We Will Keep Caring for Each Other
Hi all,
We know so many of you are doing everything you can right now to hold down your people and keep each other safe. This edition of The Buzz is dedicated to the folks who are showing up for their communities, providing care, and creating the kind of world in which we all deserve to live.
Yesterday, March 10 was Abortion Provider Appreciation Day, and we will never turn down a chance to celebrate the folks who continually rise above the threats of violence, illegality, and prosecution to provide abortion care. As a way of expressing our gratitude, we wrote a love letter to our expansive list of abortion providers—doctors, midwives, nurses, administrative staff, security, doulas, herbalists, even those who have self-managed their own abortions (you are your own abortion provider!). From the team at Apiary to each and every abortion provider, thank you!
The determination and resilience of abortion providers can serve as a roadmap for us at this repressive time in the U.S. We don’t need to sugar coat it—it’s a hard time right now. We’re all feeling the effects of the fear and chaos of the moment, and it’s understandable to feel defeated and lost. But it’s important to remember: caring for our communities is resistance (and you are a part of the community). The drivers, the hotel-bookers, the care-kit makers, the appointment-sitters, the sign-makers, the escorts, the hand-holders, the food pantry staffers, and all the mutual aid groups—there are so many folks showing up and doing the work to bridge the seismic gaps in all matters of basic care. We can keep taking care of each other, even when it’s hard. We are creating the world in which we want and deserve to live.
So, take heart. We are still showing up for each other, and that is beautiful. Thank you for doing this work with us. We see you, we appreciate you, and we thank you.
Much love,
The Apiary Team
What’s Happening at Apiary 🐝
We have a brand new resource! In honor of Black History Month and the legacy of the Black-women-led Reproductive Justice movement, we’ve highlighted the unique roles of Midwives and Doulas. Learn about what these roles entail, their history of providing quality care and support, and how they are linked to better health outcomes across pregnancy and childbirth.
Also, a gentle reminder that the Apiary team is currently on Institutional Rest. We’ll be back at it Thursday, March 13 but until then, our inboxes are closed, and our brains/hearts/souls are recharging. See you soon!
What’s Happening in the Community 🍯
📕 Definitely check out Interrupting Criminalization’s new zine called Making a Plan, which serves as a template for those seeking to make an activism or organizing plan. All you need is a printer to print out your own copy, some space to answer the guiding questions, and you’re ready to organize!
🔒 Access Now’s Digital Security Helpline is a free resource that should definitely be on your radar. They offer real-time, direct technical assistance and advice to shore up your organization’s digital security and even help you if you’re in the middle of a digital attack.
📋 Our friends at INeedAnA created a custom guide for sex workers to navigate abortion. In consultation with the SWOPLA team who run the Sex Workers’ Abortion Navigation Services (SWANS), this guide offers a supportive, sex worker–informed perspective on accessing abortion.
📣 Take Root, KHJN’s annual red state Reproductive Justice conference, is accepting proposals for their October convening! They welcome talks from first-time speakers, industry experts, and underrepresented groups, and provide an honorarium, complementary registration, hotel accommodations, and free meals at the conference.