On Thursday, June 14, 2022, I joined community leaders gathered by the YWCA of NorthEastern NY for a rally - Schenectady United for Reproductive Rights. I was honored to be invited and bring a religious perspective. Below are my remarks:
For many years, the debate around women's rights and the right to access to reproductive health has been described as religion up and against progressive political and social values. Our presence among you as faith leaders in and for Schenectady proves this dichotomy wrong. Because women's rights are human rights, and access to services to be and move in the world as we know ourselves to be is also an ethical value of many faith traditions.
It is our responsibility as members of this community, as servants to this community, as leaders whose service is predicated by the pursuit of wellbeing, health, and wholeness, to ensure that everyone, especially the most vulnerable have access to quality, timely, available choices for what they have decided they need.
It is not my responsibility, nor the responsibility of my colleagues in religious leadership to define your circumstance, experience, or situation. My responsibility, which I am assuming now, and that of my colleagues in religious leadership is to be present, to be supportive, to listen, and to direct you to the resources you will need to pursue your decision, for your life in a way that ensures your right to health, life, and liberty.
And I can do that wholeheartedly based on my profession of faith and my commitment to your wellbeing. Because only in your wellbeing will I find wellbeing. Because only in your achieving justice I will achieve justice. Because only in your ability to choose to live abundantly who you know are will I be able to live abundantly who I know I am.
And because of that, I dare stand here as a faith leader to bless this gathering, praying with and for you that every manner of goodness, wisdom, and strength will encourage our work to secure and expand the right
of every woman, and of every human being that is able to bear children, to have quality access to health services, and to have the ability, protected by law, to decide for themselves what happens to and in their bodies.
Peace be upon you!