Protecting the reproductive freedom and civil rights of Vermonters has always been central to the ACLU of Vermont’s work. In 1970, three years after its founding, the ACLU joined a legal challenge to overturn a Vermont law that prohibited abortions. In 1982, we helped defeat parental notification legislation, and four years later, we won a ruling that Vermont’s refusal to pay for medically necessary abortions as part of Medicaid violated the state Constitution.
Abortion is one of the most common medical procedures performed today, and it’s incredibly safe. But laws that make it difficult if not impossible for a person to get an abortion if they need one, particularly if they are poor, are increasing at an alarming pace. Since 2011, states have enacted more restrictions to abortion than they did in the previous 10 years combined. Extremist politicians continue to work to shut down reproductive health centers, cut off access to affordable birth control, and shame people who have abortions.
Through litigation, advocacy, and public education, the ACLU strives to ensure that every person has the opportunity to make their own reproductive decisions and to get the care they need. Our work focuses on a range of issues, including protecting access to affordable contraception, protecting a person's ability to make personal, private decisions about pregnancy and abortion, and fighting pregnancy discrimination. With your help, the ACLU stands ready to block efforts to take this decision away from Vermont families.
In November 2022, Vermont voters will have the chance to enshrine reproductive liberty in our state constitution by voting yes on the Reproductive Liberry Amendment. Learn more here.
