A conversation with the Amarillo Reproductive Freedom Alliance on organizing, joy, and what’s next
At a time when our reproductive rights are once again being threatened, we look to the power of grassroots organizing in Texas that led to a major abortion win. In an overwhelming majority, Amarillo voters defeated Prop A, the nation’s first abortion travel ban on the ballot. The Amarillo Reproductive Freedom Alliance (ARFA), who dedicated their time and passion on a volunteer basis, have inspired reproductive justice advocates across the nation. Not only is this a victory for Amarillo and a win for Texans, but a blueprint for anyone fighting against extremist anti-abortion measures.
When we organize together, we win. In this conversation, we sat down with Kat Browning, ARFA’s Communications Director, to hear firsthand insight on the strategies implemented by ARFA and their partners to galvanize the community. Between the joy experienced by those who made this possible and the knowledge that the fight for bodily autonomy is far from over, this conversation has furthered our commitment to buckle up and keep fighting.
Tell us a little bit about your journey into reproductive justice and then your involvement with ARFA? Are you from Amarillo?
I am from Amarillo—born and raised! In my own healthcare journey, I was able to find my voice and advocate for myself, and that has really made an impact on how I’ve approached my work with ARFA. I’ve struggled with my own reproductive health since my teens. In 2020, I was diagnosed with Stage IV Endometriosis. Endo is a chronic inflammatory disease where tissue that is similar to the lining of the uterus grows in other parts of the body. I’ve had symptoms since I was 13 but didn’t receive a diagnosis until I was 28 years old. There are many reasons why this lapse in care happens. Endo is incredibly hard to diagnose and treat, but the main reason is due to the lack of specialized gynecologists.
Audio clip: Here in Amarillo, there isn’t a single Endometriosis specialist. For the past four years, I’ve had to travel hundreds of miles outside of Amarillo to receive treatment for this disease that I’ll have for the rest of my life. For those of us in the Texas Panhandle, we are already living in a healthcare desert. Since the fall of Roe, Texas is now seeing OBGYNs leave the state in droves because doctors here are no longer able to do their jobs effectively. This combined with ballot initiatives, like Prop A, would only exacerbate the lack of care we are already experiencing. Everyone—no matter their age, race, gender, or income—deserves the right to access the healthcare they need, including abortions.
For starters, it’s so worth celebrating Prop A being overwhelmingly rejected, especially with the current election outcome. Can you speak to your initial thoughts and feelings when that news first broke?
Audio clip: Pure joy! I have never experienced something like that. For many of the co-founders of ARFA, we had never worked on any type of election before. To see our hard work pay off after sixteen months of non-stop campaigning was incredible. And we won by 20 points!!?! We were on cloud nine. I’ve never experienced a joyful election outcome since I was old enough to vote, so it was one of the greatest feelings I’ve ever had! We held our election night watch party at a local dive bar that’s been a home to many of us throughout the years. I just remember looking around the room, tears streaming down my face, in my own stomping grounds, seeing this incredible community we brought together—everyone was jumping and yelling, hugging, and celebrating together. It’s something I will remember forever.
When the presidential election results were rolling in, it felt like a little bit of whiplash. However, I was so elated over our win that I refused to let the other results steal my joy. We will always show up for our community, regardless of who is in power. I just remember thinking to myself, “F**k it—this is our win. Let’s party!” We celebrated all night!
For people unfamiliar, can you walk us through what Prop A entailed and how that would’ve impacted pregnant people and those helping pregnant people travel for abortion access?
Prop A was a local ordinance designed to impose what was essentially a travel ban on abortion access. It would penalize anyone helping a pregnant person travel to another state for an abortion, even if abortion is legal in the state where it was performed. This could include not just doctors and clinics but also friends, family members, or even rideshare drivers who provided transportation.
The ordinance allowed private citizens to file lawsuits against people they suspected of facilitating such travel. The ordinance went so far to penalize people who provided not just logistical support, like providing gas money or booking a hotel room, but emotional support as well. It would have turned neighbors against one another, creating a culture of fear and suspicion while stripping people of the ability to make personal decisions about their own healthcare.
For pregnant people in Amarillo, this would have meant fewer options and more obstacles at an already vulnerable time. Imagine needing to cross state lines for an abortion and having to worry about doing this all on your own—or worse, getting someone else sued—just for helping you along the way.
Prop A also targeted businesses by threatening lawsuits against employers who covered reproductive care in their employee insurance packages, or even reimbursement for care. This overreach could have pushed employers to limit benefits, making it even harder for people to access the care they need. It also would have made several large national corporations, that employ a large number of Amarilloans, move out of town–taking not just their reproductive options away, but potentially their livelihood as well.
What is one thing you wish people knew of Prop A’s harmful impacts in the short and long run?
One thing I wish people understood about Prop A is how its harm extends far beyond abortion access. In the short term, it would have created immediate fear and confusion. Pregnant people seeking care, and those helping them, would have been left wondering if they were at risk of lawsuits simply for crossing state lines or offering a ride. It would have disrupted the trust within our community, turning neighbors into potential informants under the threat of vigilante-style lawsuits.
But the long-term impacts would have been even more insidious. Prop A was never just about Amarillo—it was part of a larger, calculated effort to set a precedent for controlling how Americans exercise their basic freedoms. If it had passed here, it could have opened the door for similar travel bans across the country, threatening fundamental rights like freedom of movement and privacy.
This ordinance wasn’t just an attack on reproductive rights—it was an attack on the fabric of our community. By defeating it, we stopped an attempt to erode our freedoms, our trust in one another, and the long-term well-being of Amarillo.
