By Amanda Conley | December 9, 2024
Photo Credit: Pixabay
“My body, my choice.”
We have all heard this phrase in recent years, especially in the years running
up to the 2022 overturning of Roe v Wade, eliminating the federal right to abortion.
“In general, I am passionate about making sure that all people have access to any resources that they need,” said Phoenix Hernandez, founder and leader of a new organization on campus aimed at helping all students, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, to feel empowered.
Hernandez believes bodily autonomy is a fundamental right, not just for those assigned female at birth, but for all those who seek to change the status quo.
The Choice Coalition, which earned organization status this academic year, offers a
variety of informational resources for LGBTQIA+ students, provides peer counseling and
support for domestic violence and sexual assault survivors, guidance in accessing information on abortions, shelter, food, and more, catering to any additional information students may need.
Hernandez, a transgender student who identifies as male, said his motivation for creating Choice Coalition is to emphasize a person’s choice, “not just for reproductive rights, but choices in all aspects of life.”
With a growing number of states banning gender-affirming health care and pursuing anti-
LGBTQ+ legislation, Hernandez said in a recent interview that trans youth in particular face
challenges to access health care. He said he has a passion to help those who might need guidance in their transition process, emphasizing the need for abortions for not only women, but trans and non-binary people.
“Gender-affirming care isn’t just for trans people; it’s for everybody,” he said. Part of the inspiration to create the Choice Coalition comes from Hernandez’s own childhood experiences.
When Hernandez was in high school, he was told the truth; he was conceived through an act of assault.
“When I found out that the world that I thought was real was altered; knowing the man I grew up with was not my biological father and finding out about the horrible thing that happened to my mother, it made me angry.” said Hernandez. “the anger I felt for my mom made me passionate about the issues of sexual assault and reproductive rights because this is something that shouldn’t ever happen to any woman.”
This knowledge added to Hernandez’s sense of always feeling different from his peers. “While this felt like my missing puzzle piece, I knew that I was missing something deeper,” he said, explaining his growing understanding that while assigned female at birth, he did not feel like one.
This understanding gave Hernandez the unique perspective of the challenges trans youth face in society. “As a kid, I had never felt like I fit in; I felt like the black sheep,” said Hernandez. “I wasn’t into the same things other girls were, and I was dressing more masculine.”
Not knowing why he was so different from his peers made him feel isolated. It was not until his senior year in high school, when he found a video on social media of people sharing their experiences as non-binary, that he felt something inside fundamentally click into place.
“Watching other creators talk openly about their experiences made me feel more open to talk about mine and truly embrace it. I had finally found that missing piece,” said Hernandez, now 21 years old.
His experiences led him toward majoring in Women’s Gender and Sexuality Studies to learn more about his objectives, and eventually, aid those who share similar experiences. In addition, he works as a Connections Peer Educator for the Women’s Resource Center (WRC), which raises awareness of the challenges women face, build community, and support all students seeking guidance and information on a variety of LGBTQIA+ topics and reproductive rights.
Starting the Choice Coalition seemed to Hernandez a natural extension of his studies and work. “We want the [Choice] Coalition to be a resource hub; sometimes outside sources can be intimidating,” he said, continuing “because of my mom’s experience, proper education is something I want to make sure all people have access to, whether they need an abortion or not and we can be your first step to help before you are ready.”
Toward that goal, the Choice Coalition aims to procure a bigger budget and focus on reproductive rights, campaigning for those who cannot get access to abortions. He also wants to capitalize on his ties with Advocates for Youth, a non-profit organization led by youth activists fighting for liberation and social justice, to make proactive change on campus.
As the only student from UAlbany on the New York State Student Advisory Board through Advocates for Youth, Hernandez is using his position “to procure a bigger budget from New York State to train clinicians to distribute medication abortion on campus.”
Medication abortion is a series of prescription medications after contraceptives and the morning-after-pill are no longer efficient.
The Choice Coalition organization is currently campaigning for Senate Bill S1213B, which provides access to medication abortion prescription drugs at SUNY and CUNY campuses. “The problem isn’t that the administration doesn’t want to give access to abortions pills on campus, they just don’t have the funds to do so, and Advocates for Youth [and the Choice Coalition] is trying to push this along.”
“If you didn’t want to go to Planned Parenthood to get an abortion, you would have access on campus to get the abortion pill,” said Hernandez.
Starting avidly next semester, Hernandez said the Choice Coalition will be holding one of their larger events at the Capitol building called “The Day of Action,” held on March 24, 2025.
The Choice Coalition’s first events of the year will be posted on their social media.
Their GroupMe and Instagram, @thechoicecoalition, is always available if you want to meet or speak with someone from the Choice Coalition. Whether it be a question or just to say ‘hi,’ “someone will be there for you,” Hernandez states. “Anybody can join,” he continues, “we want to be your safe people and get to know those who are interested in the cause that we are starting.”
Abby Casavant, the club’s secretary and political ambassador, said she has confidence that under Hernandez’s leadership the Choice Coalition will grow. “We want to start making things happen; not just on campus but in the greater Albany area.” In the Choice Coalition, Hernandez and Casavant are two of the eight members on the council. The Choice Coalition’s long-term goals will “change over time as new issues arise,” Casavant states, advocating for broader issues.
Casavant said she feels that’s possible under Hernandez’s leadership.
“Phoenix does a very good job of leading the Coalition, making people feel like they have a place here,” Casavant said. “He is super motivated, which I think makes him a great leader and role model for others.”
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