Grantmakers in the Arts’ statement regarding the Supreme Court’s overturn of Roe v. Wade

Grantmakers in the Arts’ team and board of directors issues this statement to express our detestation with the Supreme Court’s ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, the decision to overturn birthing people’s constitutional right to an abortion as set by Roe v. Wade in 1973.

This decision to overrule Roe v. Wade has invalidated an earlier decision that the Supreme Court declared a constitutional right.

The racialized nature of access to abortion, and discrepancies in health outcomes makes the Supreme Court’s denial of federal support for bodily autonomy a textbook example of intersectionality. It is an example of the disregard for health access for residents of rural and remote communities.

This attack on our nation is part of a larger pattern ambushing our humanity. This includes proposed legislation denying the rights of, and access to healthcare for trans residents, and the bans against teaching the history of our country’s anti-Indigenous and anti-Black practices and policies.

Grantmakers in the Arts holds public policy and advocacy as one of its core funding focus areas. We believe it is one of the most important roles we can serve in benefiting our members and stakeholders. As part of this support, we provide resources to teach our members about advocacy and lobbying, and how grantmakers can support them.

Grantmakers in the Arts is eager to join our members and stakeholders to support practices that affirm the humanity, bodily autonomy, and rights of ALL our nation’s – and the world’s–people.

Grantmakers in the Arts believe that art and culture are uniquely capable of humanizing one another. Please join Grantmakers in the Arts in listening to some of our recently shared first-person voices: