Summary
In this episode, our hosts talk with a global leader on women’s reproductive issues, Dr. Jeanne Conry, OB-GYN. She has worked nationally and internationally to secure reproductive health rights and talks about what we’ve lost since the Dobbs decision and how physicians can stand up for their patients.
Then the hosts recap eight activist organizations that we’ve had on the show. Each of these organizations has tools and ways you can get involved in the midterm elections, even though we have just under two weeks to go!
All episodes begin and end with the 2017 single “Rise” by rock group Betty (www.hellobetty.com)
All episodes are produced by Amy Yoder (www.alyoder.com)
Additional support provided by Cary and Logan at Broussard Global.
There is no evidence that abortion rates are lowered when abortion access is restricted.
Dr. Jeanne Conry
The Hosts Start by Sharing What They’re Pissed About
Betty is pissed about Mike Pence’s tweet a few days ago. It reads, “I’ve got news for President Biden. Come January 22nd, we will have Pro-Life majorities in the House and Senate and we’ll be taking the cause of the right to Life to every state house in America!” It’s up to all of us to get pissed and then get moving to the voting booth so that we can prove to Mike Pence that a pro-life majority in the House and Senate is not the will of the people.
Gloria is pissed about the media coverage surrounding the election and what issues are really important to the voters. She also quotes a tweet, but she lifts up Soledad O’Brien as someone to follow, since she frequently calls out major media outlets like the New York Times for their coverage of the midterm elections. Follow Soledad on Twitter.
Sherrye is pissed off about Marjorie Taylor Green, where she talked about the 2015 Supreme Court decision making gay marriage legal in all 50 states. Green thinks – rightly so – that the Supreme Court is positioned to overturn the Obergefell court case that granted same-sex couples the right to marry in every state. However, instead of being pissed (like we are!), Green wants the Supreme Court to overturn this historic ruling, since she believes only in heterosexual marriage. Support Marcus Flowers in the midterm elections to vote MTG out of office on Nov. 8.
Carol is pissed that the Democrats are just now beginning to invest major money in the down-ballot races, particularly at the state legislature level. She welcomes them to the real playing field – finally.
Dr. Jeanne Conry on What We’ve Lost
Dr. Conry says the landscape in America is dismal because we have taken away women’s right to choose. She sees the two sides of this are pro-choice and anti-choice, rather than the common moniker of pro-life. The opposition is not at all pro-life. They’re about taking away choice.
An abortion procedure is the same no matter what somebody’s desire or personal situation is. That means that someone who wants to end a pregnancy and someone who has a nonviable pregnancy that causes medical need to evacuate a fetus receive the same medical treatment. This is causing issues around the politics around what is called an “abortion.” As legislatures outlaw and ban abortion procedures, the doctor and the patients are losing their right to talk through all of their options because lawmakers who don’t understand the science have decided they know better than trained medical professionals.
A Global Perspective
With her work on the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Dr. Conry has seen that poor and rural women are more likely to turn to unsafe abortion – whether that is in Uganda, Bangladesh, or Alabama or Mississippi.
The United States is not a leader in women’s rights and women’s health. Dr. Conry mentions the Panama Declaration, which secures reproductive rights across Latin America. The United States needs to follow their lead. The only way we can get to that place is by ensuring pro-choice candidates get into office at every level of the ballot. They’ll not only vote on critical pieces of legislation, but pro-choice candidates will appoint other pro-choice leaders in those appointed positions, which are critical to protecting the right to choice. Find NARAL’s pro-choice candidates here.
How Doctors Need to Respond
Dr. Conry calls for OB-GYNs across the nation to feel empowered to step out of the clinical setting and get more involved in the politics in their area. This doesn’t necessarily look like running for office (although Tennessee does have a physician on the ballot), but they do need to work with local and national political groups. Lawmakers have decided they can come into medical clinics and impose their will. Physicians need to step out of their clinics and get involved in politics to protect their patients.
