Power to the People: Michiganders help UP neighbors gain access to abortion resources

Michiganders are working together to help residents of the Upper Peninsula take back control of their reproductive health, as frozen federal funding leaves many without care. 

Since Gov. Gretchen Whitmer repealed Michigan’s antiquated abortion ban in 2022, Michiganders have had abortion protections baked into the state constitution. However, protections don’t equal access—especially if you live north of the bridge. 

“Just because a given state has constitutional protections or has abortion access on paper, that does not mean there are abortion clinics that are functioning and accessible…Michigan is a really good illustration of that,” said Amelia Bonow, cofounder and executive director of Shout Your Abortion—an organization that works with communities to produce media, campaigns, and resources to create a world where abortion is free, de-stigmatized, and accessible in every community across the country.

Bonow said paving the way for legal abortions across the state is a strong step by the state government. But for residents of the Upper Peninsula, where President Trump’s funding cuts are eroding health care options and creating health care deserts, actually getting help for an unplanned pregnancy is becoming difficult. 

“Just because there is this access on paper, it doesn’t mean anything to the 200,000 people living in this vast rural area. If you have to drive hours to the nearest clinic, is that really meaningful access to abortion?” 

It’s one example of how important mail-order abortion pills can be. Since Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022, the number of people across the US who have ordered abortion pills to keep in their medicine cabinets just in case they might need them has increased.

Having the pills on hand is great for people who want to be prepared to help themselves or their loved ones—and it can be the fastest way to get care if you live in a reproductive health desert like the UP. 

Bonow said raising awareness around accessing abortion pills by mail is especially important right now, after the Trump administration froze roughly $35 million in federal Title X funding earlier this year, forcing several Planned Parenthood facilities to close their doors in Northern Michigan. That left just one abortion provider in Marquette to serve the entire Upper Peninsula. 

Read more: Michigan to lose multiple Planned Parenthood locations as Trump freezes Title X funds

Jex Blackmore, a long-time reproductive rights activist, agrees. As the founder of the Hydra Mutual Aid Fund, a grassroots group based in Detroit that reduces financial barriers by providing direct support for abortion care whenever possible, Blackmore has witnessed firsthand how having accurate access to information about abortion has empowered Michiganders. 

“We care a lot that people understand that they have options and that there are multiple ways to get abortions regardless of where you live. We can come together and come up with a way to use our skills and resources to get that information out,” said Blackmore, who also serves as Shout Your Abortion’s organizing director. 

That’s why Shout Your Abortion, alongside the Hydra Mutual Aid Fund and Plan C, recently launched a nationwide abortion campaign to help spread information about how abortion pills are safe, effective, and available in all 50 states—regardless of what the state laws may be—and can be purchased in advance to have on hand in case of an unwanted pregnancy. 

The campaign features two short films, one featuring a teenage girl and the other spotlighting a single mother of two, both of whom find out that they are pregnant and have access to abortion pills on hand, and links to a website that provides national resources for accessing abortion-related care. 

Na Forest Lim, an award-winning film director and photojournalist who directed the campaign’s short films, said they spent a significant amount of time talking to friends, neighbors, and communities near their home in Detroit about experiences surrounding abortion before filming. 

“I wanted to create this film that speaks the truth for so many people,” Lim said, adding that they wanted to show how not all abortion stories are the same. 

“There’s this stereotype that people who take abortion pills are maybe low-income or people of color, but that’s not actually true. A lot of wealthy people go through this, too,” said Lim.

After the nationwide campaign launched in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula back in October, the PSA-style short films were seen by thousands of Michiganders during prime time on TV stations across the UP. A billboard on US Highway 41 outside of Marquette helped even more Michiganders learn about accessing abortion pills by mail. 

“I think the beautiful thing about the way that this project has evolved is that it is just a group of people who care a lot about a thing,” Blackmore said, adding that they hope that this campaign inspires other Michiganders to speak out about the issues impacting their communities.

“We’re doing this for everybody. Every pocket of this country should know that these medications are safe, effective, and available in all 50 states, regardless of state laws,” Bonow said.

“If people want to end a pregnancy using pills by mail, they have the power to do that, and there are organizations that are set up to support them in that process.”

If you live in the UP and need help getting an abortion, check out this guide from the Hydra Mutual Aid Fund. 

For more information about local abortion resources and support, visit youalwayshaveoptions.com.