TikTok turned into a guide to attending protests and donating to abortion funds overnight after the Roe leak

• Pro-choice advocates flooded TikTok after news that Roe v. Wade could be overturned.
• The platform became a place for people to share sorrow, commiserate, and call allies to action.

Pro-choice advocates have flooded TikTok with directions on how to donate to abortion funds and attend protests following the news that Roe v. Wade, the 1973 landmark ruling for abortion rights, could be overturned.

In the hours after an initial draft majority opinion written by Justice Samuel Alito was leaked to Politico, TikTokers — some with millions of followers — shared breakdowns of what the document could mean, as well as links to resources. Some have posted footage of themselves protesting in front of the Supreme Court, while others have shared lists of upcoming demonstrations to defend the right to receive an abortion in the US.

TikTok immediately became a place for people to share their sorrow, commiserate, and call allies to action.

Rayne Fisher-Quann, who has 211,000 followers, said she was sharing a "master doc" which listed abortion funds by state. She told Insider she was "appalled" but not necessarily surprised when she read about the potential overturn because the US "has been waging war on bodily autonomy since the 70s and beyond."

"I think in times like these, the only comfort we have is in education, action, and solidarity," Fisher-Quann said, adding that it's "a reminder to keep fighting."

Abortion rights are a constant topic of conversation on TikTok

Abortion rights and the ongoing battle for safe access in the US is a constant topic of conversation on TikTok. Fisher-Quann said that the content is "a mixed bag." She said it was "incredible" to be able to direct so many people towards mutual aid funds, and see people "comforting each other, and commiserating about their fears and anxieties." But the app is also inundated with hateful comments when divisive issues are in the news.

"It's definitely extremely frustrating to try to use a platform to spread meaningful political information when there are so many bad actors," Fisher-Quann said.

Fisher-Quann and other activists have advocated for donating to state abortion funds, especially for people who want to contribute but don't live in the US and feel helpless about how to show support.

Shelley Mann posts TikToks on @thedeathscorts for the CARE abortion clinic in Bellevue, Nebraska, which has grown to over 417,000 followers, and is known for its videos where staff and volunteers defend patients against anti-abortion protestors. Mann also shared her thoughts in a TikTok posted late Monday night about the best resources for people wanting to contribute.

Mann urged people not to donate to Planned Parenthood, but to independent clinics and abortion funds that "need your money." She said these places are "doing the majority of abortions being performed in the United States right now."

"Planned Parenthood serves a place. They do a lot of good. But they also get a lot of money," she said, adding that the organization just received a $275 million gift from Mackenzie Scott.

Roe v. Wade being overturned may only be the beginning

Dr. Jennifer Lincoln, an OB-GYN and TikToker with 2.8 million followers, dedicates her content to medical information, including reproductive health. She told Insider her entire career has been based on "providing evidence-based, dignified care to women and people with a uterus, and to keep politics out of healthcare."

"Our government has failed in guaranteeing equal access to all young people about how their bodies work, because sex education has been politicized," she said. "I'm here to fill in those gaps and would love the day when my content is no longer needed."

Lincoln posted a reaction video after the Politico story dropped, where she added a link to NARAL Pro-Choice America, a non-profit organization that opposes abortion restrictions. Lincoln told Insider the news was something she had been expecting for a while. She has posted several TikToks about "when, not if" Roe v. Wade would be overturned, and what it could mean for people trying to access an abortion in the US. But it was still "a gut punch" to hear the news.

"We've known for a long time the extreme right has spent decades stacking the courts to do just this. They've made it no secret," she said. "That doesn't make it any easier to see it happening before your eyes."

Lincoln said TikTok has been a useful place in spreading awareness, and making connections with people who also support reproductive rights, while her content has been viewed by millions of people.

"My hope is that they see that abortion care is health care, and politicizing it has never been about abortion but about control," she said, adding that it's important people know abortion is still currently legal.

"This will only be the first step in chipping away at rights. Access to emergency contraception, birth control, as well as the protection of gay marriage and trans rights are next," Lincoln said. "I wish I was wrong — but I'm not."