The Hosts Discuss Activist Organizations from Past Episodes
| Organization Name | Episode # | Description | Key Websites | Social Media |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The National Democratic Redistricting Committee | Episode 8 | The NDRC will play a major role in protecting American democracy by launching an extensive electoral program in 17 states to defend the state and relevant local level offices that are crucial to protecting and strengthening our democracy. | democraticredistricting.com | Twitter |
| Chop Wood, Carry Water | Episode 15 | This weekday newsletter gives you easy, effective political actions to take to stave off despair, effect positive change and elect more progressives! | chopwoodcarrywaterdailyactions.substack.com | Chop Wood Twitter Jessica Craven Twitter |
| NARAL Pro Choice America | Episode 2 | The 4 million members of NARAL Pro-Choice America fight for reproductive freedom for every body. Each day, we organize and mobilize to protect that freedom by fighting for access to abortion care, birth control, paid parental leave, and protections from pregnancy discrimination. | prochoiceamerica.org Our partner link | Twitter |
| Emerge America | Episode 12 | Emerge is changing the face of politics to create an inclusive democracy. We are the nation’s premier organization that recruits, trains and provides a powerful network to Democratic women who want to run for office. | emergeamerica.org | Twitter |
| The States Project | Episode 21 | We’re fueling majority-making campaigns for state lawmakers who will defend our democracy and improve lives. | statesproject.org Find your state legislators | Twitter |
| Planned Parenthood Action Fund | Episode 23 | We’ll connect you with what you need to help stop bad laws and protect access to abortion. You can choose how you want to help, whenever you have time. There’s no experience necessary. | www.plannedparenthoodaction.org | Twitter |
| Higher Heights | Episode 6 | Higher Heights for America PAC is the only political action committee exclusively dedicated to electing more progressive Black women at the federal and statewide levels and as mayors in the 100 most populated U.S. cities. With the support of our rapidly growing network of members, activists, volunteers and supporters, Higher Heights PAC has helped Black women grow their political leadership and representation. | www.higherheightsforamericapac.org #BlackWomenRun Database | Twitter |
| The ERA Coalition | Episode 11 | Our goal is to amend the Constitution to ensure that one cannot be discriminated against because of one’s sex. The ERA Coalition is comprised of some 250 national and local partner and supporter organizations across the country representing millions of advocates working for the equality of all. We strategize with states seeking ratification. We work with legislators on the amendment and other ERA bills. We’ve provided groundbreaking research. Our team of legal scholars has examined the next steps to a fully realized Equal Rights Amendment. | www.eracoalition.org Elect Equality Tool | Twitter |
For background on the ERA, listen to Episode 1 with Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney. For an update on the legal standing of the ERA, listen to Episode 20 with attorney Linda Coberly.
Dr. Jeanne Conry
Dr. Jeanne Conry is president of the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO), an organization that was founded in Geneva, Switzerland in 1954 and now represents 130 organizations globally. She is also president and CEO of the Environmental Health Leadership Foundation.
Jeanne Conry, MD, PhD was the 64th President of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, a membership organization representing over 57,000 practicing obstetricians and gynecologists.
She has led guideline development and national policy on the important role of Reproductive Health and the Environment. She is leading the Women’s Preventive Services Initiative, a national collaboration to define and implement optimum women’s health services across their lifespan.
She has led efforts on Quality and Safety in Maternity Care through improved standards and responses in high risk obstetrics. For twenty-eight years, Dr. Conry was a practicing obstetrician gynecologist at Kaiser Permanente, the largest health maintenance organization in the United States.
She served in a leadership capacity as the Assistant Physician-in-Chief for Kaiser Permanente’s Sacramento Roseville region. She developed the Women and Children’s Center, the largest obstetric delivery service in KP.
Dr. Conry earned her medical degree from the University of California, Davis, where she also completed her residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology. She served as an Associate Clinical Professor at the University of California, Davis. She earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree in biology from the University of Colorado.