Amendment 3 and Me

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In this episode of Amendment Three and Me, host Maggie Castry speaks with Leah Hansen, a Missouri attorney and parent of a transgender child. Leah shares her family’s experience navigating gender-affirming care, including counseling, medical evaluations, gender dysphoria, puberty blockers, and the challenges her child faced when access to care became increasingly restricted.

Leah explains why she believes the proposed amendment’s language regarding gender-transition procedures for minors is misleading and could permanently add prohibitions to Missouri’s Constitution. She also discusses the connection between transgender rights and reproductive freedom, arguing that restricting the rights of one group creates a precedent that can threaten everyone’s individual liberties.

The conversation also examines Missouri’s 2024 constitutional protections for reproductive healthcare, the effort to repeal or weaken those protections, and the potential consequences for people seeking abortion care, emergency treatment, and other medical services. Leah shares her own experience with ectopic pregnancies and explains why political interference in personal healthcare decisions can have devastating consequences.

Throughout the episode, Leah encourages Missouri voters to compare the 2024 and 2026 amendment language carefully, look beyond political advertising, and have informed conversations with friends, family, neighbors, and community members.

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In this episode of Amendment 3 and Me, Taylor talks with Cammie Storm, a transgender advocate and community organizer from West Plains, Missouri. Cammie shares her personal transition story, including the loneliness of navigating healthcare in a rural community and the transformative experience of finally being able to live openly and authentically.

The conversation explores the connection between reproductive rights and trans rights, emphasizing how privacy in the doctor’s office and the freedom to make personal medical decisions affect everyone. Cammie explains why she believes Amendment 3 could have consequences beyond abortion access, including potential effects on transgender healthcare, mental healthcare, and the ability of patients, parents, and medical professionals to make informed decisions.

Cammie and Taylor also discuss the unique challenges facing LGBTQ+ people in rural Missouri, the importance of community support, limited access to sexual education and contraception, and the role of misinformation in conversations about trans healthcare. Cammie offers practical advice for discussing Amendment 3: focus on the facts, read the measure carefully, and be willing to learn alongside others.

This episode is a conversation about healthcare privacy, gender-affirming care, rural LGBTQ+ communities, and why bodily autonomy is an issue that affects every person in Missouri.

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In this episode of Amendment 3 and Me, host Maggie Castry speaks with Joan Gentry, a retired teacher and member of the League of Women Voters of Missouri. Joan explains the League’s nonpartisan approach to public policy, how its positions on reproductive rights are developed, and why the organization continues to advocate for bodily autonomy, privacy, contraception, abortion access, and reproductive justice.

Joan also discusses the League’s opposition to the proposed Amendment 3, including concerns about limits on abortion care, unclear protections for fetal anomalies and the life of the pregnant patient, potential criminal penalties for physicians, and the broader impact of reproductive-health restrictions on Missouri families.

The conversation also addresses gender-affirming care, public education, family planning, health-insurance coverage, and the importance of giving voters clear, fact-based information before they cast their ballots. Joan emphasizes the need to make these issues personal, listen to people’s experiences, and understand how policy decisions affect families throughout Missouri.

Learn more about the League of Women Voters of Missouri at lwvmo.org.

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In this episode of Amendment 3 and Me, Taylor talks with Reverend Jen Simmons, lead pastor of National Avenue Christian Church in Springfield, Missouri, about reproductive rights, abortion care, LGBTQ+ rights, gender-affirming care, and the role of faith in public policy. Rev. Jen shares the deeply personal experience that shaped her pro-choice beliefs—including standing outside Planned Parenthood with signs of support for people seeking abortion care—and explains why she sees reproductive decision-making as a sacred act.

Rev. Jen also discusses Christianity and reproductive rights, religious freedom, medical science, misinformation, and the harm that can occur when religion is used to shame or control people's healthcare decisions. She offers Missouri voters a different way to approach difficult conversations about Amendment 3: listen first, stay curious, share real stories, and remember the humanity behind the politics. For people wrestling with their faith and their views on abortion or LGBTQ+ rights, her message is simple and powerful: it is never too late to change your mind, learn, grow, and meet one another with love and gentleness.

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What happens when politicians control our personal healthcare decisions? Angela Frantz, a grassroots leader of Abortion Action Missouri, talks with Amendent3andMe about reproductive healthcare, bodily autonomy, restrictive laws, gender-affirming care, and how policy decisions affect Missouri families.

