Alexis Hobbs donned a bright pink T-shirt and stood behind an equally pink table one recent morning at an outdoor fair for student groups on the University of South Florida's St. Petersburg campus.
“Hey, do you want a free tote bag?” she repeatedly asked students as they walked by, hoping to convince them to stop by the table.
A group of young women took her up on the offer to check out the tote, which featured a drawing of a uterus and said, “Reproductive rights are human rights.”
“Slay!” said Hobbs — which, for anyone who isn’t familiar with Gen Z slang, essentially means “well done.”
What really excited the ladies, however, were the boxes of Plan B, an emergency contraception, that Hobbs was giving away for free. The effort is just part of what she does to promote sexual health as a member of Planned Parenthood Generation Action. It’s a national network of student activists affiliated with the reproductive health care provider.
“I've kind of become like the ‘sex-ed person’ on campus,” said Hobbs, 20. “Everybody's asking, like if I have Plan B's or anything on hand. I love it, I feel like I'm making a difference. Because that's something like everybody's worried about in college, you know, they don't want to ruin their plans.”
With Florida’s six-week abortion ban in place since May, Hobbs said it’s more important than ever that people have options if they don’t want to get pregnant.
Most people who get abortions are younger than 30, according to federal data. While that same age group isn’t always as politically-motivated as older generations, the increased restrictions on abortion care in Florida are inspiring some young people to get more involved in the debate.
'This is their fight'
Hobbs, a college senior studying political science and gender studies, decided to lead a Generation Action chapter on her campus after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022 and Florida implemented a 15-week abortion ban. She wasn’t alone.
There were only three active Planned Parenthood Generation Action chapters at schools in Southwest and Central Florida before Roe was overturned, according to Kait Thomson, senior director of public affairs for the clinics that operate in that region. Now there are 18, along with more than 300 other groups around the country.
“Because young people are here and ready,” said Thomson. “They know very keenly that this is about their fight and their ability for freedom to make decisions for their bodies and their lives.”
Planned Parenthood gives students involved with Generation Action training and supplies to support their advocacy, but it’s up to students to set their own agenda.
For Hobbs and the couple of dozen members of her chapter at USF St. Pete, that has included hosting a sex education costume party last Halloween for 300 students called “Spooky Sex” and collecting petition signatures to get a proposed constitutional amendment to expand abortion rights on the November ballot, among other things.
Her efforts to provide students with condoms and emergency contraception have become a bigger priority under the six-week abortion ban, she said.
Emergency contraception pills like Plan B, Julie or Ella can stop a person from getting pregnant when taken within a few days of having unprotected sex. Health insurance often covers the medication if a doctor prescribes it, but young people may not realize that or feel comfortable obtaining it that way, particularly if they’re on their parents’ plans. Some emergency contraception is also available over-the-counter, but it can be pricey, sometimes costing $50.
The group of freshmen who stopped by Hobbs’ table at the club fair were shocked to see her offering Plan B for free and asked her what the catch was. While Hobbs does ask people to sign up for a Generation Action email list to get a free tote bag, she assured them the contraception had no strings attached.
Nevada Steele, 18, and her friends each took a box to have in case they or someone they know needed it in the future. They would rather avoid getting pregnant than risk having to navigate the state’s abortion ban.
“I mean people don't even usually know they're pregnant until six weeks,” said Steele. “So it's like, this (emergency contraception) is a much better option than having to wait too long and then go out of state [for an abortion] if that's what you have to do, you know, so it's just really appreciated."
Advocating for Amendment 4
Planned Parenthood does not provide funding to Generation Action groups, which instead largely rely on student activity and service fees to operate. These are separate from state funds for public universities, which under Florida law are not allowed to be used for any group affiliated with a clinic that provides abortions, like Planned Parenthood.
Generation Action organizers also partner with outside businesses to carry out initiatives. For example, Hobbs works with the company that sells Julie to get donations of the emergency contraception products.
As the November election approaches, student activists on both sides of the abortion debate are turning their attention to Amendment 4. It’s a proposal to change Florida's constitution to guarantee abortions until fetal viability, usually around 24 weeks, or when a patient’s health provider deems necessary.
Generation Action groups around the state helped collect signatures to get the measure on the ballot. Now Hobbs and others want to mobilize their peers to get it passed.
“We already have a group of students who strongly believe in reproductive rights, we know they're going to be voters for 'Yes on 4,'” she said. “But getting them activated and getting them out on the street and talking to other voters and stuff is going to be the most important for us.”
Hobbs plans to set up her pink table on campus every week to recruit volunteers to support the “Yes on 4” campaign and hopes to organize a phone bank later this fall.
Her friend, Ali Schutz, who founded a Generation Action chapter on the University of Tampa campus, took a semester off from school to take a more active role in campaigning for the amendment.
A recent survey of women of reproductive age in Florida found they overwhelmingly support making abortion legal in all or most cases, but it's still unclear if the amendment will get the 60% of votes required for it to pass.
That means supporters need to appeal to voters across the political spectrum, said Schutz.
“It’s not even about getting Democrats, because we need that 60 percent and it’s a non-partisan issue, we need everybody, all hands on deck to support bodily autonomy in Florida,” she said.
Some young people may choose to vote "no" on the amendment. Schutz and Hobbs said since abortion policy often affects young adults the most, they should be involved in shaping it for the future.
