The MDSO unconditionally supports the democratic right to a safe and legal abortion and the removal of all laws that criminalize abortions.

The reversal of Roe v. Wade must be vehemently opposed. But the formal right to an abortion is not enough. We need free and universal healthcare in order for reproductive rights to be fully exercised. Even with the legal right enshrined, restrictions like the Hyde Amendment (which denies abortion coverage to recipients of federal funds) withhold crucial financial support to low-income patients seeking abortions, with a disproportionate impact on Black and Hispanic communities.

The struggle for abortion rights has divided the ruling class in its struggle for political hegemony; we already see the liberal section of the bourgeoisie using this moment to rally mass sentiment to their camp. Biden is using the same electoral blackmail rhetoric that we saw in 2016 and 2020. And it’s not just politicians, but massive corporations like Amazon, the second largest private employer in the US, who promised to reimburse up to $4,000 in travel expenses for their employees who are forced to seek abortions out of state. The bourgeoisie will always try to make use of the precarious conditions under capitalism to shore up support among the working class.

The working class is the only consistent defender of democratic rights. It is from this proletarian perspective that we fight not only for legal rights, but also to popularize revolutionary socialist politics among students and youth. Only a working-class movement against capitalism can fully do away with the ruling class and its repressive measures.

The MDSO calls for the broadest possible unity among students who support equality, democratic rights, and access to free healthcare. Free and legal abortion access now!