NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Tennessee's near-total ban on abortion is about to take effect. There are no exceptions for cases of rape or incest, which the Sexual Assault Center wants reconsidered.
"Them having that choice is so important in the healing process," said Lorraine McGuire, vice president of marketing and development at the Sexual Assault Center. "To not have a choice is re-traumatizing because their control was taken away during the assault."
On Aug. 25, Tennessee law will prohibit anyone from performing or attempting abortion at any stage of a pregnancy, unless terminating the pregnancy could prevent the death of the mother.
The Sexual Assault Center plans to approach lawmakers and ask that rape and incest victims be exceptions too.
"It is not going to be an easy thing. I have a little bit of hope after seeing in states like Kansas and Arizona, where 60-70% of the population said this is too restrictive, that's not what we're looking for. I think for the most part — when you have a conversation and help people understand this is what we're thinking and what is actually at stake here — they are going to be compassionate," McGuire said.
In addition to fighting to make sure assault victims have a choice, the Sexual Assault Center will not tolerate anything that makes the state law more severe.
"We also plan to oppose legislation that could criminalize up to felonies in some states. We're talking about taking voting rights away from people that are victimized, and just continuing to compile on victimization is not what we need as a society. We are better than that," McGuire said.
Any bills the Sexual Assault Center gets filed will have to be co-signed by a Republican and a Democrat. It has had success on the hill in the past. In 2021, it helped extend the number of years that rape victims have to report the incident to law enforcement from two to 10 years.
