VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — Freeda, the traveling 20-foot-tall inflatable intrauterine device, soaked up the sun on Tuesday at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront.
The famous IUD from Americans for Contraception was up at 24th Street Park from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
“Americans for Contraception is using her as a tool to educate the public about the importance of protecting the right to contraception, as well as current threats to contraception,” said Katie Baker with Americans for Contraception. “First off, we want anyone who doesn’t know what an IUD looks like, especially any male legislators who voted against the bill to know that this is an IUD. And we really want people to know that their right to contraception is under threat. This is something that we’ve taken for granted for years.”
It has been making the rounds nationwide, from outside Union Station in D.C. to the Florida statehouse in Tallahassee, to advocate for protecting the right to contraception.
Julie O’Brien stopped by 24th Street to read the signs, which read ‘First, they came for abortion. Then IVF. Now contraception.’
“It affects me deeply because I have an IUD, not as big as that one, but I love my IUD and I want to be able to continue to get another one,” O’Brien said. “If I decide to have children, I want my future daughters to be able to have access to getting an IUD.”
While contraception is currently protected by two landmark Supreme Court decisions in Griswold v. Connecticut and Eisenstadt v. Baird, the group and others fear that the Supreme Court could move to end protections like they did with Roe. v. Wade. Justice Clarence Thomas has said the court should “reconsider“ past rulings codifying rights to contraception access, same-sex relationships and same-sex marriage.
“I think it illustrates clearly that extreme politicians are trying to prevent people to having the freedom to make their own decisions with their own bodies as the time and place, then, when they choose to have families,” said Maurice Hawkins. “The fact that we have extreme politicians trying to block them, the vast majority of Americans who want to have access to contraception, is extremely problematic.”
Americans for Contraception pointed to Senate Republicans recently blocking a bill that would have protected access to contraception at the federal level, and Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin vetoing a similar measure, co-patroned by Del. Marcia “Cia” Price (D-Newport News), at the state level. Youngkin said he vetoed the bill because of concerns about the religious freedom of medical providers, and he said birth control access already is protected at the national level.
“Let me be crystal clear: I support access to contraception,” Youngkin said in a statement released by his office the night of the veto. “However, we cannot trample on the religious freedoms of Virginians.”
Price shared her reaction to the veto statement from the governor.
“Unfortunately, the governor’s statement is absolutely misleading,” Price said. “There are already protections on the federal level for those that have religious objections. This had nothing to do that with that. Of course, federal law would supersede any of the state and local ordinances. The governor’s statement was not accurate, but it’s not the first time that the governor’s veto statements are not accurate and trying to play both sides of an issue.”
Price plans to reintroduce the bill.
“We absolutely are introducing the bill again,” Price said. “We are very hopeful that any miscommunication, misunderstanding, false narratives will be able to be overcome. Next year, not only do we plan to pass the bill again through the House and the Senate, but hopefully next year the governor will do the right thing and sign it to protect Virginians.”
So where in the world is Freeda heading next? She’ll set up just up Interstate 64 in Richmond Wednesday.