NLGC Statement on Leaked Draft SCOTUS Opinion

The National Lavender Green Caucus unequivocally denounces this assault on the bodily autonomy of those who can become pregnant. The leaked draft US Supreme Court opinion first circulated by Politico (https://www.politico.com/news/2022/05/02/supreme-court-abortion-draft-opinion-00029473), if finalized, would throw out nearly five decades of protection for an individual’s right to a safe and legal abortion. The draft decision also makes it abundantly clear that the conservative majority on our nation’s highest court is setting up future challenges to LGBTQIA+ rights.

Justice Alito’s reasoning for overturning Roe v. Wade could be applied to existing case law in cases such as Obergefell v. Hodges (marriage equality), Lawrence v. Texas (sexual equality) and even Loving v. Virginia (interracial marriage). While the opinion attempts to dismiss these concerns, those statements ring hollow. Put simply, this decision sets the stage for the eventual erosion of the fundamental protections that queer people have been fighting for in the country for generations. Time and time again we see the people in power in both the big parties using our bodies, our safety, and our pleas for justice as rallying cries for votes and donations, only to abandon us once elected.

The duopoly has failed us.

It is beyond clear that in this pivotal moment we cannot stand idly by. Only when we we fill the streets and raise our collective voice to demand our fundamental rights will the people in power listen. We call on our elected officials to immediately enshrine the right to a safe and legal abortion in law. We demand that our right to privacy be protected.

We stand united against this brazen abuse of political power.

 August 2020 News

Our Colleagues in the Green Party of Pennsylvania have issued the following statement:

 Green Party of Pennsylvania

PA Green Party Stands With Dr. Rachel Levine

The Green Party of Pennsylvania (GPPA, www.gpofpa.org) unanimously upholds an unwavering commitment to ending harassment and violence towards LGBTQA+ by standing with Dr. Rachel Levine, secretary of the PA Department of Health. This decision by the GPPA Steering Committee on August 16 was made in response to the continued transphobic attacks Levine has incurred. The platform of the Green Party of the U.S. says, “We affirm the right of choosing non-binary and gender fluid identifications. We therefore support the right of individuals to be free from coercion and involuntary assignment of gender or sex.”

Levine has helped Pennsylvanians receive the best advisories and resources to mitigate the spread of Covid-19. Tina Olson (Hellertown), an organizer for Lehigh Valley Green Party, said, “We are proud to offer our encouragement and support to all Pennsylvanians of varying sexual orientations and gender identities. We collectively see our Secretary of Health as a heroine to all of us in the fight for social justice and equality among marginalized communities. We also recognize the incredible devotion Levine has exhibited by providing our Commonwealth with her expertise during this evolving health crisis.”

In the midst of an unprecedented pandemic, it is truly unfortunate that the conversation has gotten twisted into an excuse to incite hatred and intolerance from both elected officials (who are expected to adhere to basic ethics, equal opportunity laws, and principles) and internet trolls (who represent the worst among us).  

One of the predominant themes of these attacks is the tendency to misgender Levine, which is a hateful theme of transphobia. These acts are ignorant, unfounded, and dangerous to our overall health as they are an attempt to undermine Levine’s work as a top-tier medical professional. Having to combat the conspiracy-driven, anti-mask crowd while keeping her head above brutal harassment, Levine has shown nothing but a steady hand in the face of adversity. 

From online attacks to incidents meant to devalue Levine and her life’s work, she has maintained grace and dignified professionalism in the line of fire. In a recent press briefing she said, “I want to emphasize that while these individuals might think they are only expressing their displeasure with me, they are in fact hurting thousands of LGBTQ Pennsylvanians who suffer directly from these current demonstrations of harassment.” 

Chris Robinson (Philadelphia), leader of the GPPA Communication Team, pointed out, “The Spring GPPA Delegates Meeting took a unanimous stand against gender and transphobic harassment.” Following that decision, Garret Wasserman, vice-chair of the Green Party of Allegheny County, said “To fully support the Green Party's 10 Key Values, Greens must celebrate diversity and be inclusive and welcoming to all genders and sexual orientations, including non-binary and transgender folks who still face misunderstandings in society and even sometimes violent transphobia.”

As a graduate of Harvard University, Tulane University, Mt. Sinai Hospital, and as an accomplished pediatrician and professor at Penn Medicine, we should be marveling in the work Levine has done for all of us. From her team-building to combat eating disorders, to raising two children, to becoming one of the few transgendered individuals that hold an official government office, Levine has served as hope for younger generations to live in a world where we truly embrace each others’ diversity.

The Green Party insists that personal and individual freedom for all was the hope outlined for us in the conception of the U.S. Constitution. Hatred should have no home in the land of the free. 

The GPPA is an independent political party that stands in opposition to the two corporate parties. GPPA candidates promote public policy based on the Green Party’s Four Pillars: grassroots democracy, nonviolence, ecological wisdom, and social justice/equal opportunity. For further information about GPPA, please visit www.gpofpa.org or email [email protected]. Please follow GPPA on social media: Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/gpofpa/,  and Twitter, https://twitter.com/GreenPartyofPA. 

For more information, please see:

Green Party U.S. Platform; II. Social Justice; 5. Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity, https://www.gp.org/social_justice/#sjCivilRights; 

“Dr. Rachel Levine responds to transphobic comments: ‘I do not have time for intolerance’” by Madasyn Lee, TribLive.com, July 28, 2020, https://triblive.com/news/pennsylvania/dr-rachel-levine-responds-to-transphobic-comments-i-do-not-have-time-for-intolerance/;

“PA Greens support Lavender Greens on Gender Affirmation,” GPPA News Release, April 7, 2020, https://www.gpofpa.org/pa_greens_support_lavender_greens_on_gender_affirmation; and 

Lavender Greens Caucus, Green Party of the U.S., https://www.facebook.com/LavenderGreens and  https://www.lavendergreens.net/about. 

USEFUL QUOTE
“We have to be visible. We should not be ashamed of who we are. We have to show the world that we are numerous. There are many of us out there.” 
-- by Sylvia Rivera (1951-2002), trans-rights activist.