Reproductive Justice

Group of people in yellow Side With Love tshirts standing outside and holding signs in support of abortion access

Members of Texas Unitarian Universalist Justice Ministry witnessing in Houston, TX in support of abortion access. Photo by Mary Koch, 2022. Used with permission

Every person has the sacred right to live fully in their body.

Across the country, extremist policies are attempting to control our bodies, restrict healthcare, and deny people the freedom to live authentically. These attacks target reproductive freedom, gender identity, and bodily autonomy as part of a coordinated effort to roll back fundamental rights, and they are all connected.

We affirm that every person has the moral agency and sacred right to make decisions about their own body, health, and family. Reproductive justice is about far more than any single right; it is about creating the conditions for all people to thrive. It is deeply interconnected with racial, economic, gender, and disability justice. Guided by the leadership of women of color and frontline movements, we understand that true freedom requires the power and resources to raise children, not have children, and parent in safe and sustainable communities.

Side With Love organizes alongside partners and communities to defend reproductive justice, affirm transgender and nonbinary lives, and ensure that everyone has access to the care and resources they need to thrive.

Our vision is a world where all bodies are sacred, every person can live openly and safely, and communities are grounded in care, dignity, and freedom.

Reproductive justice is part of the UUA’s Bodily Autonomy work which includes LGBTQIA+ and disability justice.

Learn

Webinars & Trainings

Toolkits & Guides

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Statements & Sign Ons

  • UUA Statements on reproductive justice
  • Know our History: Unitarian Universalists have a long history of advocating for abortion rights and reproductive justice. Read UUA social justice statements about Reproductive Justice and historic statements about abortion, including the 2015 UUA Statement of Conscience declaring that Unitarian Universalists embrace a holistic Reproductive Justice framework and commit to taking action for abortion access, reproductive healthcare, and communities where all people can thrive.
  • Our Whole Lives (OWL): Since 1970 we have advocated for and provided age-appropriate, medically accurate, comprehensive sexuality education. Developed in collaboration with the United Church of Christ, Our Whole Lives (OWL) is a series of curricula for every life stage and is considered the gold standard for comprehensive sexuality education grounded in progressive values.

Spiritual Nourishment

Take Action

  • Congregational Reproductive Justice Guide: This guide was created by Side With Love staff in the summer of 2022 as a resource for congregations that are discerning their role in the Reproductive Justice movement, especially in light of the recent Supreme Court decision inDobbs v. Jackson, which eliminated federal protections for abortion in the US. The guide was created to accompany and supplement a three-part online webinar series for Unitarian Universalist congregational teams, with the intent of sharing the document widely with congregations and spiritual communities of other faith traditions.
  • Take Action through Side With Love’s Action Center: Advocate for policy change on the local and federal levels to expand access to reproductive health care, and ensure that people are able to make choices about their bodies, their health, and their families in the context of well-resourced, safe, thriving communities at Side With Love’s Action Center.
  • Develop Partnerships with Reproductive Justice Organizations: Effective justice ministry depends on partnership. UU partners for reproductive justice work, beyond the Unitarian Universalist Association, include UU State Action Networks, the UU Women’s Federation, and the UU Global AIDS Coalition. UUs also join multifaith partnerships, such as with the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, and secular partners such as the National Network of Abortion Funds, SACReD, and SisterSong.