Women’s Health Center director fights for abortion rights despite ban
Katie Quiñonez is one of Usa TODAY’s Girls of the Year, a recognition of ladies who have created a considerable affect in their communities and throughout the nation. The application introduced in 2022 as a continuation of Women of the Century, which commemorated the 100th anniversary of gals getting the proper to vote. Fulfill this year’s honorees at womenoftheyear.usatoday.com.
When the U.S. Supreme court docket overturned Roe v. Wade, the case guaranteeing women of all ages a constitutional suitable to abortion accessibility, past summer season, Katie Quiñonez felt utter devastation.
But heartbreak was not the only emotion coursing via the govt director of the Women’s Overall health Middle of West Virginia – she felt willpower, far too.
Quiñonez, 32, has been doing work for almost six years at what was the only abortion clinic in West Virginia. Right after the court’s June 24 selection in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Well being Corporation, which sent abortion difficulties to the states, West Virginia enacted a total ban. Her clinic had to halt providing abortions. But it continues to offer yearly examinations, delivery command, testing and treatment method for sexually transmitted bacterial infections, and screenings for breast and cervical cancer – all on a sliding scale to make sure even the poorest women of all ages get the assistance they have to have.
“What Dobbs taught me is that you continue to keep battling for what issues even when it feels hopeless,” she explained to United states These days. “Roe fell, but we’re even now standing. Abortion will be legal once again in West Virginia in my lifetime, and I’ll be just a person of a lot of individuals who plays a aspect in that occurring.
“Dobbs did not break us – if anything at all, Dobbs taught me how sturdy we are.”
For her determination to regularly deliver healthcare to ladies across her state, Quiñonez has been named Usa TODAY’s Women of all ages of the Calendar year honoree from West Virginia.
This discussion has been edited for duration and clarity.
I came to this work for the reason that of my possess lived encounter. I have had two abortions, the very first when I was a 17-12 months-old in high school who had dreams of pursuing a job in journalism in higher education. My second abortion knowledge was essentially in this article, at the Women’s Wellness Center of West Virginia, and the care I obtained was so impactful – everyone was so variety and compassionate, affirming and supportive from the instant I walked in the doorway. A handful of yrs later, when I noticed the development director occupation posting, which was my initial purpose listed here, I thought to myself, “That looks like it would be my desire work.”
I know individually how it feels to have an unplanned being pregnant, the sensation of desperation to have manage of your human body and to be equipped to dwell out the lifetime you dreamed of – it is an honor to be capable to enable folks do that because it intended so considerably to me.
COURTESY of KATIE QUIÑONEZ
My mom. I definitely seemed up to her. My mother and father bought divorced when I was younger and she pursued a school diploma in her late 20s and early 30s and I just often admired her for undertaking that even though she nonetheless had two youthful women at household.
And then I really credit history my predecessor, Sharon Lewis, who was the previous govt director at the clinic. She often challenged me and supported me. She was in this line of work for two many years, a Black girl managing the state’s only abortion clinic in a condition which is predominantly white. I genuinely admire her.
When I was advancement director I assisted create a grant that funded a statewide billboard campaign. It arrived immediately after a piece of legislation, referred to as Modification 1, narrowly handed in 2018, ending Medicaid protection of abortion in West Virginia. We received a whole lot of calls after that inquiring if abortion was still lawful in West Virginia – which it was, at the time. So we dreamed up this marketing campaign the place we’d have billboards across the total state that examine, “Abortion is continue to legal in West Virginia.” There have been extra than 30 billboards across the state. To my understanding, it is the first professional-abortion billboard marketing campaign that at any time took place in West Virginia.
Around that time we also observed a big raise in intense anti-abortion harassment, so I set up the clinic’s to start with-ever escort system. I was usually on the entrance lines with individuals with massive umbrellas and vibrant pink escort vests, acquiring sufferers in the door and shielding them from protestors, who were being attempting to intimidate us.
And then, the working day the Dobbs selection came down, we did have to halt furnishing abortion treatment, and we could not supply abortion treatment for a month. But we filed a lawsuit demanding our state’s abortion ban from the 1800s and in the thirty day period we experienced that injunction, we were capable to deliver abortion care to 100 additional patients.
All of these moments would not be possible with no the personnel I do the job with. Everybody is so dedicated to the individuals we provide and the operate we do, they demonstrate up with electrical power, grace and humor each individual working day.
Lean into your values, even when it hurts and it is difficult.
The people who work at and direct unbiased abortion clinics across the country are who I admire and attract inspiration from. They are the most compassionate and innovative badasses in the state. Regardless of all the hardship and issues, even with roadblocks put up by politicians, they perform around the clock to get clients the abortion treatment they need.
You really do not have to be excellent – you can make problems. That will be the largest way you study and shift forward. Also, just take a nap and consume far more drinking water! You’re likely to be in this for the long haul.
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