In 1973, the ruling of Roe v. Wade defended the right to abortion for women, sparking a landmark change for rights of gender equality. Now, there’s a possibility that this 49-year-old ruling could be overturned by the Supreme Court, which would affect the United States as a whole

Earlier this month, New York Times and NPR published a leaked draft of the Supreme Court’s intentions to overturn Roe v. Wade. Within days, on May 14, New York Times covered a march in Washington D.C., in which dozens of people gathered to protest this supposed overturn decision. Among the protestors was a lawyer, Colleen Lunsford, 42, with her 5-year-old daughter. “I’m terrified,” Ms. Lunsford said to the New York Times. “We did our best to elect a Democratic president and House and Senate, and this is still happening.” From Los Angeles to New York City, protests have been made against the decision of overturning Roe v. Wade, though it’s not been confirmed. This will not only affect women’s rights but gender equality as well. “They’ve been very clear, especially what was written up, that our rights are going to be threatened as well, too, so that’s why we’re nervous,” said Emi Penafiel, a member of the LGBTQ community who was with her partner and daughter.

The supposed overturning vote has caused much harm to the Democratic Party. With Joe Biden hitting a low record with a 39% approval rating, according to NPR, the Republicans have a favorable advantage in taking over the midterm elections with the Roe v. Wade overturn controversy. According to Forbes, 49% of people who will be voting in the midterms will most likely vote based on the preference of Roe v. Wade, whether they are against it or not.

Since the leak, Forbes made a poll that showcases that 56% of American citizens show little to no confidence in the Supreme Court, a superior number than 2018, when 38% had little to no confidence about the court.

On Saturday, May 14, while riding on the trolley from 11:08 am to 12:05 pm, I was able to witness a gathering of people, boys, girls, men, and women, in the downtown area protesting over the supposed overturning. It was the protest that made me more aware of the situation, reminding me of the first article that I have chosen to write about, which was about the Texas Abortion Ban. The abortion ban was a topic that was trending during the month of September but was set aside. Eight months later, abortion is again brought up, this time about the Supreme Court supposedly overturning Roe v Wade. Makes me aware that the topic of abortion won’t never be be addressed properly unless it’s a problem trending. It’s time that we see it as a problem worth dealing with.