Coffee shop giving out free Plan B triggers flood of calls to Texas town’s police
When the Tumbleweed + Sage Coffeehouse started giving away free contraceptive kits in late July, word spread fast, and calls flooded the Texas town’s police department.
Each kit comes packed with two Plan B pills, pregnancy tests and condoms, plus an instruction pamphlet. Anyone who needs a kit is welcome to come inside and take one, or ask at the drive-thru.
“You’re allowed to rest in our cafe, do whatever you need to do. We’re here for you,” owner Destiny Adams said in a social media post, announcing that her Wolfforth coffee shop had begun offering the kits.
As of Aug. 18, they’ve given away at least 75 kits, many to young women and mothers, Adams told McClatchy News.
Wolfforth is a suburb on the outskirts of Lubbock, roughly 12 miles southwest of the city’s downtown.
“Seriously this makes me weep. I’m so happy y’all provide this,” a commenter said about Adams’ post.
“Just when I had given up hope on west Texas,” wrote another. “Kudos to you for creating this safe space.”
Adams is able to provide the kits through a partnership with Jane’s Due Process, she told McClatchy News, a Texas-based nonprofit focused on providing young people access to abortion and birth control.
While Adams has seen plenty of support, it’s clear some aren’t happy with her.
A group of protesters has been gathering outside her shop on Saturdays, accusing her of promoting abortion, she told McClatchy News.
And soon after Adams announced the free contraceptives on social media, the Wolfforth Police Department was inundated with calls and emails “questioning the legality” of what the coffee shop is doing.
The department said it is “researching” the issue, in a July 27 Facebook post that drew criticism.
Adams said she isn’t worried about her program being shut down by the police, at least not under current state law.
“We have done our research and know that we aren’t breaking any laws,” she said. “We will keep it that way so that we can continue to provide things for our community.”
Anti-abortion sentiment runs high in Lubbock, and conservative-minded faith leaders have a lot of sway — displayed clearly in 2021, when Lubbock became a “sanctuary city for the unborn,” outlets reported. The vote passed with 62% in favor, though only a fraction of the city’s population — around 34,000 — cast a ballot.
The proposition made it unlawful to “aid or abet” anyone in having an abortion.
Plan B and similar contraceptives are not used to abort or terminate a pregnancy; they prevent pregnancies from occurring in the first place.
Still, many proponents of reproductive rights worry that with the Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe v. Wade in June, access to contraceptives may be next on the chopping block, outlets report.
But Adams plans to keep her shop stocked with the kits for “as long as possible,” she told McClatchy. “I’m not really scared of bullies.”
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