This abortion win speaks to the importance of grassroots organizing, mobilization, and the power of collective action. Would love to hear your thoughts on what strategies from ARFA you thought were most impactful/ effective? I’m sure people are looking towards abortion wins on this journey ahead.
This victory is a testament to the power of grassroots organizing and the determination of everyday people coming together to protect their community. Our most effective strategy was making this fight deeply local. We all live and work here and understand the people in our town. So from day one, we focused on what mattered to Amarilloans—personal freedoms, government overreach, and protecting our town from outsiders. By framing Prop A as a “travel ban” and showing how it infringed on everyone’s rights, not just those seeking abortion, we built a coalition that went beyond partisan lines.
We leaned heavily into community-building too. ARFA is made up of Amarilloans who care deeply about our city, and by building trust through face-to-face conversations we were able to engage with all kinds of voters in meaningful dialogue. It was important that we weren’t just delivering a message; we wanted to foster these connections and encourage people to think about the many ways this ordinance would impact their lives. We hosted events like block walks, craft nights, and even pizza picnics to build a sense of togetherness while spreading awareness. This approach made it clear that we weren’t just opposing something; we were standing up for Amarillo as a community.
We also tailored our messaging to fit our community. We knew that reproductive rights mean different things to different people, so we explained how Prop A would violate personal freedoms—a concept that resonated deeply with a conservative-leaning electorate.
Audio clip: It was essential to find common ground and build a coalition that wasn’t limited by political identity.
This led us to investing a lot of our time in education. We broke down the ordinance into digestible, relatable terms through blog posts, infographics, zines, and more. We blasted our message across social media platforms, breaking the ordinance down into simple language so that we could meet people where they were and in ways they could relate to. Misinformation was one of our biggest obstacles, so we made sure our community had the facts to push back.
Our focus on visibility and consistency made a huge difference. From billboards to TikTok videos, we worked to be everywhere, reminding people that this was a fight for all of us. And while we were strategic in how we spent our limited resources, we didn’t hold back on showing up in creative and unexpected ways.
We also didn’t win this alone. Partnering with organizations like ACLU of Texas, Avow, and Ground Game Texas brought in expertise while keeping the heart of the campaign local. This collaboration showed that when national allies support grassroots efforts without overshadowing them, the results can be incredibly powerful. This win shows the power of local, grassroots action. When we focus on empowering people in their communities, we can tackle even the most daunting challenges. Our success proves that when communities organize, educate, and empower themselves, they can take on even the most well-funded opposition—and win. We hope this inspires others to fight for their communities and never underestimate the power of collective action.
Seeing as similar ordinances have already passed in other Texas cities, what’s the likelihood of having to fight a similar attack from anti-abortion extremists?
The likelihood of facing similar attacks from anti-abortion extremists is, unfortunately, very high. Prop A was part of a coordinated playbook, and while Amarillo sent a clear message by decisively rejecting it, Mark Lee Dickson and others like him have made it clear they’re not done. In fact, since his defeat, Dickson has dramatically called Amarillo his “Alamo.” The irony of this is almost too much—he sees Amarillo as a heroic last stand for his harmful, extremist agenda, but just like at the real Alamo, he and his allies lost.
What’s more, we’re already seeing the same tactics of Prop A being used in other places. In Odessa, for instance, a bathroom bill was passed that bans transgender citizens from using restrooms aligned with their gender identity. It uses the same private right of action we fought against in Prop A—empowering individuals to sue their neighbors over personal and private matters. This isn’t just about reproductive rights anymore; it’s about weaponizing government overreach to target vulnerable groups and create fear and division in communities. Fighting this type of legislation is exhausting, but it’s necessary. The irony of people like Dickson, who claim to champion “freedom,” is that they’re the ones trying to control what we do with our bodies, how we live, and who we are.
The fight isn’t over—extremists will keep trying, here and elsewhere. It’s clear that when extremists see a foothold, they’ll try to exploit it. But if Amarillo’s victory taught us anything, it’s that organized, community action can and will stop them in their tracks.
How should Texan’s keep fighting and protecting the rights of pregnant people? What are ARFA’s next steps?
Texans can protect the rights of pregnant people by staying vigilant, organizing at the community level, and refusing to be silenced by extremist policies. Local elections, like the one we just fought in Amarillo, are critical—so much harmful legislation starts at the municipal level, often flying under the radar. Texans need to educate themselves and their neighbors, show up to vote, and get involved in local movements. Every person has the power to make a difference, whether by knocking on doors, donating, hosting conversations, or amplifying messages on social media.
One of the biggest lessons from Amarillo is that we win when we organize. We built a coalition that brought together people from across the political spectrum who care deeply about personal freedoms and protecting their community. Other cities in Texas can follow this model, and we’re here to support them however we can.
Audio clip: As for ARFA’s next steps, we’re not going anywhere. While we’re proud of our victory, we know that the fight for reproductive freedom is far from over. Our focus now is to build on the momentum we’ve created. We’re working to expand our network, provide resources to folks in Amarillo, while giving guidance to other communities facing similar battles, and stay prepared for whatever comes next.
We also recognize that protecting reproductive rights doesn’t happen in isolation. It’s deeply connected to other social issues, like healthcare access, LGBTQ+ rights, and racial justice. ARFA is committed to continuing this work, whether it’s standing against harmful ordinances in our city or lending support to broader state and national movements.
Texans have shown time and again that we value freedom, community, and standing up for what’s right. By staying engaged, informed, and united, we can continue to protect the rights of pregnant people—and everyone else in our state. Together, we’ve proven that even against well-funded extremists, grassroots power can and will win.
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