1 in 3 IllumiNation Tour in Nashville. (Image courtesy of Advocates for Youth)

1 in 3 IllumiNation Tour in Nashville. (Image courtesy of Advocates for Youth)

A tour that began in the Texas state capital is culminating in D.C. on Saturday evening, when abortion activists will project images onto the Supreme Court.

It’s called the 1 in 3 IllumiNation Tour, named for the statistic that 30 percent of U.S. women will have an abortion by the time they’re 45. Organizers want to draw attention to reproductive rights as the Supreme Court gets set to make a decision in a major case about the issue.

The group will meet at 8:30 p.m. outside the Supreme Court. Artist Robin Bell helped design the so-called light brigades, which spell out “STAND WITH 1 IN 3.”

Like the legislation in question at the highest court, the group Advocates for Youth began the tour in Austin, Texas, followed by Tennessee, Indiana, Ohio, and West Virginia. The Supreme Court will rule on the parts of the law that require doctors performing abortions to have admitting privileges at a nearby hospital and compel clinics to have the same standards as hospitals. The forthcoming ruling has national implications as states continue to pass laws limiting access to abortion.

In effect, the Texas law would shutter all but 10 clinics in the state, and has already made abortions more expensive and complicated to obtain.

One abortion doctor in D.C. told DCist that she’s seen a good number of patients come to the city from Texas for the procedure. “Every patient I’ve seen from Texas has said the exact same thing: ‘I’m so lucky that I could come,'” Dr. Jamila Perritt said.

While its laws are less onerous than the one passed in Texas, Virginia has also seen clinic closures after new regulations complicate their ability to stay open.

“What we see as medical professionals, as these laws are put into place, is that it’s barely hidden contempt masquerading as concern,” Perritt told DCist. “These laws don’t help women, they hurt women. And those who are most vulnerable are hit the hardest.”

D.C. Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton participated in a 1 in 3 speakout earlier this year, talking about the unique position in which Congress puts the District, and in particular its low-income women, regarding abortion. Congress continues to prevent the city from using local funds to subsidize the procedure for low-income women.

A playlist for the event tomorrow night features songs like “Light Up,” “Ain’t Your Momma,” and “Glamorous.”

Filed Under: 1 in 3, abortion, advocates for youth, supreme court, texas,