Regular listeners know that The RJ Happy Hour Podcast was fortunate to receive a seed grant from inroads, without which we would have really struggled to get this ornery baby out of our brains and into the 'real' world. This March, we took the podcast live to inroads' Global Member Gathering in Zagreb, Croatia, during which we had the pleasure of interviewing artists and abortion activists Siobhán Clancy and Emma Campbell.
Based in Ireland and Northern Ireland respectively, they speak with us about the upcoming May 25th referendum to repeal the Eighth Amendment in Ireland - which equated the life of a fetus with that of the pregnant person, in violation of the UDHR. We also get into the separate set of laws that ensures the Northern Irish lack access to the same rights to safe abortion as their counterparts in the rest of the U.K. Forced to "take the boat" to England, the barrier is enormous for anyone lacking funds or time to travel, and can cause undue stress for other reasons as well.
Much like the lovely duo SXonomics whose insights we shared with you last time, Siobhán and Emma exude the kind of chemistry that comes from a history of collaboration based on mutual respect and admiration, combined with shared excitement and dedication to the same vision. They will get you fired up to protest, make some art, and more than that to make it in cahoots with your female comrades who make everything better!
Check out Abortion Rights Campaign and Alliance for Choice and our Happy Hour Specials page for more info about abortion rights in Ireland and Northern Ireland, and updated news about #Repealthe8th campaign. Now is the time to donate to help canvassers keep going strong right up to the vote! Hashtags #Repealthe8th, #Together4Yes, #trustwomen, and #allies4choice would be great additions to your social media feed leading up to the 25th 👍.
**This was a live recording during a very energetic conference with concurrent panels, so please excuse the moments of interference that we could not remove from the recording.**