In the face of states across the country banning abortion and a Supreme Court on the verge of letting them get away with it, this year in Colorado, we led the historic move to protect our fundamental right to abortion – now and always. By passing the Reproductive Health Equity Act (RHEA), we’re creating a future where all Coloradans can thrive – particularly Latino/a and other communities of color who face systemic barriers to accessing reproductive healthcare, including abortion care. 

The leadership of Latinas and our belief that we have the power to determine what is best for our own bodies, lives, and futures is why our fundamental right to abortion is protected in Colorado today.

We believe that true Reproductive Justice will exist when the movement is led by those most affected. When we build the collective power to ensure access to the resources to make the decisions about our own bodies, sexuality, relationships, and families, we – and our communities – thrive. 

All of us should have the fundamental freedom to lead a life with dignity and to thrive alongside our safe and healthy families and vibrant communities. That’s why we passed the Reproductive Health Equity Act.

• Every individual has the fundamental right to choose or refuse contraception; 
• Every individual who becomes pregnant has a fundamental right to choose to continue a pregnancy and give birth or to have an abortion; and 
• A fertilized egg, embryo, or fetus does not have independent rights under the laws of the state. 

The majority of Latino/as believe in protecting our fundamental right to abortion, now and always.

In 2021, COLOR led the first annual Colorado Latino Policy Agenda and heard from over 1,000 Latinos and over 150 Latino community leaders across the state. The data is clear in our findings: 

• A majority (66%) support passing laws to protect access to safe abortions and reproductive rights.  
• Progressives are more likely to support access to safe abortions (74%) but 67% of conservative Latinos do, too. 
• A strong majority (85%) of Latino leaders support passing laws to protect access to safe abortions and reproductive rights for state residents.

At the core of our movement for Reproductive Justice is community power. And this historic victory is just the beginning.

Our people-powered movement worked hard to pass the Reproductive Health Equity Act in Colorado, and we know that our work doesn’t end here. Protecting the legality of abortion is important, but the future we’re building is bigger than that – it’s about taking control of our own bodies, lives, and futures. 

COLOR works to advance reproductive justice for all Coloradans. COLOR’s approach centers on intersectionality with the knowledge that no person leads a single issue life. We challenge all barriers keeping communities from leading successful, self-determined lives by furthering environmental justice, economic justice, racial justice, immigrant rights, LGBTQIA+ liberation and more. We take a youth-to-elder approach, embracing the teachings of multiple generations in a cultura-centric way (meaning our work evokes and lifts up the traditions, language, and cultural identities of our communities). COLOR works to cultivate and develop our base of COLORistxs through a leadership ladder that authentically reflects the lives of those we serve.