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Democratic politician and activist Stacey Abrams of Georgia stopped by San Antonio on Tuesday to be the keynote speaker for Planned Parenthood of South Texas' annual luncheon.
Abrams told the crowd that more than a year after the overturn of Roe V. Wade, abortion rights activists have been aligning with some conservatives who fear the consequences of the Supreme Court decision in states like Texas.
"We've got more friends than we realize," she said. "And sometimes those friends look like our opponents because they understand that if this is successful, this same theory of law can be used against them."
The Supreme Court's Dobbs ruling last summer has boosted fundraising for Democrats and bolstered their performance in the 2022 midterm elections.
Planned Parenthood of South Texas expected to raise close to $1 million from Tuesday's luncheon.
"Planned Parenthood has been under attack since its inception. They have tried novel ways to dismantle, destroy, and undermine," she said. "But what happens every time, not through guile but through sheer intention is that you aggregate new allies, you find new friends — people who may not agree with every facet of what you do but people who understand that without you, they suffer."
When asked about local pessimism over Texas' state laws regarding abortion, Abrams responded, "Look around at how many people filled this room on a Tuesday. And think about all the people who would be here if they had known, if they could afford the ticket to come here," she said.
A 2023 NPR/PBSNewsHour/Marist poll found an increasing majority of Americans support abortion rights, with some restrictions.
