Beyond Roe v. Wade: Conversations with Gender Justice

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Conversations with Gender Justice brings together legal experts and community advocates for in-depth discussions of topics related to reproductive justice, body autonomy, and gender equity. CLE credit is available for this event.

Join us on Wednesday, Nov. 10 from 12 p.m. until 2:45 p.m. as we dive deep into two urgent threats to reproductive justice and autonomy: the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to hear Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, and the dangers posed by the evolving legal doctrine of “religious exemptions” to anti-discrimination law.

This virtual event will include two sessions:

• In the first session, we will unpack what’s at stake in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health, a lawsuit challenging an unconstitutional 15-week abortion ban in Mississippi. 
• In the second session, we will delve into the evolving legal doctrine of religious exemptions and explain the threats this new doctrine presents to our other constitutional rights, including our right to access abortion and contraception, gender-affirming care, and other vital services. 

Full session descriptions are below.

Lawyers, community advocates, faith leaders, and everyone invested in the interconnected fights for abortion and contraception access, LGB rights, transgender rights, and freedom from religious dogma are welcome at this event. Q&A will follow each session.
Tickets are available on a sliding scale. See details below.

Ticket Prices

Attending for CLE credit

• Corporate: $150
• Independent: $90
• Gov/Nonprofit: $50

Not Attending for CLE credit

• Full cost: $50
• Subsidized/Student: $25
• COVID/Justice impacted: $5

Session One: 12:00 p.m. – 1:15

Dobbs v. Jackson and the Future of the Abortion Movement

On December 2, 2021, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, a case that many abortion advocates and legal analysts expect will determine the future of Roe v. Wade and the future of our federal right to abortion.

At issue in Dobbs v. Jackson is an unconstitutional Mississippi law that bans abortion after 15 weeks. The law is a clear violation of nearly fifty years of legal precedent established by Roe v. Wade, which prohibits states from banning abortion prior to viability. Dobbs will be the first time the Supreme Court has ruled on the constitutionality of a pre-viability abortion ban since Roe.

In our first session, we will unpack the stakes of Dobbs v. Jackson, and they’ll explain why it’s so important to have robust legal protections and advocacy in and out of the courtroom at the state level. They’ll also provide a strategic blueprint for protecting, and even expanding, access to abortion at the state level.

Session Two: 1:30 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.

“Religious Exemptions” and Non-Discrimination Law

The legal doctrines on religious freedom in the United States are evolving in ways that should frighten anyone invested in the fight for body autonomy and gender equity. 

From to contraception and abortion access, to gender affirming care, to anti-vaxxers and anti-maskers — the legal doctrine of “religious exemption” has become a cornerstone of right wing politics, and it is increasingly accepted by the courts as a justification for attempts to evade anti-discrimination law.

In our second session, we will delve into cases where anti-discrimination law is being undermined by the evolving doctrine of religious exemption, and they will discuss strategies for countering these claims and protecting individuals and communities who’re subject to increased discrimination under this doctrine, including pregnant people and LGBTQ+ people.

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