Wham! (Musical group)

WHAM! (Women's Health Action and Mobilization) (1989-ca. 1997), was founded in response to the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Webster vs. Reproductive Health Services of Missouri, which granted states more power to restrict women's access to abortion. It was first a direct action committee of the Reproductive Rights Coalition until that larger group dissolved, and WHAM! became an independent organization. Drawing on the influence of the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT UP), WHAM!'s focus was on direct action that specifically targeted officials and institutions who controlled public policy and programs, and it relied on the use of savvy graphics and media-centered actions, civil disobedience, and phone zaps. WHAM! became known for its high-visibility, aggressive actions aimed at leaders and institutions that controlled policy around women's health issues, including the Centers for Disease Control, the Catholic Church, the U.S. Supreme Court, and elected officials.

While one of WHAM!'s primary goals was absolute access to abortion on demand, they hoped from the beginning to construe reproductive rights broadly, to include not only the prevention of conception and unwanted pregnancy, but also access to health care generally and the right to feed, clothe, and educate their families regardless of race, class, or sexual orientation. Over the years, in conjunction with other groups like the Bay Area Coalition Against Operation Rescue and the Washington Area Clinic Defense Task Force, WHAM! developed a model set of practices for protecting access to women's clinics targeted by anti-abortion groups. A WHAM! committee, the New York Clinic Defense Task Force, eventually developed into a separate organization to focus solely on this ongoing, weekly task. Another group that developed within WHAM! was the Church Ladies for Choice, a group of (mostly) gay men dressed in drag.