CONTACT: Chanelle Helm, Black Lives Matter Louisville
PHONE: (502) 876-7148
EMAIL: louisville@blacklivesmatter.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Black Lives Matter Louisville and Stand-Up Sundays condemn the media vilification, arrest, and prosecution of Janaya Gregory
5/4/2019—Louisville, Kentucky— Black Lives Matter Louisville and Stand Up Sundays condemn the media vilification, arrest and prosecution of Janaya Gregory, a Black woman seeking healthcare.
A common anti-abortion protest tactic is set up patients and volunteers for assault charges. Anti-abortion protestors regularly single out Black women for extra verbal abuse and for disrespect to their physical persons, knowing that Black women are extra vulnerable to allegations made by white people and our criminal justice system.
We despise the racist clickbait media platform given to Durning’s anti-abortion martyrdom spectacles. Anti-abortion protesters deliberately create an atmosphere of confusion, hatred, and violence that women must navigate just to access healthcare. Pushing, spitting, screaming and body-blocking are routine and Durning is well known to participate.
The Courier-Journal has already noted that Durning willingly entered a “scrum” to harass a woman trying to get health care. http://bit.ly/2VaBmSK and that she has been involved in past allegations of harm from women trying to get healthcare. A 2017 video shows Durning charging a woman with a sign and then sprawling back on the ground. Durning’s first words as she got to her feet? “That’s assault.” Durning has been developing this falling performance for some time.
The Metro Council has already been asked to create a clinic barrier zone so that women can access the clinic safely. Reproductive justice requires this and so much more. Black women must have full access to quality medical care.
Durning plays the martyr and is given a media platform to vilify and criminalize a Black woman, drawing upon racist narratives that are familiar, and dangerous given how our criminal justice system stands ready to felonize Janaya Gregory.
Janaya Gregory Legal Defense Fund bit.ly/JanayaLegalFund
Janaya Gregory Sign Up List
#EndClinicHarassment
#YestoLouSafety
#ProtectTheZone
#HandsOffBlackWomen
#HandsoffBlackFemmes
#Justice4JanayaGregory
RECENT MEDIA:
Here are some media links surrounding this issue. Janaya Gregory, a Black woman seeking healthcare, has had her character assassinated in the national media and has now been charged with a felony. The media attention has gone national.
WDRB 5/2/2019 bit.ly/2DG23DV
WLKY 5/2/2019 bit.ly/2VISSNn
The Courier-Journal 5/2/2019 bit.ly/2UYsMBx
New York Times 5/2/2019 nyti.ms/2PJG2cp
Seattle Times https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/nation/woman-charged-with-attack-outside-kentucky-abortion-clinic/
In response to the extreme rhetoric of anti-abortion supporters and lawmakers, Kentucky lawmakers have recently needed to clarify that abortion is actually not the same as slavery and lynching. “These comparisons are beyond appalling,” said Rep. Attica Scott of Louisville. “In no way is it just or fair to compare a woman’s legal right to choose what happens with her own body to the evil legacy of slavery and lynching in our country and the Holocaust during World War II.”
Some background concerning the overwhelming atmosphere of confusion, hatred and violence created by abortion protestors and directed at patients and health care providers. [LCE escorts were not on hand during this incident.]
The Volunteers Guarding Kentucky’s Last Abortion Clinic https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-volunteers-guarding-kentuckys-last-abortion-clinic
What It's Like to Be an Abortion Clinic Escort
https://www.cosmopolitan.com/politics/a26357018/abortion-clinic-escort/
REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE ORGANIZATIONS IN LOUISVILLE & KENTUCKY
Kentucky Health Justice Network
Twitter: @KYHealthJustice
Facebook: Kentucky Health Justice Network
Email: info@khjn.org
Donate: http://www.kentuckyhealthjusticenetwork.org/donate.html
Black Lives Matter Louisville/Stand Up Sunday
Twitter: @blmlouisville
Facebook: Black Lives Matter Louisville
Instagram: @blmlouisville
Email: louisville@blacklivesmatter.com
Donate: http://blackliveslouisville.org/stand-up-sundays/donate/
Twitter: @SisterSong_WOC
Facebook: SisterSong
Instagram: @sistersong_woc
Email: info@sistersong.net
Donate: https://sistersong.nationbuilder.com/donate
Facebook: Play Cousins Collective
Instagram: @playcousins_collective
Email: playcousinscollective@gmail.com
Donate: https://www.paypal.me/playcousins
Kentucky Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice
Twitter: @Ky_RCRC
Facebook: Kentucky Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice
Email: info@krcrc.org
Donate: https://www.networkforgood.org/donationExpressDonation.aspx?ORGID2=611251771
ACLU Kentucky Reproductive Freedom Project
Twitter: @ACLUofKY
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ACLUofKY
Instagram: @ACLUky
Email: info@aclu-ky.org
Louisville Safety Zone Campaign
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LouSafetyZone/
Email: Louisvillesafetyzone@gmail.com
SAMPLE SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS
We don’t like to see a Black woman set up, vilified and felonized for seeking health care. Are you with us? Sign up to support #Justice4BlackWomen #EndClinicHarassment #YestoLouSafety #ProtectTheZone #HandsOffBlackWomen #HandsoffBlackFemmes #Justice4JanayaGregory
Black women and Femmes face massive health care and reproductive injustices; just trying to get what they need to survive. #Justice4BlackWomen #EndClinicHarassment #YestoLouSafety #ProtectTheZone #HandsOffBlackWomen #HandsoffBlackFemmes #Justice4JanayaGregory
Extra-level harassment and violence from anti-abortion clinic protestors is a reproductive justice and access issue for Black women and Femmes. Did you know? The alt-right sure does. #Justice4BlackWomen #EndClinicHarassment #YestoLouSafety #ProtectTheZone #HandsOffBlackWomen #HandsoffBlackFemmes #Justice4JanayaGregory
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