Bernhardt, who uses all pronouns, became involved in the fight for reproductive justice after being sexually assaulted. I’m not someone who has the ability to get pregnant, but they saw the lack of contraceptive care on campuses as an equity issue. When roe was overturned, says Bernhardt, white women knew, many for the first time, that their rights were under attack. But as a member of the Latina community, Bernhardt says reproductive justice has long been a struggle for women of color and gender nonconforming people. Abortion ban it disproportionately harms people of colorand it is black people, especially black women, who have historically had led movements for reproductive justice.

The discussion does not end with the abortion ban either, she adds. This also relates to prohibitions on gender-affirming care. When they talk about anything, when they knock on doors or are at events, they make sure to focus on those directly affected by the problems.

“The government shouldn’t be telling you what to do with your body,” they say.

Meanwhile, in Kentucky, 21-year-old Annabel Nagel says abortion is her biggest concern in state and national elections, adding that “abortion is always on the ballot.” Earlier this year, Nagel traveled out of state for abortion care. The few people she had told she was pregnant had encouraged her to keep quiet; at the time, she says, there was talk of legislation that would criminalize anyone crossing state lines for an abortion (there is no such statewide legislation, though some Texas cities have tried Stop residents traveling for care). “And I said, well, what if I’m not quiet about it?” she says. Nagel documented the experience, including the nine-hour drive and the protesters outside the clinic.

“I’m just posting it to make everyone feel like it’s not a bad thing to do,” she says. Instead, she says, it’s a completely normal occurrence that people go through every day, regardless of whether it is legal or not.

Nagel sees her own story and Duvall’s situations as completely different, but both center around reproductive rights. He would love it if people would start more of these conversations. They don’t have to be as public with their stories as Duvall, or even as public as Nagel herself, she says, but just talking in smaller circles helps. “I think those are the conversations that need to happen and they need to keep people informed of what’s on the line here in November,” she says.

Recently, Duvall wonders if she’s seen someone like her on TV — someone telling this story openly, someone who’s gotten to graduate college and decide her path in life. Would she have felt comfortable enough to have a conversation with someone she trusted about what was happening to her? “I don’t know for sure, but probably,” she says Teen Vogue. “So I like being what I was looking for when I was younger.”

She believes that, in part because of social media, people are able to “live a little more freely as children and (be) a little more open-minded and talk a little more in those households.” Her generation, she says, is willing to have tough conversations — and starting those conversations is good. Even in Kentucky, there are people who are using Duvall’s presence and story as an entry point to talk with loved ones about abortion and share their own experiences. And, as Duvall points out, it’s not about what affects just one person or just one political party: “At this point, it’s not even about your political party, it’s just about basic human rights.”

It’s a mission that Duvall holds close, but there are times when it becomes overwhelming, when she needs to take a mental health day or turn off her phone, not do interviews like this, and have a moment to herself . Duvall prioritizes her relationship, her dog (who has made appearances on Duvall’s TikTok wanting to participate in her human’s grooming activities), her regular job as a server in Kentucky, and showing up for the people in her life who have shown always for her. Because if the personal is political, the political is also about a person. “Because I’m still Hadley, I’m still 22, I’m still growing,” she says.