The draft decision of the United States Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade released late Monday sent shivers down the spines of West Hollywood’s councilmembers while hardening their resolve to fight for women’s rights to abortion.
Councilmember John Erickson, senior director of Planned Parenthood, expressed horror at the implications of the development during Monday night’s meeting.
“I grew up with the federal right to a safe and legal abortion. I’ve never known anything different and I just want everyone here to know that … I will not rest a single moment until we right this wrong,” he said.
The draft is not a final decision by the Supreme Court, but it suggests they will strike down the 1973 decision which guarantees federal constitutional protections of abortion rights and a subsequent 1992 ruling that supported that decision, Planned Parenthood v. Casey.
“All I can think about is my niece’s and my nephew’s two faces right now because they’re going to grow up in a world where it might seem to them that hatred won,” Erickson said. “And when my niece looked at me in 2016 Christmas and said ‘Where’d the nice lady on the television go?’ I’m reminded of that a lot right now and that’s why elections matter.”
Mayor Pro Tem echoed Erickson’s harkening back to the presidential election of 2016.
“The warnings that we all received about the presidency of Donald Trump are cascading down into reality,” she said.
Trump appointed three of the six conservative Supreme Court justices currently on the nine-member bench. An overturning of the ruling would essentially grant individual states with the ability to limit or ban abortions.
“We have the privilege of living here and being able to come back especially in West Hollywood to services if we need them. As an Iranian immigrant who went through a revolution where women’s rights were taken away, we must and will fight for all women and girls and transgender men,” Shyne said. “This decision by the highest court of our land is horrific and we won’t stop until Congress at this point and this president take action to put women and girls and transgender men and reproductive rights first.”
Mayor Lauren Meister noted that the city had retained a lobbyist to push for women’s rights legislation at the federal level.
Not sure why people hate states rights so much, The only thing more inept and corrupt than state government, is the federal government. So hey…. let’s grow it and make it even more powerful.
Ok that was always allowed!
Moloch will be pleased.
West Hollywood: “My body, my choice”.
Also West Hollywood: “You will take this shot in your arm whether you like it or not or else you will be fired, denied entrance and treated as a pariah”.
This is PP and Left Dems hysteria. Abortion is legal and will continue to be legal in most states despite RvW being reversed. Red states will place limits of under 6 weeks and limit 1 abortion per woman.
Don’t fall for this rouse Erickson to cash in. Why is he speaking to Weho Council – if only to get donations from rich hollywood elites and their gay boys.
Europe, all of Europe, is more restrictive than anywhere in the US except for Texas and Mississippi. Even after these so-called Trigger Laws.
Check out this recent tweet from Rick Caruso, showing his support for abortion rights. Will West Hollywood’s politicians do something similar?
Best to quote what City Attorney Mike Feuer has to say about abortion rights. No matter what subject he is believable
This is Erickson’s biggest wet dream to have the SC strike Roe v Wade. Donations will come pouring in to PP his employer and right in to his pockets. He is thrilled he has a new tax payer funded stage to fund raise for PP and stoke fears about this even though it has no impact to West Hollywood, California or event most of the country. Most places that may move to restrict abortion have already shut down most clinics as he has noted regarding sheltering women in his apartment who were seeking abortions. He is grinning ear to ear… Read more »
Erickson goes over the top all the time when it comes to PP. Like offering his one-bedroom apartment for any woman who wants to get an abortion in Los Angeles. What else can you expect from a person who majored in gender studies and the history of religion and gay people. A so called doctor. As we all know pp’s major number of abortions come from black women. Which was the plan of Margaret Sanger, Planned Parenthood founder and her ties to eugenics and racism. Ericsson’s a white man. I guess he’s gay. Why would PP ever hire him? Because… Read more »
“Like offering his one-bedroom apartment for any woman who wants to get an abortion in Los Angeles.”
I think thats honorable and shows he cares about safe access to medical care for women.
