Mayor Daniel Lurie, San Francisco Department on the Status of Women and Reproductive Justice Leaders Commit to Reproductive Freedom

Today Mayor Daniel Lurie, First Lady Becca Prowda, Supervisor Myrna Melgar, the Department on the Status of Women, Planned Parenthood Northern California and the Human Rights Commission commemorated what would have been the 53rd anniversary of the Supreme Court’s seminal Roe v. Wade decision that enshrined a right to privacy, bodily autonomy and the right to abortion care with a rally at City Hall. San Francisco has, and will continue to lead on reproductive rights, and was pleased to welcome communities from around the region in a show of solidarity for reproductive rights and freedoms.

Mayor Daniel Lurie affirmed San Francisco’s values and asserted the city’s role as a regional haven for reproductive justice. "Every person should have the right to make decisions about their own body and their own future," said Mayor Daniel Lurie. "San Francisco is—and will remain—a city that protects and expands reproductive freedom. We reaffirm our commitment: San Francisco will continue to lead, to protect, and to fight for reproductive rights—those are our city’s values and they are my values as mayor."

"Every person should have the right to make decisions about their own body and their own future," said Mayor Daniel Lurie. "San Francisco is—and will remain—a city that protects and expands reproductive freedom."

Supervisor Myrna Melgar, who sponsored the resolution to recognize the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, which passed unanimously at the Board of Supervisors last week, was steadfast in her commitment to reproductive freedom. “We are on the frontlines of defending the reproductive rights of our residents. San Francisco remains committed to ensuring safe, unobstructed access to healthcare and while the federal government is rolling back, we will continue to uphold our values and invest in local resources to protect the privacy and the right to access healthcare.”

“We know, and we have always known, that ensuring reproductive freedom and access to abortion care equals supporting women, girls and non-binary people’s entire wellbeing. Abortion care affords women and girls agency—over their education, their family size, their economic prospects and their own health outcomes,” declared Dr. Diana Aroche, Executive Director of San Francisco’s Department on the Status of Women. “We are firm and unrelenting in our support of reproductive freedom and justice and, with the support of the Mayor, the Board of Supervisors, city and community leaders, we will protect the rights of San Franciscans. We will ensure San Francisco, and California as a whole, is a haven for all persons seeking reproductive justice care.”

San Francisco continues to advance reproductive justice through policy and funding commitments that strengthen access to comprehensive reproductive health care, including investments made through Proposition O. These commitments include clear directives to law enforcement to safeguard reproductive health care facilities, to ensure patients and providers can access care safely and without intimidation and that medically accurate, timely information about individuals’ rights and care options are available. “Access to comprehensive and compassionate reproductive care is critical not only for an individual, but a cornerstone of community public health and equity,” said Director of Health Dan Tsai. “Protecting and ensuring reproductive freedom is fundamental to public health. In San Francisco, we will continue to lead the nation by ensuring everyone, regardless of who you are or where you come from, can receive safe, respectful, and timely care.” This work reflects San Francisco’s values and its leadership in protecting reproductive freedom in practice.

Chief Executive Officer of Planned Parenthood Northern California, Dr. Nicole Barnett, a long-term partner in San Francisco’s reproductive justice work, shared her perspective as a provider of care. “San Francisco has always been a place that shows the nation what is possible when we lead with courage, compassion, and conviction. Today, we are renewing that commitment—to bodily autonomy, to justice, and to the belief that everyone deserves the freedom to decide their own future. Together, we honor Roe not just by remembering it—but by carrying its promise forward. We will continue to provide essential sexual reproductive health care services no matter what!” Planned Parenthood Northern California provides health care in 20 counties across Northern California.

“We should be celebrating the 53rd anniversary of Roe v. Wade, but instead America is experiencing the most precarious time for reproductive rights in our lifetimes,” said City Attorney David Chiu.

“We should be celebrating the 53rd anniversary of Roe v. Wade, but instead America is experiencing the most precarious time for reproductive rights in our lifetimes,” said City Attorney David Chiu. “It is a travesty that women across our country don’t have the same access to the abortion care available in San Francisco. I’m grateful that after Roe v. Wade was overturned, the Bar Association of San Francisco partnered with my office to establish the Legal Alliance for Reproductive Rights to defend access to reproductive healthcare and protect those in need of legal assistance. During this moment when fundamental rights are at stake, San Francisco will always be a haven for abortion care and reproductive freedoms.”