By Dave Dahl
SPRINGFIELD – From Carbondale to Waukegan, Planned Parenthood of Illinois wants its facilities along Illinois’ borders – opposite states with more restrictive abortion laws.
A new Planned Parenthood center in Carbondale has the support of the Illinois attorney general. Kwame Raoul says his office is fighting for the abortion laws the state has already passed.
“Patients from throughout the country, particularly just (Sunday) I was in Louisiana, in the South, are making their way up here, because we are truly an oasis for safe reproductive health care,” Raoul said during a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
The laws in other states go beyond abortion. The leader of a Carbondale LGBTQ center, Rainbow Cafe, said people are coming to Carbondale for gender-affirming care – and also simply to see providers who are friendly to trans and non-binary people.
Dave Dahl can be reached at [email protected].