Is that advisable? The girl looking for the abortion could come into his one bedroom apartment and say oh I’m so happy you’re gay! (Wink, wink) And then walk out after the abortion and sue him for sexual harassment etc Along with suing PP and the City of West Hollywood. He has a PhD, but calls himself a doctor. Which is very misleading because he works for Planned Parenthood. I have no idea why any corporate or City attorney would condone such immature behavior. And we know he could have a drinking problem, since he sexually assaulted the President of… Read more »
“He has a PhD, but calls himself a doctor. Which is very misleading because he works for Planned Parenthood.”
This makes no sense. Do you know what a PhD is? I don’t think anyone is mistaking him as a medical doctor lol.
Doctoral degree holders should be addressed by their title in the academy and some professional settings. But in the rest of life, the title should rightly disappear. The “Dr.” from an M.D. travels, but the title for a Ph.D. holder should not.
As for Erickson, he’s a huckster. Is he grandstanding at every moment as a so-called “Dr” with Planned Parenthood? He’s an unfortunate man hitting middle-age, grasping for some WOKE nobility when he’s so ordinary outside the WEHO arena.
In case you never made it past eighth grade, “Ph.D” stands for Doctor of Philosophy, and any holder of that degree is entitled to be called “Doctor” — as is any holder of a doctoral degree in any field. You must be one of the children who W. Bush left behind.
How many pseudonyms do you use on this page? You’re factless and poorly informed under all of them and your personal animus against John Erickson gives you away.
Reality Check!!!
For all those foaming at the mouth over Roe v. Wade, remember the clamor to name the West Hollywood Library for Justice Ginsberg? Well she wasn’t too fond of R v W. You are entitled to do your own research on the matter.
I’m hearing concern that gay marriage is feared to be next. In the leaked draft opinion Justice Alito addressed that concern:
“To insure that our decision is not misunderstood or mischaracterized, we emphasize that our decision concerns the constitutional right to abortion and no other right.”
Since Justice Alito claerly wasn’t as forthcoming in his views about Roe vs Wade when he was confirmed as he is now, it’s probably not a good idea to take someone like that at his word for future reference.
What did he say before he was confirmed?
“During his 2006 confirmation hearing before the Judiciary Committee, Alito called Roe an “important precedent of the Supreme Court” that had been reaffirmed but repeatedly challenged at all levels of the courts.
“The Supreme Court has reaffirmed the decision, sometimes on the merits, sometimes in Casey based on stare decisis, and I think that when a decision is challenged and it is reaffirmed that strengthens its value as stare decisis,” he said.”
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/roe-v-wade-supreme-court-republican-gop-appointed-justices/
Court nominees don’t (or should not) indicate how they would vote on any case before that case is presented to them. But pretty much all of them answer with a non-answer. Both the liberal and the conservative nominees turn out to be more liberal than expected.
Many said when Alito was nominated that he was presumptively opposed to the logic of Roe. After all, in 1985, Alito wrote as a Justice Department lawyer that the Constitution does not contain a right protecting abortions.However, appearances had to be observed.The late Sen. Arlen Specter (R., Pa.), asked him if he agreed with that statement today and Alito responded in classic confirmation nonspeak. He first repeated the facts (by noting that he was a Justice Department attorney at the time) and then went rote: “Today if the issue were to come before me. The first question would be the… Read more »
The attack on the right to “privacy” will open a Pandora’s box of reactionary measures which will include attacks on same gender marriage. Regardless of what Alito thinks or says, there are plenty of folks out there who will now challenge the right of marriage in hopes of finding a sympathetic hearing from an Appeals Court.
Are you sure you are not throwing fuel on the presumably anticipated fire? Incendiary hysteria is not productive because it makes people appear to be hysterics. People generally don’t cotton to hysterics and don’t react well to being perpetually annoyed by claims of the sky falling.
BYW, although I am not a scholar in this area, apparently RBG opined that Roe v Wade was overly broad. Could you please channel former Justice RBG?