Angela explains why pregnancy and abortion decisions, which are deeply personal and never taken lightly, must be understood through the realities people face—not abstract political talking points. She also addresses the importance of supporting medical professionals who face confusing laws that raise barriers for patients and physicians.

She reminds us to be brave, because many people don’t understand Amendment 3 and advocacy can begin with a conversation. Protecting bodily autonomy requires all of us to participate.

Join the movement: https://abortionactionmissouri.org/

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In this episode of Amendment 3 and Me, host Taylor speaks with Kai Sutton, president of the Springfield, Missouri NAACP chapter, about how the new Amendment 3 could affect reproductive healthcare, gender-affirming care, and communities of color across Missouri.

Kai shares her personal experience navigating pregnancy loss and reproductive healthcare, explains why Black and Brown Missourians must be included in conversations about healthcare access, and discusses the importance of building solidarity through empathy, listening, and trust. She also reflects on the power of collective action, shares successes from Missouri’s minimum-wage campaign, and offers practical advice for helping friends, family, and neighbors understand why their vote matters.

This conversation is about lived experience, community power, hope, and the importance of showing up—for ourselves and for one another.

Stand in solidarity https://naacpsgf.org/join/

Deadline to register to vote is October 7.

What you need to know: https://www.vote411.org/missouri

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In this episode, Maggie speaks with Courtney Cook, field director for PROMO, Missouri’s LGBTQ+ public policy and advocacy organization, about Amendment 3, which is set to appear on the November 2026 ballot.

Courtney explains how the proposed amendment could affect abortion access and gender-affirming care for transgender minors, discusses the personal and community impact of these policies, and shares how she became involved in LGBTQ+ advocacy in Southwest Missouri.

The conversation also explores how Missourians can talk with friends, family, and neighbors about Amendment 3 through curiosity, empathy, storytelling, and better understanding gender-affirming care. Courtney also shares resources for learning more and getting involved with PROMO’s canvassing efforts.

https://wpath.org/ (World Professional Association for Transgender Health)

https://promomissouri.org/

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In this episode of Amendment 3 and Me, Taylor and Patty speak with Lauren Bailey of Catholics for Choice about faith, reproductive healthcare, gender-affirming care, and Missouri’s upcoming Amendment 3 vote.

Lauren discusses how Catholics for Choice understands reproductive rights through the principles of conscience, social justice, and religious freedom. She shares how her Jesuit education shaped her perspective on reproductive justice and explains the organization’s work supporting Catholics who advocate for access to reproductive and gender-affirming healthcare.

The conversation also explores Catholics for Choice’s experience working on ballot initiatives in states including Ohio, Colorado, and Florida, as well as practical advice for Missourians navigating difficult conversations about Amendment 3 with family, friends, neighbors, and fellow members of their faith communities.

Lauren emphasizes the importance of compassion, shared values, accurate information, and community—and reminds Catholics who support abortion access that they are not alone.

Amendment 3 and Me is produced by the A-Team, a group of independent activist voters in Springfield, Missouri.

Links:

How to talk to your Catholic family about abortion : https://www.catholicsforchoice.org/talking-to-your-catholic-family-about-abortion/

Catholics for Choice: https://www.catholicsforchoice.org/

Register to vote: https://www.vote.org/register-to-vote/missouri/

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As Missouri voters prepare to decide Amendment 3 this November, what would a YES or NO vote mean for abortion care, pregnancy complications, gender-affirming care and medical decision-making?

In this episode, high-risk OB/GYN and maternal-fetal medicine specialist Dr. Elizabeth Ann (Betsy) Wickstrom draws on more than 30 years caring for pregnant patients in Kansas and Missouri. A self-described lifelong Eisenhower Republican, she explains why she became an abortion rights advocate and discusses pregnancy emergencies that may require abortion care.

She addresses misconceptions about Plan B, fetal viability, and how legal uncertainty may influence medical decision-making. She also addresses exceptions for the life of a pregnant patient, provisions involving transgender and gender-diverse minors, and offers advice for talking about Amendment 3 with friends, family, and neighbors.

Whether you've already decided how to vote or are still weighing the issue, this episode offers a physician's perspective on one of Missouri's most consequential ballot measures. Dr. Wickstrom’s views are her own and do not represent any past, present, or future employer.

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Welcome to Amendment 3 & Me!