In response to the news that the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade on Friday June 24, 2022, I collaborated with Knitwear company Knitup to design the Keep Your Laws Off My Body sweater. This wearable garment is an artwork, a form of political protest and a fundraising tool.
The words KEEP YOUR LAWS OFF MY BODY wrap repeatedly around the front back and sleeves of the sweater, like a knitted fair isle pattern. The words reflect text first seen on pro-choice protest signs from the late 1960s. I chose green and white as the colours of the garment to pay homage to the ‘green wave’ – a colour now synonymous with the campaign for safe and legal abortion in Argentina, which has been revived in recent US abortion protests as a means of demonstrating global solidarity around this issue.
This sweater also has a personal dimension for me. I am producing it in honour of my great grandmother, Lena Michalski, who died having a back-alley abortion when my grandmother was just a baby. Lena’s death tragically altered the trajectory of my grandmother's life, in turn affecting my mother’s life and upbringing. Laws preventing people who need abortions from getting them affect generations to come. We must wear our hearts and politics on our sleeve and work together in solidarity to support access to safe solutions.
By purchasing and wearing this sweater, we can raise funds for further action. Click here to purchase your own KEEP YOUR LAWS OFF MY BODY knitted sweater or tee for $100 USD (includes shipping anywhere in the world!)
All proceeds go to The National Network of Abortion Funds (NNAF) - who work to remove financial and logistical barriers to abortion access for those that have or need abortions by centering people who have abortions and organizing at the intersections of racial, economic, and reproductive justice. The NNAF was chosen for the value it places on intersectionality, autonomy, collective power and compassion – and its emphasis on supporting abortion access through providing decentralized support. NNAF is comprised of 80 member organizations across the United States. Member organizations may use funds provided to work with clinics to pay for abortions. Some may also use funds to cover the cost of transportation, childcare, translation, doula services, and somewhere to stay if the fund receipt must travel to receive an abortion.
Kate Just, June 2022