March 10, 2023: Abortion Provider Appreciation Day

WHEREAS, on March 10, 1993, Dr. David Gunn was shot and killed by a white supremacist, anti-abortion extremist, in the first known instance of the murder of an abortion provider; and,

WHEREAS, to honor his memory, March 10 has since been established as a day to show appreciation for the high-quality care that abortion providers and clinic staff provide, and to celebrate their courage, compassion, and dedication to their work; and,

WHEREAS, the decision about whether and when to become a parent is one of the most important life decisions a person can make, and abortion providers must be accessible in order for people to make their own decisions about their own bodies, lives, and futures; and,

WHEREAS, abortion providers and clinic staff help to  support their patients’ decisions by treating them with dignity, compassion, and respect; and,

WHEREAS, the  well-documented reality that recent restrictions in some states have forced many abortion clinics to shut down, such that ninety percent of counties in the United States today do not have an abortion provider, while the Abortion Care Network found that the number of independent abortion clinics in the United States has declined by one third since 2012; and, 

WHEREAS, this shortage creates and increases the out-of-pocket costs and logistical burdens that patients face to get care, while exposing the remaining abortion providers and staff to increased levels of harassment and politically motivated restrictions; and, 

WHEREAS, the National Abortion Federation’s 2018 statistics on violence and disruption found an alarming escalation in incidences of obstruction, vandalism, and trespassing at abortion clinics; and,

WHEREAS, in 2022, the Supreme Court of the United States overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, putting women and abortion providers at risk for arrest or jail; and,

WHEREAS, abortion providers and clinic staff courageously provide care in the face of these restrictions, political interference, and threats to their personal safety; and,

WHEREAS, reproductive health care, including abortion care, is essential, time-sensitive health care that should never be delayed; and,

WHEREAS, abortion providers and the clinic staff who support them and their patients are an essential and valued part of Michigan’s health care, providing quality, compassionate, and necessary health care to both community members and those who travel here for care;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Gretchen Whitmer, governor of Michigan, do hereby proclaim March 10, 2023, as Abortion Provider Appreciation Day in Michigan to honor Dr. Gunn’s memory and celebrate the courage, compassion, and the high-quality care that abortion providers and clinic staff, including Planned Parenthood of Michigan, provide.