Why are Lawmakers Legislating Medicine? Dr. Jamila Perritt on the Harm of Abortion Bans - Episode 15

Dobbs Anniversary Bonus Episode: Choosing Hope, Building Power, & Launching My Body. My Ballot. | Episode 21

Four years after the Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v. Wade, Rep. Ayanna Pressley joins Mini Timmaraju to reflect on power, policy, and why the fight for reproductive freedom demands both urgency and hope. In this special episode we’re joined by reproductive freedom champion Rep. Pressley, co-chair of the Congressional Reproductive Freedom Caucus to reflect on where the movement stands four years into a post-Roe America—and what comes next. Together, they discuss the long-running anti-abortion campaign that led to Dobbs, the ongoing attacks on abortion access, contraception, IVF, and maternal health care, and why reproductive freedom remains deeply connected to democracy, economic security, and gender equality. Rep. Pressley also shares the moment she learned Roe had fallen, why "the people closest to the pain should be the closest to the power," and how organizers can continue building momentum in the face of relentless attacks on our freedoms. At a time when it’s easy to feel defeated or helpless, Pressley offers a different path forward: choosing hope over cynicism, organizing over despair, and refusing to give up on a more just future. “Because who wins determines the policies—and the policies determine who lives, who dies, who survives, and who thrives.” But this conversation isn't just about reflection—it's about action. At the end of the episode, Mini announces Reproductive Freedom for All's largest-ever electoral program, My Body. My Ballot., a nationwide effort to harness the power of the organization's 4.5 million members and the 8 in 10 Americans who support legal abortion. Four years after Dobbs, anti-abortion extremists have made clear they were never going to leave abortion "to the states." They continue targeting medication abortion, IVF, and contraception while advancing an agenda designed to move the country closer to a national abortion ban. Election after election, voters have rejected that agenda. The challenge now isn't convincing Americans that reproductive freedom matters. It's turning overwhelming public support into political power. Through My Body. My Ballot., Reproductive Freedom for All will hold anti-abortion politicians accountable at the ballot box and elect reproductive freedom champions in key races across the country—transforming public support into organizing power, political action, and electoral victories. IN THIS EPISODE: * Four years after Dobbs: where the fight stands today * Why reproductive freedom is about more than abortion access * Black maternal health and the broader struggle for gender equity * Why reproductive freedom remains a winning issue with voters * Mini announces Reproductive Freedom for All's largest-ever electoral program, My Body. My Ballot., and the strategy to turn support for legal abortion into political power * How Reproductive Freedom for All plans to mobilize its 4.5 million members and the 8 in 10 Americans who support legal abortion to hold anti-abortion politicians accountable and elect reproductive freedom champions * The power of organizing, coalition-building, and community * Choosing the discipline of hope over the ease of cynicism Episode recorded on June 10, 2026. Explore more episode resources: reproforall.org/podEP21 Sign up to get involved with Reproductive Freedom for All at reproforall.org/podlistener [https://reproforall.org/podlistener/] or Text VOTE to 59791. By providing your phone number, you are consenting to receive automated text messages from Reproductive Freedom for All at 59791 and other phone numbers. Donations will be solicited over texts. Message and data rates apply. Frequency varies. Text STOP to end. Text HELP for help. Visit https://reproductivefreedomforall.org/privacy-policy/ [https://reproductivefreedomforall.org/privacy-policy/] for more information. Dig the new show? Help us spread the word! Like and subscribe to My Body. My Pod. on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts.

