News & Commentary

This piece by Holly Prestidge was originally published in the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

One of my favorite posters from recent womens’ rights marches is the one that reads: “I can’t believe I still have to protest this [stuff].” (Of course, the sign used a different word than “stuff.”) But the point is correct: The right to make fundamental decisions about one’s reproductive health was recognized as a constitutional right in Roe v. Wade in 1973, almost 50 years ago. And yet, abortion rights are in greater peril now than they have been at any time in the last 48 years. I can’t believe we still have to protest this stuff. But we do. And we have to do more than that.  We have to organize and vote.

Let’s talk about what public safety means.

Population matters when it comes to redistricting, and that's why the way people are counted is so important. So how do prisons and the people in their custody impact the redistricting process? 

The stories of incarcerated individuals make it clear that jails and prisons are incapable of acknowledging the civil and human rights of their populations because they are systematically designed not to see people.

On the anniversary of the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, we reaffirm our commitment to the fight for racial justice.

So, during Pride month, I hope you will join me in celebrating all we have accomplished and remembering the activists who got us here. We must also recognize that we are still fighting for the most basic of human rights for LGBTQ+ people.

Before you bust out the weed thinking that marijuana is fully legal, you should know your rights. We’ve got a rundown of what you can – and can’t – do under Virginia’s new laws.