The Mexican Gag Rule is a U.S. policy that blocks funding to international organizations providing abortion services or information, even if they do so with non-U.S. funds. Since its inception in 1984, this policy has been reinstated and repealed by different U.S. administrations, leading to devastating consequences for sexual and reproductive health worldwide. The most recent reinstatement of this policy was recently by H.E Donald Trump. Here’s the harsh truth: banning abortion only bans safe abortion. People will always seek ways to end unwanted pregnancies, whether legal or not.

According to the World Health Organization, unsafe abortions are a leading cause of maternal deaths globally. When legal pathways are closed, individuals especially those in marginalized communities are forced to resort to unsafe, life-threatening procedures. This is not about reducing abortions; it’s about controlling bodies and denying reproductive autonomy.

For LBQ (Lesbian, Bisexual, and Queer) women, the impact is even more severe. Living in societies where their identities are criminalized, they face heightened risks of intimate partner violence (IPV), corrective rape, and unwanted pregnancies. Without access to safe abortion services, they are left even more vulnerable, forced into motherhood against their will or exposed to dangerous, unregulated methods.
The Mexican Gag Rule doesn’t just silence conversations about abortion; it silences the fundamental right to choose. It deepens inequalities, disproportionately affecting marginalized women, particularly LBQ women. To truly advocate for human rights, we must fight for safe, legal, and accessible abortion services for all—because choice is not a privilege, it’s a right.