Forum on reproductive rights to be hosted by DeKalb County League of Women Voters

DeKALB – The DeKalb County League of Women Voters will host a forum on reproductive rights Dec. 6 in DeKalb.

The 90-minute forum will take place in the Yusunas Room of the DeKalb Public Library, 309 Oak St., from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Questions from the audience to the speakers will be accepted at the conclusion of the event.

The forum, titled “Exploring the Impact of Reproductive Rights and Healthcare Decision-making,” is being put on through the efforts of the co-chairs of the DeKalb League of Women Voters, Human, Civil, and Reproductive Rights Committee, Linda Slabon and Rachel Banick.

Slabon said she and others on the committee had been following the news surrounding the U.S. Supreme Court’s reversal of the Roe v. Wade decision on June 24 – which had previously protected abortion access under federal law – and asked themselves how they could educate the community on the topic. The women decided to put on an in-person forum to discuss reproductive rights.

“Part of my concern was to have local speakers. I wanted people from our own area who know our community,” Slabon, 66, said.

Participants will include Reverend Janet Hunt, a pastor at First Lutheran Church in DeKalb, Reverend Eric Ogi, a pastor at the Federated Church of Sycamore, Molly Morris, an associate pastor ministry of youth, families and community outreach at Westminister Presbyterian Church in DeKalb and Evan Bernick, a professor in the college of law at Northern Illinois University.

Slabon will speak to those who attend the free forum before introducing Morris, who is expected to talk about facing current problems and issues involving reproductive rights. Bernick will bring his legal expertise to the forefront as the second speaker before yielding the floor to Ogi, who will discuss a biblical perspective to reproductive rights and address calls to justice. Hunt will close out the forum by speaking on ethical understandings and pastoral care.

“These are three different Christian churches ... who the ministers come from, and we are hoping in the future we might have another forum with different representation,” said Slabon, a DeKalb resident of 30 years.

According to a news release from the DeKalb League of Women Voters, the local organization affirmed a statement from the national organization that said, “Every U.S. resident should have access to affordable, quality health care, including birth control and the privacy to make reproductive choice.”

“So this is our first one and we’re incredibly grateful to the people who said yes because I think for them to speak at this time is incredibly generous,” Slabon said. “It’s showing some courage because things are very uncertain at this point.”