Wisconsin Man Treks To Washington, D.C., For Abortion Rights

MILWAUKEE, WI — A Wisconsin man is marching from Milwaukee to Washington to raise money for a nonprofit to help pay for abortion care as the fate of Roe v. Wade hangs in the balance before the U.S. Supreme Court.

A draft opinion leaked from the court indicated that the court is poised to throw out the 1973 ruling, leaving abortion rights and restrictions up to individual states, Politico reported in early May. Political institutions, health care providers and mothers across the United States braced this week for the court's final decision.

Kyle Parthum, a former bartender and self-described cowboy, said is walking from Wisconsin to the nation's capital to raise money for The Brigid Alliance. The nonprofit helps people seeking abortions with the cost of travel, amenities and other support. Parthum's fundraiser has so far raised $3,775 toward its $22,022 goal.

Parthum called his march the "Save Our Sisters March." He is currently its sole member.

Parthum keeps a log of his travels on social media and has slept on strangers' couches in between daylong treks of 20 to 25 miles per day, he told Patch in a phone call. The road wearing on his feet, a heavy pack and inclement weather have been some challenges he's had to face while walking cross-country.

"A 24-hour thunderstorm is rolling through as I type this and the idea of walking and camping in a thunderstorm all day and night just isn't my thing," Parthum wrote in a Reddit post while in Michigan. "Contrary to popular belief, I'm not trying to die out here."

While he doesn't have ties to Wisconsin anymore, he said he didn't want to sit back when he heard about the leaked draft. Parthum had his sisters — one a doctor and the other a lawyer — in mind when he decided to protest the threat to abortion rights.

"My sisters are the smartest people I've met," he said. "And this is taken away from them. It's unfair."

When he reaches Washington, Parthum hopes to link up with a national organization to protest at the Supreme Court until it renders a decision, he told Patch. He said he hopes to reach the capital at the end of June.

"If I could walk there and make a stink, hopefully others will join and organize," Parthum said.

In Wisconsin, thousands marched in Milwaukee and Madison in May to protest the Supreme Court's projected decision. If Roe v. Wade is overturned, it would be up to state legislators and prosecutors to enforce or amend a 172-year-old law that could restrict abortion in The Badger State.

People can donate to Parthum's GoFundMe campaign, which sends money to The Brigid Alliance, by clicking here.

GoFundMe is a Patch promotional partner.