Florida used to be a refuge for pregnant people seeking abortions thanks to its more permissive laws compared to neighboring Southeastern states. With the six-week abortion ban in effect since May 1, the state is now considered one of the most restrictive.

Abortion is on the ballot this November with Amendment 4, which will allow Florida voters to expand abortion access up to the point of viability as determined by the patient and their doctor. This is usually around 24 weeks. 

But for Toniah Dowers there’s one big problem: her classmates don’t know what she’s talking about.

Florida used to be a refuge for pregnant people seeking abortions thanks to its more permissive laws compared to neighboring Southeastern states...

“We try our best to really get the message out there, but it’s honestly concerning to me how many people don’t even know that we’re under an abortion ban, period,” Dowers said. “And then on top of that, we have a solution to it.”

Dowers is a youth campus organizing fellow for the “Yes on 4” campaign as well as an FAU sophomore political science major with a minor in health humanities. She says they have been canvassing the breezeway every Saturday morning and tabling during the weekdays to educate and inform students. 

Most people have no clue they’re even pregnant at six weeks and including a 24-hour waiting period imposes yet another hurdle to reproductive rights. This means many have to travel out of state for abortion services if they are over the six week limit. 

“The six week ban is ridiculous,” said FAU junior Kris Barrios. “Who knows that they’re pregnant before that point?”

Barrios is majoring in history and minoring in Spanish. He is also a trans man concerned about his ability to access an abortion. 

“I wish people framed it less as a women’s issue and more of a health issue, since people all across the spectrum can deal with that,” he said. 

Abortion access is an LGBTQ+ issue, which can sometimes get lost in the conversation. Mixed sex queer couples such as with bisexual or transgender individuals can also be affected.

For Barrios, the dialogue regarding abortion access needs to go beyond traditional narratives.

“Amendment 4 with abortion is obviously personal, because being AFAB [Assigned Female at Birth] it’s gonna affect you and any limitations on what you can do if you do get pregnant is very, very scary,” Barrios said. “Especially if you’re actively in a relationship and you don’t want to necessarily have to worry about accidents.”

Roe v. Wade, a court case which gave Amercians a constitutional right to abortion, was overturned by the Supreme Court in June of 2022 and opened the door to a new wave of abortion restrictions in Florida and across the nation. The state went from allowing abortion up to 24 weeks to 15 weeks to now 6 weeks in the span of just two years. The current law also includes a 24 hour waiting period. 

Regardless of whether Amendment 4 passes there are groups ready to assist pregnant people in need of help. 

The Emergency Medical Assistance Abortion Fund is the only abortion fund in Palm Beach County that assists with financial hardships to accessing an abortion. They provide what is known as practical support, covering expenses such as flights, hotels, ride-shares, and food assistance to facilitate travel. They also contribute to the procedure costs in the destination state and offer logistical guidance, focusing primarily on supporting those with low or no income.

“When we went to 15 weeks, my abortion fund and some others paid for other Southerners to come here. So we were financially supporting people from Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama to come into Florida for care and then go back to the states that they’re from,” said Jessica Hatem, EMA Executive Director. “But when we went to six weeks, that’s too difficult to do because most people don’t know, and we just mostly had to focus on getting Floridians out of Florida.” 

OutFAU recently conducted a small survey through SurveyMonkey, promoted via Instagram and OutFAU’s digital newsletter. With 28 responses from our readers, 96% expressed support for Amendment 4.

The measure may have an uphill battle in the state. Even if a majority support it, 60% is needed to pass an amendment in Florida.

It got on the ballot through an initiative petition process where Floridian citizens are able to propose amendments to the Florida Constitution. Groups are required to collect a certain amount of petitions to get on the ballot.

Groups such as Floridians Protecting Freedom petitioned tirelessly to collect the required amount of signatures to get the amendment on the November ballot. 

Gov. Ron DeSantis has been accused of putting the government’s hand on the scale to oppose the amendment. His administration has threatened local TV stations who are running ads in support of the amendment. There have also been reports of state police going door to door to question Florida voters about signing the petition, which made national headlines last month. 

One anonymous respondent to the survey said: “The government should have their hands off my body and what I put in my body. It’s my decision what I do with it. My health, my decision. Yes, for a more free Florida.”

CORRECTION: We previously reported that Kris Barrios was majoring in computer science. Barrios is actually majoring in history. We regret the error.