--- title: One Year After Whole Woman's Health Abortion Rights Victory description: Read Whole Woman's Health CEO Amy Hagstrom Miller's reflection on the year since the Supreme Court's landmark abortion rights ruling. canonical: https://time.com/4835000/whole-womans-health-abortion-rights-supreme-court-anniversary/ author: Amy Hagstrom Miller article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-06-27T17:51:39.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-04-13T09:05:45.381Z og:title: A Year After Landmark SCOTUS Ruling Abortion Rights Are Still Under Attack og:description: CEO Amy Hagstrom Miller reflects on the anniversary of Whole Woman's Health v. Hellerstedt og:url: https://time.com/4835000/whole-womans-health-abortion-rights-supreme-court-anniversary/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt884cdb3e2a88fb10/6988d37c196cf43f5a040ca5/whole-womans-health-abortion-rights-supreme-court-anniversary1.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: U.S. Supreme Court Issues Major Opinions On Abortion And Gun Rights og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: A Year After Landmark SCOTUS Ruling Abortion Rights Are Still Under Attack twitter:description: CEO Amy Hagstrom Miller reflects on the anniversary of Whole Woman's Health v. Hellerstedt twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt884cdb3e2a88fb10/6988d37c196cf43f5a040ca5/whole-womans-health-abortion-rights-supreme-court-anniversary1.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # A Year After Landmark SCOTUS Ruling Abortion Rights Are Still Under Attack by [Amy Hagstrom Miller](https://time.com/author/amy-hagstrom-miller/) ## Amy Hagstrom Miller Contributor Contributor Jun 27, 2017 5:51 PM UTC  Texas abortion provider Amy Hagstrom-Miller is overcome from the applause as she walks down the steps of the United States Supreme Court with Nancy Northup, President of The Center for Reproductive Rights on June 27, 2016 in Washington, DC. Texas abortion provider Amy Hagstrom-Miller is overcome from the applause as she walks down the steps of the United States Supreme Court with Nancy Northup, President of The Center for Reproductive Rights on June 27, 2016 in Washington, DC.Pete Marovich—Getty Images by [Amy Hagstrom Miller](https://time.com/author/amy-hagstrom-miller/) ## Amy Hagstrom Miller Contributor Contributor Jun 27, 2017 5:51 PM UTC One year ago today, we saw the U.S. Supreme Court hand down, in the [_Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt_](http://time.com/4384657/supreme-court-abortion-nancy-northup/)decision, one of the most powerful victories for reproductive health, rights and justice we have seen in a generation. I find it difficult to take a moment to celebrate this anniversary today. As I reflect on the past year, it’s often hard to see bright spots. The election of our 45th president has been a disaster for us morally and ethically. It has torn us apart and is so destructive and so alarming. And we have witnessed terrible injustices such as those done to [Philando Castile](http://time.com/4832609/philando-castile-family-settlement/) and [Sandra Bland](http://time.com/4291644/sandra-bland-jail-review-panel/). These are the byproducts of our American legacy of hatred and bigotry, and it’s hard to raise a glass to our Supreme Court victory in light of these injustices happening at the same time. That said, I must challenge us to raise a glass anyway, despite the ongoing cruelty, to celebrate the victories we do win along the way. _Whole Woman’s Health_ was an example of the little gal fighting back against the big guy. May our legacy be to inspire others to do the same. I want you to have faith that your work matters, your voice matters and your righteousness in the face of adversity and oppression matters. Justice is not static. It’s not achieved once and then complete. It requires constant push back — linking our arms across barriers that are constructed to keep us disconnected, isolated, afraid, angry and hopeless. And because of that, we at Whole Woman’s Health know we cannot win one battle, then sit back and say, “My work here is done. My contribution has been enough.” The reality is not nearly enough has been done with the _Whole Woman’s Health_ precedent and all that this decision means and the kind of relief it can bring to women across the country. Since June 2016, we have seen multiple states beyond Texas’s borders get relief from [targeted regulation of abortion providers (TRAP) laws](https://www.guttmacher.org/state-policy/explore/targeted-regulation-abortion-providers) — from [Virginia](https://www.reproductiverights.org/press-room/va-board-of-health-protects-womens-access-to-constitutionally-protected-health-care) to [Alabama](http://www.wtok.com/content/news/Alabama-attorney-general-ends-fight-over-abortion-law-384604261.html) to [Mississippi to Wisconsin](http://www.slate.com/blogs/xx%5Ffactor/2016/06/28/scotus%5Fruling%5Fin%5Fwhole%5Fwoman%5Fs%5Fhealth%5Fis%5Fjust%5Fthe%5Fbeginning.html) to [Tennessee](https://www.law360.com/articles/913831/tenn-abortion-laws-shot-down-after-2016-high-court-ruling). The precedent set in _Whole Woman’s Health_ has also been used at least [twice](https://rewire.news/article/2016/08/05/whole-womans-health-breathes-new-life-voting-rights-cases/) to date to restore voting rights to people who were being targeted or discriminated against. This is a powerful legacy and just the beginning of what we can use _Whole Woman’s Health_ to achieve. I am so very proud we brought this lawsuit to the Supreme Court. However, it’s only the beginning for Whole Woman’s Health, and for us all. We will remain vigilant and proactive. We will challenge injustice, even when the odds are against us. Our opposition may have more power, more money and a bigger mouth, but we will continue to fight back against TRAP laws because it’s the right thing to do. Because all people deserve access to the same rights, no matter where they live, their ability to pay or the color of their skin. The _Whole Woman’s Health_ decision has emboldened our opposition. Just days after we won our landmark case, back in Texas, the Health and Human Services Commission proposed [new regulations on fetal tissue disposal](https://www.texastribune.org/2016/07/06/texas-wants-aborted-fetuses-be-buried-or-cremated/) with no regard for the Supreme Court’s ruling. Our opposition is unabashed in its abuse of power and the perpetuation of shame and stigma with the end goal of stagnating women. That’s what restricting women’s access to safe abortion services is all about: Chipping away at our dignity, denying our bodily autonomy and preventing us from actualizing our full humanity. It’s not simply about abortion itself — it’s about what access to a full range of reproductive options represents and allows for women. That’s the reality I battle every day, and it’s why we continue to cultivate resiliency in the fight for access to abortion care for all. I can promise you today, one year after our victory, that you can count on us to fight for you for years to come. We all are lifted up when the women in our communities have true and full equality. _Amy Hagstrom Miller is the CEO of_ [_Whole Woman’s Health_](http://wholewomanshealth.com/) _and lead plaintiff in_ Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4835000/whole-womans-health-abortion-rights-supreme-court-anniversary/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4835000/whole-womans-health-abortion-rights-supreme-court-anniversary/"},"headline":"A Year After Landmark SCOTUS Ruling Abortion Rights Are Still Under Attack","datePublished":"2017-06-27T17:51:39.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T09:05:45.381Z","description":"CEO Amy Hagstrom Miller reflects on the anniversary of Whole Woman's Health v. 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