Today is the 40th anniversary of the Supreme Court’s 7-2 decision in favor of Roe, in the important abortion case versus Wade.
Two days ago, Rev. Debra Haffner — community minister with Westport’s Unitarian Church, and president and CEO of the Westport-based Religious Institute (a national multifaith organization advocating for sexual health, education and justice) –celebrated the event.
Rev. Debra Haffner
She led the litany at a special service at Washington’s First Congregational United Church of Christ. Attendees included elected officials and their staffs who have worked tirelessly in the area of abortion rights. The sponsor was the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice. Organizations represented included Catholics for Choice, and the National Latino Roundtable.
“We held these men and women in our prayers for their courageous support of reproductive justice,” Rev. Haffner said.
She called abortion “a moral decision that should be left to a woman, her family, her doctor and her faith.”
Rev. Haffner said the service was “beautiful. There was wonderful music, plenty of enthusiasm, a rabbi and several Christian ministers.”
One highlight: an award given to an African-American doctor. For years, he was the only abortion provider in the state of Mississippi.
But, Rev. Haffner says, the battle for reproductive rights is not yet over.
“I was 18 — a freshman at Wesleyan — when I learned that Roe v. Wade had been decided.
“I’m now 58, and post-menopausal. I never could have imagined that we’d still be fighting this fight.”