LIVE from the 2026 Activist Summit: Rep. Jamie Raskin, Katie Phang, and Brittany Fonteno | Episode 20

We've got something really special for you this week. For the first time ever, we're bringing you a live recording of My Body. My Pod. from Reproductive Freedom for All's 2026 Activist Summit at the Howard Theatre in Washington, DC, where hundreds of activists from across the country gathered to build community, sharpen their organizing skills, and prepare for the fights ahead. At the heart of this conversation is a simple question: what happens when a generation of young women grows up with fewer rights than their mothers—and in some cases, fewer rights than their grandmothers? Four years after Dobbs, the consequences of abortion bans are no longer theoretical. Women have been denied emergency medical care. Families have endured preventable tragedy. Providers and patients face escalating threats and harassment. And women have died. Yet anti-abortion extremists continue pushing forward—attacking abortion access, threatening IVF, targeting providers, and laying the groundwork for even more restrictions on reproductive freedom. In this special episode, Mini sits down with Congressman Jamie Raskin, journalist Katie Phang, and National Abortion Federation President & CEO Brittany Fonteno for a candid conversation about what's at stake, why abortion remains one of the most salient issues in American politics, and what it will take to turn public support into political power. Together, they explore the connection between reproductive freedom and democracy, the power of storytelling, the importance of organizing, and the role activists can play in shaping the 2026 midterm elections. Because here's the reality: 8 in 10 Americans support legal abortion. That's more popular than either political party. More popular than any candidate on the ballot. The question isn't whether Americans support reproductive freedom. The question is whether we can organize that majority into a force powerful enough to create lasting change. Recorded live before a studio audience of activists, organizers, storytellers, and movement leaders, this episode is a celebration of people power—and a reminder that elections matter because they shape the policies that govern our lives. And when it comes to reproductive freedom, those policies can mean the difference between care and denial, freedom and control, life and death. We are 4.5 million members strong. And we're ready to fight like hell for a future where every person can make their own decisions about their body, their family, and their future. Episode recorded on June 1, 2026. Explore more episode resources: reproforall.org/podEP20 Sign up to get involved with Reproductive Freedom for All at reproforall.org/podlistener/ [https://reproforall.org/podlistener/] or Text POD to 59791. By providing your phone number, you are consenting to receive automated text messages from Reproductive Freedom for All at 59791 and other phone numbers. Donations will be solicited over texts. Message and data rates apply. Frequency varies. Text STOP to end. Text HELP for help. Visit https://reproductivefreedomforall.org/privacy-policy/ [https://reproductivefreedomforall.org/privacy-policy/] for more information. Dig the new show? Help us spread the word! Like and subscribe to My Body. My Pod. on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts.

Meet the Lawyer Beating Trump in Court: Skye Perryman on Democracy, Abortion Rights, and People Power | Episode 19

In this episode of My Body. My Pod., Mini Timmaraju sits down with Skye Perryman—President and CEO of Democracy Forward and one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People of 2025—to discuss the legal fights shaping reproductive freedom, voting rights, and democracy itself. From defending access to mifepristone against legally baseless fringe theories peddled by anti-abortion extremists, to challenging attacks on voting rights and government accountability, Skye has become one of the leading voices pushing back against efforts to roll back fundamental freedoms. Mini and Skye discuss: * Why mifepristone remains under attack—and what the latest court battles could mean for abortion access * How anti-abortion extremists are attempting to revive a 150-year-old law as a pathway to a national abortion ban * Why court reform is essential for protecting reproductive freedom and democracy * How attacks on voting rights, reproductive rights, and declining trust in democratic institutions are all deeply connected * What history teaches us about social change—and why people, not institutions alone, drive progress * Why organizing, storytelling, and civic engagement remain some of our most powerful tools Skye reminds us: lasting change has always come from people demanding it. “No institution ever handed down a decision that protected our rights. People pushed those institutions, and the people are responsible for those wins. And we're going to have to find that again and win again.” Episode recorded on May 18, 2026. Explore more episode resources: reproforall.org/podEP19 Sign up to get involved with Reproductive Freedom for All at reproforall.org/podlistener/ [https://reproforall.org/podlistener/] or Text VOTE to 59791. By providing your phone number, you are consenting to receive automated text messages from Reproductive Freedom for All at 59791 and other phone numbers. Donations will be solicited over texts. Message and data rates apply. Frequency varies. Text STOP to end. Text HELP for help.  Visit https://reproductivefreedomforall.org/privacy-policy/ [https://reproductivefreedomforall.org/privacy-policy/] for more information. Dig the new show? Help us spread the word! Like and subscribe to My Body. My Pod. on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts.

