Mabel Wadsworth Center

04/10/2026

Transgender people deserve to be honored for who they know themselves to be in every sphere of life. This includes playing school sports. Attacks on trans girls and women and their right to exist as themselves in the public sphere claim to be rooted in safety for cis women, but they are anything but. Transphobes don't care about the lives or safety of any women, cis or trans. Legislation and policy that seeks to restrict the freedom of trans girls and women also seeks to restrict the freedom of cis girls and women.

Read our newest blog post "(Actual) Threats to Girls' Sports (hint--it's not trans people)" written by an actual former high school girls' sports athlete at the link below. Please note that this blog post mentions (but does not go into detailed discussion of) sexual violence, specifically in regards to minors. If you are in need of support, whether you're a victim/survivor of sexual violence or the loved one of someone who is, reach out to our friends at R**e Response Services (Bangor area) or Maine Coalition Against Sexual Assault (entire state) by calling 1-800-871-7741. You are not alone.

https://www.mabelwadsworth.org/2026/04/10/actual-threats-to-girls-sports-hint-its-not-trans-people/

"It is far too easy for far too many people to immediately accept excluding and fearing trans people without question.

Trans people are not the enemy. We are not the monster hiding under your bed or in a dark alley. We are part of your community. We are your neighbors, cashiers, family members, librarians, and more. Trans people are a marginalized group far more likely to be victims of violence than perpetrators of violence. Trans girls and women deserve to be honored for who they know themselves to be in every sphere of life, and the notion that cis women and girls need to be “protected” from them is one rooted in the devaluation of trans and cis women and girls alike. Seeking to exclude trans girls from school sports is transphobic and misogynistic, plain and simple."

04/08/2026

We hope you're as excited as we are for this event!

Join us in Dover-Foxcroft with friends from Safe Maine, Maine Family Planning & Mabel Wadsworth Center on Thursday, April 23rd from 5:30-7 PM. We're excited to engage with rural Mainers around this topic!

04/03/2026

One of our fantastic interns wrote up a blog post/book report on the also fantastic book "The Abortion Companion: an Affirming Handbook for Your Choice and Your Journey" by Becca Rea-Tucker! You may know Rea-Tucker better through her platform The Sweet Feminist (and what's sweeter than affirming and uplifting folks who have abortions?). Also sweet--she rallied folks to donate copies of the book to abortion providers like us, which is how we were able to provide free copies to some folks!

Check out the blog post below to learn more about this incredible book.

https://www.mabelwadsworth.org/2026/03/31/book-report-becca-rea-tuckers-the-abortion-companion/

04/02/2026

‼️Remember how we JUST told you about pre-applications being live for PFML on Monday? People are already signing up for this liffe changing program!

‼️Now, just weeks before it goes live, a proposal to create a new, less regulated 'group trust' option will compete with the state and private plans. This will undermine financial stability and worker trust. LD2018 clarifies the law to ensure all workers have access to consistent, well-regulated, financially-solvent PFML.

‼️Thousands of people worked over five years to pass a Maine Paid Family and Medical Leave program that serves all workers in Maine, and pre-applications opened Monday. The House is set to vote on Thursday: Take action NOW at https://secure.ngpvan.com/xeFC2ffPa0anqDNnc_pYZQ2

03/31/2026

Help your favorite feminist health center grow by joining the Mabel Wadsworth Center Board of Directors! It's a fantastic way to support the work we do, and no experience is required.

Our mission is to provide health care using a feminist model focused on sexual and reproductive health through education, advocacy, and clinical services. By volunteering as a member of our Board, you will help serve our community and fulfill our mission.

Learn more about how to apply at the link to our website below!
https://www.mabelwadsworth.org/2022/07/12/join-our-board-of-directors/

03/31/2026

March 31st is recognized as Transgender Day of Visibility--a day to celebrate the lives, accomplishments, and resiliency of trans people across the gender spectrum.

First celebrated in 2009, Trans Day of Visibility (also known as TDOV) was created by transgender activist Rachel Crandall-Crocker in contrast to Trans Day of Remembrance (aka TDOR), the focus of which is to remember, honor, and mourn those in the trans community who have had their lives taken by anti-trans violence. In establishing TDOV, Rachel recognized the importance of both mourning for those we have lost and uplifting trans people.

We are honored to celebrate and serve the trans folks of our community on TDOV and year-round 🏳️‍⚧️❤️🏳️‍⚧️

03/30/2026

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It's a BIG day - applications for Paid Family and Medical Leave are now OPEN through the Maine Department of Labor's online portal!

You can now apply for PFML for leave beginning on or after May 1, 2026, the official implementation day for the PFML program. On May 1, benefits begin! Can you believe that in just over one month, the program that we and our partners, friends, community members and countless others have spent years advocating for will finally fully be a reality? It's a testament to the hard work of Mainers who believe that no one should have to sacrifice their health or finances in order to care for themselves or a loved one.

We're so proud. We're so excited. We're so grateful. And we can't wait to see all the positive changes this landmark program will make in Maine. Visit maine.gov/paidleave to learn more and apply for leave if needed!

03/27/2026

might be winding down, but we're celebrating doulas 24/7/365! Doulas do essential and compassionate work supporting pregnant, birthing, and postpartum folks that greatly improve health outcomes both for those giving birth and their little ones. They deserve their flowers every day.

Want to learn more about doulas and the important role they play? Check out the work of Maine Doula Coalition!

03/27/2026

It's everyone's favorite time of the month, Reproductive Left! This month, we're diving into the history of the hormonal birth control pill and how it was created. Big heads up for medical racism, medical sexism, and eugenics. How was the first birth control pill created? What does colonialism and the mistreatment of Puerto Ricans have to do with it? How did Catholicism play a factor? How do we balance the history of harm with the benefits birth control provides? While we don't have enough time to touch on everything around this important history, answer these questions and more in this episode of Reproductive Left! Listen now at the link to our SoundCloud below, or anywhere you enjoy podcasts.

https://soundcloud.com/mabelwadsworth/the-complicated-history-of-birth-control-pills

Image: Reproductive Health Supplies Coalition via Unsplash

03/24/2026

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Accessible/affordable child care is essential!

03/17/2026

PrEP is one incredible tool in the toolbox for protecting yourself against HIV! When you take care of your health, you're also taking care of the health of your community.

In the fight against HIV, it's also essential that we don't stigmatize people living with HIV--getting sick is one of the things humans are best at. People living with HIV can live long, healthy, happy lives when they have access to the right medications. In fact, folks living with HIV on the right meds can achieve an "undetectable" status, meaning that they can't transmit the virus to others (U=U). Yay science!

Thinking about putting some PrEP in your step? Contact our office by phone at 207-947-5337 or by sending an email to info@mabelwadsworth.org to schedule an appointment!

03/17/2026

In just over a week, we'll be joining our friends from Maine Family Planning, SAFE Maine, and Maine Doula Coalition for this fantastic info session! Join us to learn about changes to healthcare access and connect with resources. This is a family friendly event, and we'll have a kids' craft corner along with refreshments!

Where: Moore Community Center, 125 State St, Ellsworth
When: Thursday 3/26 5:30pm-7pm