Welcome to the Action Center Weekly Update. Each week, we will provide a brief analysis of critical issues in this political moment, share immediate actions you can take, and provide helpful resources to deepen knowledge and practice of our collective work to side with love.
Nothing is inevitable. All justice movements are powered by ordinary people who come together to defeat oppression and build a loving world. You are not alone. We have power. Together we can practice and win a just and loving world where all of us thrive.
Remember we build strong movements when we take action together. Organize teams and networks that can take these actions together. For support on practical organizing skills and support check out our Organizing School and Skill Up resources.
Democracy
We are witnessing the consolidation of power in the hands of the few instead of the many. Democracy is a process and practice grounded in our values of interdependence that affirms the inherent worth and dignity of all. We are the majority, but we must organize our communities to build the power to defeat authoritarianism and build a truly multiracial democracy.
The Update:
This week we’re combining the Democracy and Decriminalization update as these two fronts are a critical nexus of the work of resistance and building a multiracial democracy.
The erosion of democracy is never just about ballot access; it is about dismantling systems that give people a voice while building the machinery to silence them. Trump’s renewed attacks on mail-in voting aim to strip millions of a secure way to participate in elections. Texas Republicans’ partisan redistricting is designed to dilute communities’ power and has not precipitated a chaotic partisan redistricting battle that has many questioning the long term impacts on voters, democracy, and the power of either party. The federal militarization of Washington, D.C. shows how criminalization becomes a weapon to control dissent and how media control and propaganda help to create the pre-text for such actions. Even as a federal court ordered the closure of Florida’s “Alligator Alcatraz” detention site, reminding us that resistance can win, these moments expose how criminalization has long been a tactic used to both suppress participation and punish those who resist. Our task is to confront these authoritarian actions head-on, defending democratic values and activity while challenging the systems of control that seek to silence it.
Act:
Join May Day Strong from the next mass mobilization on Labor Day.
Learn:
Watch:
1 Million Rising train series on non-compliance
Read:
Florida appeals against judge’s order to close ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ immigration jail
Gender & LGBTQ Justice
Every body is sacred. Side With Love unapologetically affirms that trans people are divine, that abortion is a blessing, and that no one is disposable. Attacks on identity is a part of a divide and conquer tactic that relies on the belief that one group’s safety comes at the expense of another group’s safety. Solidarity is the moral and strategic mandate of our time, and we must rise to challenge these attacks and build communities of care and safety for all.
Act:
Apply to be an All-Options Talkline Advocate
(Deadline to apply is 11:59pm PST on Sunday, Sept 14th, 2025).
The All-Options Talkline offers peer-based counselling and support to people of all experiences and beliefs regarding abortion, adoption, infertility, parenting, and pregnancy loss. Interested volunteers who are passionate about reproductive justice and emotional support are encouraged to apply to be a Talkline Advocate, and to indicate which of the trainings they will attend if they are selected. Find out more about the All-Options Talkline and application process here.
Join:
“Religious Liberty Law & Abortion Restrictions,”
Tuesday September 2 at 7pmET/4pmPT
Sign up to attend the third session of the Faithful Futures: Empowering Action for Reproductive Justice series, organized by the Renewed Clergy Consultation Service. Join Dr. Christine Ryan, Associate Director of the Law, Rights, & Religion Project at Columbia University, for a training on whether religious exemption claims can be used to support reproductive justice. Registration closes 48 hours before the session. Learn more about the Faithful Futures series and sign up for additional trainings in September here.
Watch/Listen:
“Care Outside of Medical Systems” (Webinar from ReproAction)
Featuring speakers from Women on Web, the National Black Doulas Association, and Holistic Abortion, this webinar from ReproAction explores the realities of seeking medical care outside of medical systems. Beginning with a discussion of some of the reasons why someone might seek such care - from doctor’s dismissing and ignoring concerns, to racial insensitivity, to cost and inaccessibility – speakers unpack the United States’ long history of medical neglect, and what care outside of traditional channels means in this day in age.