SF: Now Officially Pro-Choice and Proud

January 11 -
For Immediate Release

Contact: Tomás Lee (415) 554-5144
When: Tuesday, January 11, 2005 at 12:00 PM
Where: City Hall Polk Street Steps

San Francisco Supervisors Announce Official City Policy:
San Francisco is Pro-Choice and Proud
Ammiano sponsors resolution supporting local Pro-Choice community
Urges legal authorities to defend women’s rights under attack

SAN FRANCISCO – On Tuesday, January 11 at 12 PM, veteran San Francisco Supervisor Tom Ammiano will gather on the steps of City Hall with Supervisors Alioto-Pier, Maxwell, Dufty, Peskin, Daly, Planned Parenthood Golden Gate, NARAL Pro-Choice California, and other women’s rights, healthcare access, and social justice advocates to commemorate the 32nd anniversary of Roe v. Wade, and designate January 22, 2005 as "Stand Up For Choice Day" in honor of a woman’s right to choose. Ammiano introduced legislation last Tuesday celebrating the landmark 1973 US Supreme Court decision that honors women’s reproductive freedom.

Ammiano’s resolution will also declare official support for the San Francisco Bay Area Pro-Choice community’s planned rally and celebration on January 22, which will be recognized as "Stand Up For Choice Day". The rally and commemoration celebration, which will begin at Powell and Market Streets at 10:00 AM, is timely given the conservative political atmosphere nationally and a planned anti-choice counter demonstration on the same day.

Anti-choice demonstrators plan to descend on San Francisco to protest women’s health and rights with a so-called "walk for life." Anti-choice hardliners plan to demonstrate against comprehensive, medically accurate sex education, birth control services, and the right to choose. Anti-choice marchers include radical groups such as Operation Rescue, which have a history of violence and harassment of medical clinics.

"Thirty-two years after the Roe v. Wade decision, we have an anti-choice President and an anti-choice majority in both houses of Congress," said Supervisor Tom Ammiano. "The assaults on women’s health and rights are constant. The anti-choice climate in our nation’s capitol has emboldened the minority of anti-choice Americans to a point where they think can come to our fair city and demonstrate against basic human rights. We felt it was vital that San Francisco be on the record in support of reproductive freedom."

San Francisco has a long record of supporting women’s rights and last year became the only municipality to take a stand against the unconstitutional abortion ban passed by Congress and signed into law by President Bush. The city of San Francisco joined Planned Parenthood’s suit, Planned Parenthood v. Ashcroft, and the law was ruled unconstitutional on June 1, 2004.

"We are pleased to see San Francisco taking a stand once again to support women and their families," said Planned Parenthood Golden Gate President and CEO Dian Harrison. "Reproductive freedom includes the right to comprehensive and accurate sex education, access to healthcare and birth control services, and the right for women to decide what is best for themselves and their families based on individual circumstances. Thank you San Francisco, for being a loud and clear voice for choice."

Michaela Alioto-Pier, Supervisor for District 2 and a co-sponsor of the legislation, said, ""Living in the Bay Area, we don't realize how national trends can potentially threaten the substantive gains that women have fought hard for the last three decades. I am urging all women to come out to the rally to stand up for choice."

"I am joined by San Franciscans in believing in freedom and basic human rights. We have the right to education, to live in peace, to be in control of our own bodies. This is what San Francisco stands for," added Supervisor Sophie Maxwell, Supervisor for District 10.

San Francisco is the most pro-choice city in the nation, " said District 8 Supervisor Bevan Dufty. "We proudly support reproductive freedom and have established an official city policy to urge legal authorities to defend women’s right to decide freely and responsibly whether and when they want to have children. These outsiders who oppose women’s right to participate fully in our society are not welcome in San Francisco."

District 6 Supervisor Chris Daly said, "Any attack on women’s rights is an attack on civil rights. Progressives need to come out in force and adamantly declare that San Francisco will steadfastly remain a city that supports and defends women’s reproductive freedom."

The press conference will be held on Tuesday, January 11 at 12:00 PM on the Polk Street steps of City Hall. The resolution will be voted on for passage at the Board of Supervisors’ meeting at 2:00 PM at City Hall in the Main Chambers on the second floor. In case of rain, the press conference will be moved inside and be held in the South Light Court.