Forty-three years after the Supreme Court’s landmark Roe v. Wade decision West Hollywood commemorated the fight for women’s health rights with two events.

Rebecca Griffin with NARAL Pro-Choice California, left, stands with members of the West Hollywood Women’s Advisory Board at Tuesday’s city council meeting. (photo by Patricia Sanchez)

Roe v. Wade established that abortion is protected as a fundamental right under the guarantee of personal privacy. Any regulations limiting abortion would have to be justified by a compelling state interest.

On Tuesday night, West Hollywood hosted “Pink Out,” an event that encouraged people to wear pink to commemorate the 43rd anniversary and raise awareness about current issues affecting women’s reproductive rights. During Tuesday’s city council meeting, West Hollywood Mayor Lindsey Horvath spoke about the importance of women’s reproductive rights and the struggle many women still face when it comes to reproductive healthcare.

“Although federal law supports a woman’s right to choose, women today are still under fire when it comes to their reproductive rights,” Horvath said. “Today, state legislation is making access to abortion increasingly more difficult … Is abortion a constitutional right that surmounts state policy that may impede a woman’s choice? Or is it a limited right that’s subject to restriction. In other words, who’s in more control of my body? Me, or the state I live in?”

As the first city in the nation to be pro-choice, Horvath said, the city should stand by all women and the right to have control over their body.

“A right to a safe and legal abortion is still under threat, and there are ongoing challenges to abortion access as well as to reproductive health services in general,” Horvath said.

Tina Moore, a board member for the West Hollywood Women’s Advisory Board, said it’s important for the city to support events like the “Pink Out” and for people to be aware of ongoing stigmas surrounding pro-choice advocates.

“We have to remember that this city was the first to support pro-choice,” Moore said. “This event celebrates reproductive freedom and the importance of being able to utilize that freedom.”

Rebecca Griffin, NARAL Pro-Choice California’s assistant director said 2016 marks a very pivotal year for women and their reproductive rights.

“We’re not here today because we’re celebrating a medical procedure,” Griffin said. “We’re here today because we all have things that we want to achieve in our lives … and true reproductive freedom means that we get the opportunity to live the lives that all of us were meant to lead.”

This year, the [U.S.] Supreme Court will hear its first case on abortion since 2007, Griffin said, and several elections will  influence abortion and reproductive rights. She said while there have been many advances for women’s rights, there is still a battle to be faced when it comes to complete freedom of choice for reproductive healthcare.

“[We’re here] to celebrate but also to get ready for the fight that we have ahead of us,” Griffin said.

Today, the Women’s Advisory Board, NCJW/LA and organizations from across California will come together to host “In Our Own Words: Standing Together for Reproductive Rights, Health, and Justice,” an event to educate women on reproductive rights, celebrate the successes pro-choice advocates have had thus far and address upcoming issues.

“It’s really important for us to celebrate this right now and think about reproductive rights and social justice for women,” said Maya Paley, NCJW/LA’s director of legislative and community engagement. “Right now there are many laws that make it difficult for women to get the healthcare they need. We’re going to talk about all these issues through guest speakers from across California.”

Thursday’s event, Paley said, will cover issues and open avenues for conversation through storytelling. Many of the speakers, she said, have inspiring stories that educate and resonate with women across the board.

“We’re focusing on justice and on access to these rights,” Paley said. “We’re going to talk about both recent successes and current challenges for reproductive rights and justice this year.”

Other guest speakers will talk about current policies that pose a threat to women’s reproductive healthcare, as well as laws that have helped make reproductive healthcare for women more accessible.

Celinda Vazquez, vice president of public communication for Planned Parenthood Los Angeles, said there have been several positive steps forward in the past few years for women’s rights, including Assembly Bill 2348, which helped increase access to birth control.

“It’s time for everyone to come together and recognize this date celebrating [Roe v. Wade],” Vazquez said. “We’ve come a long way, and we should celebrate that, but there’s also a disturbing reality that we’re still fighting for our [reproductive] rights. Commemorating Roe v. Wade reminds the public that we refuse to allow politicians to hold us back. It’s a reminder here in Los Angeles and across the country.”

In Our Own Words: Standing Together for Reproductive Rights, Health, and Justice is a free event and will take place from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the NCJW/LA Council House located at 543 N. Fairfax Ave.