In today’s hostile political environment, our democracy and freedom continue to be under unprecedented threat. Politicians are waging a relentless attack on our basic rights and freedoms—while ignoring the will of the people. This is especially true for reproductive rights in Louisiana. However, we can not let them lead us down a path of despair and apathy. This only does more harm than good. Hope and the understanding of collective liberation is the only path that will push us forward from here. 

Planned Parenthood has stood strong for 40 years in Louisiana, providing essential reproductive health care, education, and advocacy. But our work cannot be done in isolation. This moment is a call to action for everyone who believes in the importance of reproductive freedom: We need you.

Whether you’re new to this fight or have been with us for years, your role in this movement is essential. Many people wonder what advocacy looks like or how they can make a difference when the future feels uncertain. At Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast, we believe that real change begins here in our communities. Grassroots efforts have the power to win hearts, change minds, and shift policies—but this will not happen overnight. This work is long and hard, requiring an unshakeable belief in what is possible and worth fighting for.

Advocacy goes beyond rallies and marches—it’s about standing up for your community and holding your leaders accountable. State politicians continue to wage relentless attacks on our basic rights, including access to essential health care, all in a desperate attempt to cling to power by controlling our bodies, lives, and futures. These assaults don’t stop at abortion, as we saw last session when the legislature restricted routine pregnancy care by reclassifying lifesaving medications as dangerous controlled substances. 

And the attacks don’t stop at our reproductive rights: They are part of a larger strategy that includes restricting voting, denying health care, and neglecting racial and economic justice. By dismantling essential services, these leaders are further oppressing marginalized communities and failing to represent the people they’re supposed to serve.

As the next legislative session approaches, the urgency of our work grows. Advocacy means showing up, especially when it’s difficult and the odds feel stacked against us. This is how we remind our leaders that this government is supposed to work for us and reflect our values—and we’re not going anywhere. 

But showing up doesn’t just mean being at the Capitol (though we invite you to join us there!). Advocacy takes many forms and we encourage you to join us. Whether you join us as a Community Health Ambassador, attend local events like sex ed trivia or storytelling speakouts, engage with the history of this movement, or speak up for reproductive freedom, every action sends a clear message: Louisiana’s people demand a government that protects our rights and serves all of us. Like most Americans, most Louisianans support abortion access, and our movement is only growing. 

Beyond these organized efforts, engaging in everyday conversations about reproductive health is also an essential form of advocacy. By speaking openly about our personal experiences and the ways these restrictive laws directly harm us, we dismantle the stigma around reproductive health care – stigma that softened the ground for these cruel and dangerous policies to take root in the first place. 

By sharing our stories and voicing our truths, we put a human face to the real consequences of these laws, transforming abstract political debates into urgent realities. By revealing the pain, barriers, and dangers we have endured at the hands of anti-abortion lawmakers, we challenge the narrative that reproductive rights are mere talking points and expose the life-or-death stakes that demand our collective action. 

And in these moments, we find strength and solidarity, reminding one another that we are not alone. We must turn toward each other, build understanding, and communicate with honesty to overcome the harmful stereotypes and misinformation that only serve to divide us. Share your story with us and help amplify the collective voices fighting for reproductive freedom—because together, our truths have the power to inspire change. 

Just like the end of Roe v. Wade was not the end of Planned Parenthood, neither is this moment the end of our enduring fight for reproductive freedom in Louisiana. We are still here—our doors are open. We will continue to show up with and for this community, working toward a future where every person in this state can access the care and information they need to thrive, and where our personal medical decisions belong to us alone.

Your role in this movement matters, and it could begin with speaking your truth. There is a place for everyone. Whether you choose to volunteer, host educational sessions, advocate at the Capitol, or simply initiate crucial conversations, your contributions build a stronger, better informed, and more engaged community essential to achieving the change and progress we envision.

Let’s turn uncertainty into action and apathy into advocacy. None of us have to sustain this fight alone – nor could we. Join us: Get involved, stay informed, and help us realize the future we all deserve, where reproductive freedom is not just a hope, but a reality.