On May 26 sixteen reproductive justice
activists will set off on bicycles from New Orleans on a five week,
1800 mile journey
through the heart of the South and up the Eastern seaboard to New York
City. The Wanderlust reproductive justice bicycle caravan will
stop in communities along the way to meet with the activists who work
to promote reproductive justice and ensure that their communities have
the resources and information to make healthy
decisions about their reproductive and sexual health.Wanderlust: Exploring The Politics of Sexuality in America

Last year at this time, organizer extraordinaire Nora Dye and
her trusty bike Rhonda were in the midst of a solo
journey
from New Jersey to California, dedicated to listening to and learning
about the ways that people were working to promote reproductive justice
and positive sexuality across the country.

This year,
with the support of
the Pro-Choice Public Education Project, Nora will be joined by fifteen
women for a new and exciting experiment in activism. Activists for
reproductive freedom have long recognized that policy change is not
enough – that activists must work not just to protect and expand
reproductive rights but also to ensure that those rights are accessible
to all women. Yet for those of us privileged enough to have access to
educational, social, and financial resources, it is often easy to
overlook just how pervasive and overwhelming institutional and social
barriers can be.

The participants on Wanderlust come from a variety of backgrounds
and experiences, but all of us share a commitment to social change and
a recognition that in order to create change, we must first understand
how the social structures that we sometimes take for granted are
complicit in preventing women from exercising reproductive autonomy.
The reproductive justice framework acknowledges that race, class,
geography, ability, economics, education, sexuality, and other
identities profoundly impact our experiences, and we hope that the bike
ride will spark conversation and lead to new ideas about how the
reproductive justice framework can be used to build a more inclusive
and effective movement.

Having the time, energy, and freedom to embark on a five week
bicycle trip is a privilege and an honor, and the participants in
Wanderlust seek to use this opportunity to explore a different kind of
activism – one that is less focused on action and more focused on
listening and learning about how grassroots activists from around the
country are meeting their own particular challenges and maximizing
opportunities in creative, compassionate ways.

In solidarity with local activists and rooted in the power of
sharing knowledge and stories to create change, the riders are
organizing 10 gatherings in cities along the route where they will be
joined by activists, advocates, and health care providers for
conversations about sexual health and building a sustainable and
inclusive movement for reproductive justice. During
the tour, we aim to share knowledge and learn about the amazing work
happening in cities across the country in order to forge connections
and explore the ways that communities are working for reproductive
justice.

Traveling by bicycle promises to be an adventure – we’ll spend 40 days on the road in the southern sun,
traveling more than 50 miles a day – stopping to change tires, explore any hidden
swimming holes, and sleeping
under the stars or bunking with fellow activists in their communities.

On May 15, the Pro-Choice Public Education
Project is hosting a fundraiser to wish Nora and the other New York
based riders well as they head down to New Orleans to begin this
amazing trek, and
you’re invited! "A Night
of Mint Juleps and Southern Burlesque" at the Stonewall Inn in New York
City will feature both mint juleps
and burlesque, as well as door prizes like yoga sessions and things that go
buzz in the night courtesy of Good Vibrations! Stop by to meet the riders,
network with others working for reproductive justice and
celebrate our growing movement!

Won’t be able to join us in New York City on May 15? You can
still support the riders and their journey by making a donation
or providing
meeting or lodging space in any of the cities we’ll be passing
through. And, we want to meet you! We’re looking
for health care providers, sex educators, supportive clergy, reproductive
justice advocates, policy changers, radical activists, doulas, midwives,
culture jammers, and anyone who is working to empower women to control their
bodies and their lives to contribute to our discussions about reproductive
justice and building the movement.

Check back here on May 24 for the official
launch post of Wanderlust 2008 from New
Orleans, Louisiana!
You can track our progress right here on Rewire where each rider will
be highlighting the work and stories of the activists and organizations we
connect with along the way. In the meantime, head over to Wanderlust with Rhonda to meet the riders, look for your city on the route map, and read about
Nora’s experiences during her ride last summer. Thanks for your support – and
we’d love to see you on May 15 at the Stonewall Inn. Talk to you
next from the road!