While I don’t personally need to throw fuel on the blaze, we should know what we will face in the immediate future. As to RBG you are correct; she thought the “privacy” argument was a weak foundation for such a sweeping decision.
“apparently RBG opined that Roe v Wade was overly broad.”
Instead of asking people to “channel” someone who is dead, why don’t you do some research on what RBG actually said about Roe v Wade.
Since you appear to be the grammar/comment/smart ass police it’s fair to point the way and not recapitulate or quote every reference. Fruitless to remark about things one has no knowledge of but Steve got it!
❤️❤️❤️❤️The research police!
The Counciltwits obviously trying to change the subject from the no crime in West Hollywood agenda
You may not be mature enough to know this, but adults can focus on more than one issue at a time.
I think John Erickson got overwhelmed with this possible decision on abortion rights and got too emotional at the city council meeting.As this Supreme Court draft was leaked and the origin is suspect,it might be best to hold off on making rash actions and decisions. Erickson is still part of Planned Parenthood,so it got more drastic when the court draft leak was announced.Erickson got pulled into the rabbit hole and left the meeting in a hurry. One of the commenters on here mentioned that Erickson could be passionate about the city’s public safety as he is about abortion rights.That is… Read more »
West Hollywood has long been a bastion of support for Choice and the news emanating from the Supreme Court, while perhaps predictable, was discouraging all the same. The struggles for women’s rights is often seen as overlapping with the struggle for LGBTQ rights and the alliance has been a long and productive one. If West Hollywood wants to take a leadership role, then it needs to lead in finding ways to unite us in our common struggles rather than divide us. There are times that call for steely eyed pragmatism rather than political purity. We are living in those times.
You’re supporting Lindsay Horvath! Why should we take anything you say seriously?
Steve, I completely agree that West Hollywood as a community of individuals has long been a bastion of support for reproductive freedom, as well as many other issues. I also enthusiastically support and defend complete and unfettered access to reproductive freedom. However, on these national issues, the city council does not speak for every resident who might have different views on this and other issues and should stop attempting to do so. They are five individuals among 37,000 unique souls who elected them to perform the ministerial duties of sound municipal governance. There is no unanimity on matters of conscience… Read more »
My sentiments exactly and as a result when city leaders swarm to the media, West Hollywood comes off looking very silly.
Good insights. I moved here before there was a City and this was an incredibly opinionated, progressive, loving community that tolerated a wider range of opinions than we do today. Back then we did not need a City Council to make us progressive or tell us how to think. Celebrating diversity is a good thing and in a democracy diversity opinion is a necessary component. That said, the overturning of Roe will have grave implications that ultimately will touch all of us.
Yes, overturning Roe would be a cataclysmic blow to fundamental human rights. I will always be on the front lines to protect reproductive rights. I applaud when elected public servants use their individual voices to take very strong stands. I object, however, to any governing body conferring the imprimatur of the city on matters of conscience, or telling us what it means to be progressive. I identify as a pragmatic progressive (despite the protestations of the toxic ideological fringe) and I am guided by my own conscience. My increasing objection is to any of the council purporting to be the… Read more »
But, but, but how about your pal Ms. Horvath postulating how we should think and then demonstrating disingenuous behavior? Fies that make sense and/or is it ethical?
Folks preoccupied with promoting themselves first unfortunately have anchored their position within West Hollywood City Government. Their top priority is each one’s individual quest for the spotlight. They all mugged for the camera at the “news conference” at City Hall today. A sad, angry looking bunch ranting while several took turns on the camera for brief statements. Candidates for upcoming city council election shoulder to shoulder with former Black Women Lead individuals, Mayor Meister, Sepi Shyne, NOW personnel. Hardly a welcoming bunch likely to change hearts and minds. Although sympathetic with their plight, they might reconsider their approach….which seems consistently… Read more »
If you are saying we have reached a point of diminishing returns when it come to identity politics, I have to concur.
🙄👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏😇