tuesday, 2/11.

Events & Volunteer Opportunities

Luvers & Friends Info Sessionw/Florida Access Network
Sunday, February 9th at 12:00pm-1:30pm EST
Orlando, FL
Click here to register.

Community Townhall on Transgender Rights
Monday, February 10th 7:00pm EST
Click here to register for the Zoom.

Protect the People Clinicw/Florida Immigrant Coalition
Wednesday, February 12th, 3:00pm-5:00pm EST
Register for the clinic here.

Naples 50th Anniversary Celebration Fundraiser for Planned Parenthood
Thursday, February 13th at 5:30pm EST
Naples Grande Beach Resort
Featuring comedian and writer Samantha Bee!
RSVP for the fundraiser here.

Black Organizing Program Virtual Volunteer Meeting w/Planned Parenthood
Thursday, February 13th 6:30pm-7:30pm EST
Click here to register for the Zoom.

Repro Shabbat w/National Council of Jewish Women
February 21-22nd
Learn more here.

Commference for Progressive Communications & Digital Professionals
May 13th-15th, St. Louis Missouri
Early bird registration is now open through 2/19.

Pride at the Capitol w/Equality Florida
March 18th-19th
Register here for this important opportunity.

Let Us Live March
Thursday, March 20th beginning around 8:00am
Click here to register.

Be a partner for upcoming Black Maternal Health Week.
April 11th-17th
Click here for the partner packet on how to support the Central Florida Birth Network.

News Roundup

Florida

Reproductive Freedom for All: Pam Bondi’s Confirmation is a ‘Slippery Slope’ to Blocking Abortion Nationwide
Press Release
Reproductive Freedom for All
Today, Pam Bondi was confirmed as Trump’s attorney general. Bondi has a proven track record of supporting harmful, burdensome, and unnecessary barriers to abortion care.

DeSantis administration launches state-supported pregnancy website
By Christine Sexton
Florida Phoenix
The DeSantis administration on Tuesday unveiled a pregnancy website that officials said provides “additional wraparound support for life.”

Legislative Session Preview: Tina Polsky targets abortion safety, guns, protecting medical cannabis users
By Jesse Scheckner
Florida Politics
Boca Raton Democratic Sen. Tina Polsky already has a fleet of bills filed for the coming Legislative Session.

Will HB 63 be enough for women in Florida?
By Cynthia Frage
The FAMUAN
As Florida grapples with contentious debates over reproductive rights, a new piece of legislation, HB 63, stands at the intersection of pregnancy support and political ideology.

Duval County Public Schools considering changing policy for school sex ed curriculum
Staff Report
Action News Jax
The Duval County School Board is going over a district policy change for how sexual education is taught in the classroom, specifically focusing on teaching abstinence from sex.

National

Searches for ‘abortion’ on CDC website prompt suggestion to look up ‘adoption’
By Alejandra O’Connell-Domenech
The Hill
Users who search for abortion information on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) website are now directed to try searching for the word “adoption.”

There’s A Hidden Significance In RFK Jr.’s Promise On Medication Abortion
By Jonathan Cohn
HuffPost
A statement that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. made last week suggests that he and the Trump administration are approaching a key decision about abortion in ways that would downplay scientific evidence, test the limits of the law and ― just maybe ― provoke a successful court challenge.

Meta accused of ‘bowing’ to Trump by making abortion content harder to find
By Jessica Glenza
The Guardian
Senator Ruben Gallego has accused social media giant Meta of “presumptively bowing” to the Trump administration by making abortion-related content more difficult to find.

Racial gap widened in deaths among US moms around the time of childbirth
By Mike Stobbe
Associated Press
Black women in the U.S. died at a rate nearly 3.5 times higher than white women around the time of childbirth in 2023, as maternal mortality fell below prepandemic levels overall but racial gaps widened, according to federal health data released Wednesday.

Conservatives want to increase birth rates. These moms are terrified to have more kids.
By Kelcie Moseley-Morris
States Newsroom
Clare Barkley of Ohio always pictured having a second baby. But watching the erosion of reproductive rights and fights over public education and health care, she said the world feels like it’s in upheaval and isn’t sure she wants to roll the dice.

Louisiana mother, New York doctor indicted for allegedly giving minor abortion pills
By Lorena O’Neil
States Newsroom
A Baton Rouge-area grand jury indicted a New York doctor and a Louisiana mother Friday on felony charges for allegedly providing an illegal abortion with drugs obtained through the mail.

Job Openings

Planned Parenthood is hiring a Tampa Bay Organizer.
$26-27/hour
Learn more here.

Equality Florida is hiring multiple paid fellow positions for Spring.
Learn more here.

Power to Decide is hiring a Director of Research and Evaluation ($108,800-$125,300/year).
Learn more here.

Men4Choice is hiring for their spring fellowship.
Deadline is today, 2/7!

The Global Justice Center is hiring for their Spring & Summer Legal Internship.
18 hours/week, stipend offered for living costs.
Learn more here.