Utah chosen for rally of religious reproductive rights by The Satanic Temple

(KUTV) — UPDATE: (Nov. 1, 2019) -- The steps of the Utah State Capitol is the chosen location for a spring rally by The Satanic Temple for religious reproductive rights.

There was an exciting battle in the end between Indianapolis and Salt Lake City, but Salt Lake City pull through in the end. Due to the cold weather, we will not be staging the rally until the spring, but we will be working on it until then. Among other things, this will include getting good speakers and developing materials that show our ongoing efforts to protect reproductive rights.

ORIGINAL STORY

The Satanic Temple (TST) is staging a rally for religious reproductive rights and women’s health at the capital of one of the states with the most egregiously restrictive abortion laws including Utah.

Other states considered include Indiana, Missouri, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, North Dakota, and Ohio.

A press release stated that supporters determine the location of the rally by making a donation in the name of the state of their choice, and then the location with the most donations is the selected rally site.

Chalice Blythe, a member of TST’s National Council, stated in the news release that the purpose of the fundraiser and rally are to support the organization's "ongoing battle against the erosion of reproductive rights and to address the religious and cultural prejudice rooted in the challenges women face when seeking proper healthcare, including abortion, that affect the bodily autonomy of all, including the LGBTQ+ community.

As a religious organization, TST insists that its members are exempt from obstacles to abortion access in accordance with their beliefs under both the First Amendment and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA)."

He went onto say:

These laws, which are justified by the systemic treatment of women as second class citizens rooted in patriarchal religious influence, are a continuous effort to restrict their bodily autonomy, affecting the rights and healthcare of all women and anyone capable of reproduction. It is our hope to draw attention to the root cause of an issue that doesn't just affect women but impacts the lives of anyone this misogynistic and often religious-based thinking targets.

TST stated that it plans to fight restrictions in court to protect their rights. The winning state is going to be announced when the fundraising campaign ends at 11:59 p.m., October 31st.

To view the campaign that will determine where The Satanic Temple will rally, visit https://reproductiverightsrally.com