There were so many signs at the abortion rights rally downtown recently that impacted me. The energy that was in that space, fighting for ourselves, fighting for other women, fighting for those with a uterus, felt contagious. This energy was angry; it was brave; it was courageous; it was communal. I shot these images on my KS Super II, with New Classic EZ400 film. Black and white film at rallies and marches and protests just feels right. There’s so much history there.

As someone who grew up Christian, I identified as pro-life until I got into my 20’s. But that identity wasn’t necessarily mine. It was the viewpoint of my religion. It was taught to me in a way that made my heart ache. It was a political agenda.

I see that so clearly now with where I am in life. These bans on abortion do not honor life in the slightest. What about those that are living in poverty, in a racist and homophobic culture? What about the rights of those with uteruses that are violated when they are raped? What about the rights of humans to medically accurate sex education and pregnancy prevention education? But by all means, force someone to have a child and then abandon them the moment they give birth.