Learn more about abortion access in Texas and our Just Texas program’s reproductive justice work this Dobbs Decision Anniversary.
Three years since our nation’s highest court overturned Roe v. Wade with their ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, Texans have shown they’ll never stop fighting for reproductive justice.
From Amarilloans rejecting a local ballot initiative that would have banned travel on local roads to receive legal abortions out of state, to hundreds of Texans testifying against statewide legislation seeking to criminalize legal abortions and logistical support from city governments, we’ve proven time and time again that Texans do not want abortion bans.
Texas holds special significance in reproductive rights history. Texas is where the Roe v. Wade case originated before becoming the law of the land, and since its fall, we’re building power to go beyond the protections the landmark case provided.
In 2025, our only choice is to build something new. Instead of mourning what we’ve lost, we want to celebrate what we’re creating through Texas Freedom Network’s program focused on organizing people of faith for reproductive justice and LGBTQIA+ equality: Just Texas.
What is Just Texas?
Texas Freedom Network’s project, Just Texas, was created in direct response to the far right’s weaponization of religion to steal our freedoms, particularly through anti-abortion legislation and restrictions on our access to reproductive healthcare.
Soon after the establishment of Just Texas, the program created the “Reproductive Freedom Congregation” initiative. To receive the designation, Reproductive Freedom Congregations undergo a framework of education and congregational community building. These congregations publicly affirm principles such as trusting and respecting people who can become pregnant, ensuring a stigma-free environment regarding reproductive decisions, and advocating for comprehensive and affordable reproductive healthcare.
Over the past few years, Just Texas has expanded its work from metropolitan areas to rural Texas communities through deep organizing, base building, and fostering community connections as we destigmatize abortion and change the narrative about reproductive health in faith spaces.
Just Texas Gives the Panhandle a “Lege Lowdown” and Engages Faith Communities for Reproductive Justice
After partnering with the Amarillo Reproductive Freedom Alliance and Texas Impact in 2024 to educate voters about Prop A, the proposed abortion travel ban, Just Texas continued expanding its work in the Panhandle.
In June 2025, our Just Texas Team traveled to Amarillo to host a “Lege 101” information session to educate the community about bills that passed this legislative session impacting abortion access, LGBTQIA+ equality, public education, and religious freedom. We also took time to educate the community about how they can take action in their community, at the State Board of Education (SBOE), within their local school districts, and at the ballot box.
“I was so thrilled to see how folks were engaged in the program and energized to take action, even after hearing about some of the devastating bills from this session,” said our Just Texas Manager, Shan Schaffer, who has led the expansion of Just Texas’ impact.
For communities like Amarillo, engaging in the legislative process in person can be extremely inaccessible. Throughout the event, our Just Texas team observed how vital this kind of programming is to educate and empower communities far away from the Texas Capitol.
While attendees learned and laughed together about some of the outrageous things that happened at the Capitol this year, they were strengthening their community and networks of support as Texans prepare for the impacts of hateful legislation passed this session.
Faith-Based Education Workshop
After giving Amarilloans a lowdown on the legislative session, our team hosted a Sex Ed + Faith in Texas workshop at a local congregation.
During the workshop, attendees participated in an enriching discussion about their experiences with sex education, how faith has shaped those experiences, and how people of faith can destigmatize these conversations in their own communities and take action for accurate, honest sex education in Texas.
As our team explained the role of the SBOE in shaping Texas’ sex education standards, attendees were excited to strategize about how to make their voices heard at the SBOE remotely.
Pride Field Day Community Building
To continue building community and power for LGBTQIA+ equality and reproductive justice, our Just Texas team joined the Amarillo Area Transgender Advocacy Group’s Pride Field Day. During this joyous event, the team proudly distributed banned books donated for our 2025 Read-In and connected with even more community members who feel seen by our mission.
“Even while community members spoke of heightened tensions, we were able to experience so much joy and continue building and making community,” said Just Texas Manager Shan Schaffer. “I was even able to reunite with an Amarillo advocate who had traveled almost 500 miles to Austin in March 2023 to join us at the Capitol when the gender-affirming care ban for transgender youth was heard in committee. I was so moved being able to connect with someone I had crossed paths with over two years ago in my hometown and to make joyful memories in theirs.”
Growing Impact Across Texas
With more congregations interested in becoming Reproductive Freedom Congregations in the Panhandle and throughout the state, the Just Texas team has witnessed how community-based organizing strengthens our fight for reproductive justice.
You can uplift our Just Texas program by donating today or learning how your own congregation can start the RFC process!
This Dobbs Decision Anniversary, we hope you’ll find your way to take action for reproductive justice. Visit our Post-Roe Action Center to learn more about the state of abortion access in Texas and see how you can join our fight for reproductive freedom.
Together, we can go beyond Roe.
