Our Supreme Court should be like us.

The National Network of Abortion Funds has no faith that Supreme Court nominee Justice Neil Gorsuch is willing or able to ensure the justice and equality sorely needed by every person living in this nation, particularly people who have abortions. We will fight the nomination now, and we are ready to fight for a generation if need be. Justice Gorsuch does not satisfy our requirements for a Supreme Court justice who truly represents our core constituencies. Instead, he would pile on to the Supreme Court’s already ample representation of wealthy, white cisgender men that have a long, consistent history of denying freedom to people not like them. In our vision for the future, power and resources, including abortion access, are not limited by privilege, wealth, zip code, citizenship, or race.

We want a Supreme Court justice who reflects our lived experience and the power and potential we see in ourselves. We want a Supreme Court justice who knows what it means to struggle to get by. Whose rights have been threatened. Who knows what it means to fear for the life of their child if they are targeted by law enforcement based on race, gender identity, where they worship, or immigration status. Who has had to pay out of pocket for birth control and an abortion or who has had to call an abortion fund because they could not do it alone. A justice who has come out to their family and friends as genderqueer. Who is a woman of color. We want a Supreme Court justice who knows what justice looks and feels like because they have felt its absence.

We want a Supreme Court justice with a track record of support for people who need it most. Who believes in fairness and honesty and won’t privilege their personal religious beliefs over equality. Who is not seeking to gain power through their position but seeks to share power with those of us who are currently feeling powerless. Who has over and over again defended the freedoms that currently seem to be slipping through our fingers, or too far away to see.

The track record we see from Justice Gorsuch undermines our reproductive justice values and our basic freedoms. He has taken the side of religious organizations and corporations who bring challenges to the Affordable Care Act, including limiting access to contraception in Hobby Lobby and the Little Sisters of the Poor. He expressed willingness to bend the rules of law and fact to defund Planned Parenthood in Utah. He believes that he knows what’s best for our lives and experiences better than we do.

Now is the time to respond and let your Senators know we are not willing to accept this nominee.