For Immediate Release
June 1, 2017
Contact: Amy Lebowitz, Camino PR
212.255.2575 / amy@caminopr.com

NEW YORK — Earlier this week, a leaked draft was released of a Trump administration ruling that would allow employers to bypass the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) contraceptive mandate by permitting for-profit and non-profit religious and moral exemptions. This new leaked rule comes on the heels of President Trump’s executive order easing contraceptive mandates for religious organizations. National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF) Executive Director Sung Yeon Choimorrow issued the following statement in response:

“The majority of Americans support birth control access. Nearly 99 percent of all sexually active women have used birth control at some point in their life and 65 percent of young people believe employer health care coverage should include birth control and contraception at no cost. Despite this widespread support, the Trump administration continues to attack and jeopardize the reproductive decision-making for millions of Americans—at the expense of women of color and low-income women.

“Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) women already report low rates of contraceptive use. Our communities need fewer barriers to birth control access—not more. The ability to choose family planning methods and make decisions about if and when to have children is imperative for AAPI women, transgender, and gender non-conforming people. The ability to plan our families should not be contingent on who we are or where we work. Yet, that is the reality that many AAPI women, transgender, and gender non-conforming people may face if this rule goes into effect.

“We are not fooled. Since the election, we have seen a rise in anti-Muslim hate groups and reported hate crimes. Just last week, two men were murdered and another stabbed after coming to the defense of two Muslim women being harassed in Portland, Oregon. The Trump administration does not value religious or moral freedom—they have been undermining that very right since they came into office. We will resist this administration’s hypocritical and unjust rule from stripping contraceptive access from our communities. And we will continue to advocate for the right of each person to practice their religious and spiritual beliefs without government or employer interference.”

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The National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF) is the only multi-issue, progressive, community organizing, and policy advocacy organization for Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) women and girls in the U.S. NAPAWF’s mission is to build a movement to advance social justice and human rights for AAPI women and girls.