Editor’s note: The following is a thread shared by Lt. Governor Coleman on X/Twitter.
In an election year unlike any other, I am proud to support VP @KamalaHarris. Her strong record as a champion of public education, a prosecutor taking on predators and her support of access to health care, especially maternal health care, is the kind of leadership we need. In a post-Roe world, her advocacy for women and girls to make decisions about their own bodies is timely.
This is the first time I’m sharing this story publicly.
During the 2019 campaign for Lt. Governor, I became pregnant and had what was considered a high-risk pregnancy. Additional, more intensive screenings were required along with routine check-ups.
During my 20-week visit, the doctor suddenly became quiet, pulled out his pen, clicked it and started writing without saying a word. It felt like a lifetime before he spoke. I couldn’t make myself ask what was wrong because I was too scared to know.
But I was one of the lucky ones; Evelynne was born healthy in February of 2020 and we now have a beautiful, headstrong 4-year-old daughter. I cannot fathom having to worry about politicians coming between me and my doctor that day.
And the truth is, no patient, regardless of the diagnosis, procedure or treatment plan, should have to either.
There is only one candidate in this race who understands that, and that is @KamalaHarris. By contrast, Donald Trump has bragged about getting Roe overturned. His Vice Presidential pick, JD Vance, has said that pregnancy resulting from rape is “inconvenient,” and that women who don’t have children don’t have a stake in the future of our country.
It is deeply irresponsible and incredibly cruel to use the personal experiences of women as a political football. The Dobbs decision that led to the fall of Roe triggered one of the most extreme abortion bans in the country here in Kentucky. It includes no exceptions for rape, incest or the health of the mother.
I can’t help but think of the women with nonviable pregnancies, miscarriages and infertility who will suffer. They are our friends and families. And we owe them more than this.
It is for those women, and so many more, that I support the goal of VP Harris to codify Roe into federal law. And, instead of rehashing the same worn out arguments, labels, and attacks, I pledge to continue tackling the underlying conditions that support women, children and families while preserving reproductive freedom.
--30--
Comments