Waiting to Be “Dying Enough” for Pregnancy Care: Georgia Scientist Avery Davis Bell (with AIA) | Episode 18

In collaboration with Abortion in America [https://abortioninamerica.org/], our latest episode of My Body. My Pod. with Mini Timmaraju features Avery Davis Bell, a Georgia mother and genetics researcher who was forced to wait for emergency abortion care until complications were life-threatening. Avery was 18 weeks pregnant when her water broke—a medical emergency that made her pregnancy nonviable and placed her at risk for severe blood loss and sepsis. Even though her doctors knew she needed a D&E (Dilation and Evacuation) procedure, Georgia’s abortion ban created delays while providers determined whether her condition was “serious enough” to legally qualify her for care. Avery had every advantage: early prenatal care, expert medical knowledge, access to a major hospital system, and a strong support network.  Her story raises an urgent question: if someone with those resources struggle to receive timely emergency care, what happens to patients facing greater barriers to access? “It’s like insult to injury in the worst possible way,” Avery says.  Mini and Avery discuss: * How abortion bans interfere with emergency pregnancy care * Why abortion ban “exceptions” are designed to fail in real-world medical emergencies * What it means when doctors are forced to wait until patients become “sick enough” to receive treatment * How Georgia’s maternal health crisis is worsening under abortion bans * Why storytelling, organizing, and state elections matter in the fight for reproductive freedom Episode recorded on March 8, 2026 Thanks for listening! Make sure you hit the subscribe button to get notified when new episodes drop, and share this episode with a friend. Explore more episode resources at reproforall.org/podEP18 Sign up to get involved with Reproductive Freedom for All at reproforall.org/podlistener/ [https://reproforall.org/podlistener/] or Text POD to 59791. *By providing your phone number, you are consenting to receive mobile alerts from Reproductive Freedom for All at 59791 and other phone numbers. Message and data rates apply. Frequency varies. Text STOP to end. Text HELP for help. Dig the new show? Help us spread the word! Like and subscribe to My Body. My Pod. on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts.

Abortion Provider Renee Chelian on 50 Years of Protecting Patients, Fighting for Access | Episode 17

Abortion clinics have long been targets of coordinated blockades, harassment, and violence.  This reality has never stopped Rene Chelian, an abortion provider and advocate who has spent decades caring for patients and fighting for access. In this episode of My Body. My Pod., Mini Timmaraju sits down with Renee, Founder and CEO of Northland Family Planning Centers, to talk about what it takes to deliver care, protect patients and staff, and defend abortion access in the face of escalating threats.  With nearly 50 years on the front lines, Renee has lived through the full scope of anti-abortion extremism and helped advocate for the federal protections of patients seeking abortion care—the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act.  This episode is about resilience and the ongoing fight to protect abortion rights for everybody. Renee continues that work through Reclaim, an initiative focused on restoring dignity, confidence, and public support for abortion and reproductive rights through advocacy and education. Protecting abortion access requires all of us—providers, advocates, and communities—willing to stay in the fight.  Episode recorded on April 8, 2026.  Explore more episode resources: reproforall.org/podEP17  Sign up to get involved with Reproductive Freedom for All at reproforall.org/podlistener/ [https://reproforall.org/podlistener/] or Text POD to 59791. *By providing your phone number, you are consenting to receive mobile alerts from Reproductive Freedom for All at 59791 and other phone numbers. Message and data rates apply. Frequency varies. Text STOP to end. Text HELP for help. Dig the new show? Help us spread the word! Like and subscribe to My Body. My Pod. on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts.