Photos by Alyssa Schukar
August 30, 2024
TBS: Hi, Serra, tell us about your work at The Brigid Alliance.
SS: Sure! My name is Serra Sippel, and I’m Interim Executive Director of The Brigid Alliance – a leading practical support organization for abortion seekers across the United States. When women need to travel or cross state lines for reproductive healthcare, we provide that service. We work with our clients and also with abortion funds to provide individualized support for travel and lodging, meals, and childcare. We also provide “comfort care” – say a woman travels from warm climate to very cold temperatures. The Brigid Alliance might provide that client with a coat and gloves.
TBS: In 2024, reproductive healthcare has practically been eliminated in some states. What scares you the most right now?
SS: There are the obvious things, but something that worries me a great deal is that we have this notion that some states are OK. The truth is that while some states appear to have good policies, people still don’t have proper access to reproductive healthcare. There was so much energy about protecting Roe, but Roe was never really enough. Even before the Dobbs decision, 90 percent of U.S. counties had no abortion providers.
TBS: You work in a hard, hard space. How do you stay up for the challenge?
SS: First and foremost, it’s the women. When you are in conversation with a woman facing insurmountable challenges and still moving through this world with grace and love – that keeps me motivated. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating that there are politicians who want to control our bodies. Every time some male politician stands up and gleefully talks about this – it’s devastating and also motivating. Are you asking how I stay sane? I have two dogs that I take on long walks every morning. Being in the fresh air and saying hi to my neighbors clears my mind. My husband (who shares a commitment to justice) and I listen to jazz on vinyl and read the old-fashioned paper in the mornings. These things keep me grounded.
TBS: Looking out across the country, what gives you hope?
SS: The providers, the clinics, the grassroots activists, the funds, all the other support organizations – in the face of these radical politicians who want to control our bodies, they are standing up and saying ‘NO! You won’t take our rights away.’ Making abortion illegal doesn’t stop it from happening, it only makes it harder, more painful, and more difficult. What these lawmakers are doing is the height of cruelty.
TBS: Serra, how can we support you?
SS: We are only 6 years old – a very young organization. Like many abortion support organizations, The Brigid Alliance received a surge in visibility and financial support immediately after the Dobbs ruling in 2022. Across the movement, though, donations to abortion funds and practical support organizations are not keeping pace with the demand for services. There are now fewer providers than ever, requiring clients to travel even longer distances, and the costs of travel have increased significantly. Our goal is for The Brigid Alliance to become a household name, so we need people to have conversations with friends, families, and colleagues, even if they are not politically aligned. Abortion access is something that impacts everyone. Someone in your life may need help crossing state lines for their abortion care, and we want people to know there is a network of support to help make that happen. Oh, and finally, please vote.
People who wish to donate can do so at www.brigidalliance.org/donate.