Protecting Our Communities and Ourselves
We believe that each of us has the human right to make informed decisions about our health care, safety, and community resources. We know that there will be difficult days, weeks, months, and years ahead as a result of the rules and legislation that will be issued by the incoming Administration. Given the impact of those changes on us as individuals as well as our communities writ large, we are providing a list of suggested ways to have conversations with your families and communities about ways that we can stay informed and able to show up for our basic needs.
This list is not all inclusive. They are merely suggestions to get started. Have informed discussions with your family, community, and health care providers.
It is critical to assess the potential for unintended harm when considering taking action. This includes assessing the potential gap between your intent versus the desired impact. A decision with the intent to protect yourself because of existing fear of an uncertain future may have the impact of denying your fellow community members access to timely resources. We aim to make decisions that are informed by the facts and information before us as well as in solidarity with the safety, health, and wellbeing of our communities.
As anti-science, anti-abortion, anti-queer, anti-evidence politicians take office and may being to restrict access to a broad spectrum of health care, consider ways you can take steps to protect and resource yourself, your family, and your community.
- Order Covid tests via the USPS and order N-95’s. Covid, flu, or otherwise, masking and testing has always been the best way to prevent a continued spread of illness and protect yourself and others in your community.
- ASPR Covid-19 Testing: Order 4 free at-home Covid-19 tests.
- Where to Buy N95, KN95, and Surgical-Style Masks
- Clean Air Club is an organization based in Chicago that helps people find PPE. You can get 10% off air purifiers here with coupon code: CleanAirClub. You can fill out a mutual aid request Here is a map of Clean Air lending libraries in the US & Canada.
- Do not participate in stockpiling; if getting resources in advance, consider getting just enough for your household at this time. We don’t want to unintentionally leave community members in need without access to supply.
- Learn about ways people could obtain abortion pills online. These are shelf stable in a temperature controlled (59-77 degrees Fahrenheit) environment for three to five years. pandemic.
- Plan C: Guide for how to obtain abortion pills in every state.
- Ineedana.com: Resource to provide people seeking abortion care with relevant information about how they can access care.
- Purchase emergency contraception. These are shelf stable in a temperature controlled (68-77 degrees Fahrenheit) environment, most for four years, Ella for three years.
- Buy OTC birth control pills and/or get a longer-term supply of your birth control method of choice. These are shelf stable in a temperature controlled (59-77 degrees Fahrenheit) environment for one to five years depending on the specific medication.
- Opill: Resource for locating retailers near you where you can obtain Opill over the counter.
- Bedsider: Online birth control support network.
- Folx Health: A health and wellness platform for the LGBTQIA+ community that provides a wide spectrum of care, including birth control, emergency contraception, and family planning services.
- Nurx: Independent medical organization that helps people access prescriptions for contraceptive care, including emergency contraception, via the mail.
- Make plans for your gender affirming care. Whether in partnership with your health care provider or with the guidance of community experts, have conversations grounded in your needs and goals for your care. If you don’t already have care established, consider reaching out to the following.
- Folx Health: A health and wellness platform for the LGBTQIA+ community that provides gender affirming care, primary care, therapy and mental health care, and sexual and reproductive health care.
- Plume: A trans-led healthcare organization that provides gender-affirming hormone therapy and transition support.
- Point of Pride: A resource fund that provides financial aid and direct support to trans folks in need of health and wellness care.
- Trans Advocacy & Care Team (TACT): A virtual network of peer support aimed at improving trans individuals’ overall wellbeing by reducing isolation and barriers to care.
As policy and rules change, our care for each other does not. Consider how we can practice behaviors that show our deep investment in each other’s social, legal, physical, and emotional wellbeing.
- Check on friends and family in states targeting communities that are vulnerable and experience marginalization. Many of the people we love and care about deeply are feeling unsafe and alone in this moment – we all need to hold each other in the coming days, months, and years.
- Follow the guidance and leadership of actions asked by grassroots social justice organizations on the ground in your community.
- Keep your digital information safe and secure.
- Know your rights when you protest or interact with law enforcement.
- Identify legal representation organizations in your community. People are going to need legal representation for a myriad of reasons, including immigration, housing, employment, discrimination, criminalization, and so much more. Know where people in your community can access free and low-cost legal services. Utilize these links to help you find your local organizations.
- Follow the guidance of queer-led legal organizations when considering making changes to your marital or parental status. Organizations like All Family Legal are providing guidance on steps to take.
While we won’t always be able to rely on government systems to show up for us given the over-politicization of our basic human rights, we can rely on each other. Take steps to invest in sustainable models of support for your community, and rely on these resources when you need support yourself.
- Invest in mutual aid organizations in your community. Mutual aid is a unique care-model that relies on individual-to-individual support within communities instead of relying on the state, philanthropists, or government systems for support. These are sustainable models of care as they do not rely on vertical “trickle down” support, and instead flowing networks of solidarity. These can be mutual aid organizations that aid in health care assistance, housing assistance, grocery assistance, bail assistance, court watching.
- Mutual Aid Hub: find local mutual aid organizations in your community,
- Big Door Brigade: learn more about mutual aid and how you can best support your community.
- Fund and support your local abortion fund. This is also mutual aid but worth listing separately because people who need abortions today and, in the future, need us.
- Support and donate to your local community fridge. Sometimes also referred to as “solidarity fridges,” community fridges are communal places where surplus food is shared with the local community. They help people connect with their communities, access nutritious food, save money, and reduce waste.
- Divest from news organizations and corporations funding fascism.
- OpenSecrets: Comprehensive data on money in American politics.
- Fund and support local organizations that help provide legal defense. Criminalization across the board is going to increase and public defenders and legal aid orgs and atty’s are already overworked, overwhelmed, and underfunded. Locate local justice organizations in your community working to provide free and low-cost criminal legal services. Utilize these links to help you find your local organizations.
- Donate to bail funds. With increased criminalization comes increased incarceration and too many people are unjustly imprisoned and separated from their families for not being able to afford bail.
- Fund, volunteer, and support local harm reduction organizations in your communities.
- Take care of yourself. Stress about the future can leave us feeling drained and on edge. Limiting media exposure, meditation, grounding, movement, connection, and rest are small but critical steps to maintaining our health and well-being. You matter.