How to Support Planned Parenthood in Light of Susan G Komen Betrayal

Yesterday, cancer survivors, their loved ones, and loved ones of those who succumbed to the disease, reeled to learn that Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the charity synonymous with breast cancer research, halted grants to Planned Parenthood.

The charity caved to pressure from anti-abortion activists who have the nationwide clinics under investigation at the behest of an anti-abortion politician (more about that here). Another factor is surely the hiring of Komen’s senior VP for Public Policy, Karen Handel, an ex-politician who ran unsuccessfully for governor of Georgia in 2010 on an anti-abortion platform and was endorsed by Sarah Palin (more on that here).

Despite the fact Susan G. Komen’s grants to Planned Parenthood mainly were used for breast exams for women who otherwise could not afford them, anti-abortion groups have targeted those charitable donations because some Planned Parenthood clinics also perform abortions.

But enough about ideology trumping ethics. What are we going to do about it?
• Donate to Planned Parenthood. Yup, go right to the source. [Planned Parenthood Action]

• Give your money to another worthy breast cancer organization — Susan G. Komen for the Cure is hardly the only one. Blogger Nona Willis Aronowitz at GOOD magazine recommends sending your donations to charities that don’t let ideology trump their mission, such as Breast Cancer Action, the National Breast Cancer Coalition, and the Women’s Community Center Project. You can check out her other recommendations at the link. [GOOD]

• Contribute your story to a new Tumblr called Planned Parenthood Saved Me, which is collecting images and stories from women whose lives were saved and improved from a Planned Parenthood cancer screening. It could be a breast screening, a cervical screening, an ovarian screening, anything. Putting a face, name or story to an issue really does help. [Planned Parenthood Saved Me]

• Donate to Susan G. Komen affiliates that are still providing funding to Planned Parenthood. This morning, I learned on Facebook that Susan G. Komen for the Cure Connecticut, the affiliate in my home state, is an individual nonprofit that reports to a local board of directors — not the national org. Therefore, my local affiliate is still partnered with Planned Parenthood and is still funding Planned Parenthood of New England.

It is frustrating to see a leading national provider of women’s healthcare being dicked around, especially given how breast cancer screenings are preventative care which save lives in the long run. Yet at the same time it is heartening to see — in my Twitter feed, on Facebook, in emails that have been lining my inbox since yesterday — so many outraged in response and doing something about it.
[The Atlantic Monthly][Jezebel][GOOD]

Contact the author of this post at Jessica@TheFrisky.com. Follow me on Twitter at @JessicaWakeman.

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Reposted at www.keystothecloset.blogspot.com

Robertson: Left Backs Abortion Rights To Make Straight Women More Like Lesbians

Submitted by Brian on April 25, 2011 - 9:20am Posted at Right Wing Watch. Reposted at http://keystothecloset.blogspot.com I am not making this up. There is a video. I submit this for your entertainment.

Pat Robertson has figured out why President Obama supports the funding of Planned Parenthood and believes in a woman’s right to choose: because progressives want women to have abortions as a way to achieve equality for lesbians. While speaking with co-host Terry Meeuwsen of The 700 Club about the recent debate over Planned Parenthood’s funding, Robertson attempted to use “psychological stuff” to rationalize why progressives back Planned Parenthood and “this culture of death.” According to Robertson, progressives want straight women to “abortion their babies” to “put [lesbians] on a level playing field.”

Meeuwsen: There are lots of government-funded agencies in this country. Why do you think the President picked that one above all else to say, ‘not one penny’?

Robertson: Well it’s the left; it’s this culture of death. The far-left is livid about killing babies. They want to kill do this, they want to destroy. You go back, and I don’t want to play all this psychological stuff but nevertheless, if a woman is a lesbian, what advantage does she have over a married woman? Or what deficiency does she have?

Meeuwsen: Well, she can’t have children

Robertson: That’s exactly right. And so if these married women don’t have children, if they abort their babies, then that kind of puts them on a level playing field. And you say, nobody’s there to express that? Isn’t that shocking, well, think about it a little bit, ladies and gentlemen.

Planned Parenthood, more than abortions but a queer issue

 Last week, the House of Representatives voted to bar federal funding for Planned Parenthood.  Want to learn more about what this means or wondering what you can do, click here for the Planned Parenthood Take Action website. Wondering how it's a queer issue? Check out shay's blog post here.
http://plannedparenthoodaction.org/positions/2011-congressional-attacks-womens-health-care-1024.htm

 For more info see: http://blog.nyacyouth.org/