July 12, 2023 1001 PM
MARFA — A year after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, ending the federally-protected right to an abortion, local teenager Louise Culbertson is planning a march for reproductive rights to take place this month. At a Marfa City Council meeting this week, council members and the chief of police greenlit the assistance of intermittent traffic control from officers for the event.
Culbertson held a similar event last year, in collaboration with the Big Bend Reproductive Coalition (BBRC), and said the need to speak out against increased governmental control over reproductive health remained.
“I think even though it has been a year since Roe v. Wade was overturned, it’s still important to keep on marching, keep on acting, because this hasn’t gone away yet,” said Culbertson. “And I’m not going to stop until it does go away.”
Over the past year, abortion issues have continued to make headlines in the state of Texas as the effects of changing laws — including a trigger law banning nearly all abortions with few exceptions — reverberate. BBRC has held fundraisers, distributed contraception, and plans to launch a program to help provide financial support for women seeking abortions to travel out of state.
This month’s demonstration, which Culbertson refers to as a “post-Roe action” march, will take place from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Monday, July 24, beginning with speeches at The Sentinel coffee shop and concluding with a peaceful march to the Presidio County Courthouse. Last year’s event saw around 75 attendees.
The speaking program will include Culbertson, Marfa resident Calletana Vargas and potentially a member of the BBRC, said Culbertson, who is encouraging local residents to show up for the event and make protest signs.
“I think it’s important because we don’t have many protests here and much activism. It’s good to get people out, remind them that they can make a difference with [their] actions other than voting,” said Culbertson.
Culbertson’s Marfa march is one of five she is organizing across the state in late July, with others taking place in Houston, Austin, Dallas and El Paso.
For more information, follow @act_for_your_rights on Instagram
