Hagåtña, Guam – Guam has joined the Reproductive Freedom Alliance, a non-partisan coalition of U.S. Governors committed to protecting and expanding reproductive freedom in their jurisdictions. California Governor Gavin Newsom announced the formation of the 21-state coalition–the largest of its kind ever convened–in a media release on February 21, 2023. Members of the Alliance are working together “to strengthen reproductive freedom in the face of an unprecedented assault on abortion access and other forms of reproductive health care by states hostile to abortion rights and judges advancing their ideological agenda.”
Governor Newsom noted, “All Governors who support reproductive freedom are welcome to join the Alliance.”
Guam officially joined the Alliance in mid-April.
“Becoming a member of this important alliance is part of my commitment to the people of Guam to protect and expand their access to reproductive choice, including the choice to have an abortion,” said Governor Leon Guerrero, who is also a registered nurse. “I have always stood for access to the full range of reproductive health care options available today, and I intend to keep reproductive choice as a private decision between a person, their physician, and anyone else they choose to involve in that decision.”
“As extreme politicians and judges continue to strip away rights, more and more leaders are joining the fight to protect reproductive freedom,” said Governor Newsom. “California and the entire Reproductive Freedom Alliance welcome Guam, the first U.S. Territory to join the alliance. Together, we stand strong for the 170 million people we represent, including Chamorros. Buen binidu.”
Bureau of Women’s Affairs Director Jayne Flores attended the first Alliance Zoom meeting on behalf of Governor Leon Guerrero on April 27, 2023.
“Alliance members shared legislative and executive resources designed to protect and expand access to the reproductive health care options in their jurisdictions, and to protect constituents’ private health information with regard to their reproductive health choices,” said Flores of the first Reproductive Freedom Alliance meeting.
Guam joins California, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawai’i, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Washington, and Wisconsin. Funding for the Alliance is provided by the California Wellness Foundation, with additional support from the Rosenberg Foundation, according to Governor Newsom’s office.
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