Planned Parenthood

Protecting our Teenagers

NC lawmakers have made our teenagers their next target of their extreme agenda.

House Bill 693, which would deny North Carolina's teens access to confidential health services including sexually transmitted infections (STIs), mental health counseling, pregnancy prevention and substance abuse was pulled from the NC House calendar at the last minute by Speaker Thom Tillis.

If this bill becomes law, North Carolina would be the first state in the US to require a parent's notarized signature for pregnancy prevention, STD testing and treatment, mental health counseling and other time-sensitive health concerns. Recognizing the time-sensitive nature of these medical issues, every state in the U.S. currently allows teenagers to seek confidential care for the treatment of one or more of these health care needs.

GOP NC House Rep. Larry Pittman is a big fat hypocrite. He says he opposes abortion -- yet he is trying to destroy the one organization that prevents more abortions than any other organization in North Carolina.

Last week, it was revealed that several months ago, in the midst of a funding debate, Rep. Pittman called Planned Parenthood "... a murderous organization... getting wealthy on murder for hire... Never will I agree to give that bloody, indecent, immoral organization one penny. I will not be satisfied until it is outlawed." Learn why he's a big, fat hypocrite for saying this after the jump.

Planned Parenthood of Central North Carolina has circumnavigated the Republicans' budget maneuver that cut their state funding for family planning. See this good N&O story.

With an override of the Governor's Veto:

The ruse for these attacks on Planned Parenthood is "abortion," but since the funding targeted is inevitably never for abortion, the ruse can be considered another in a long line of ruses disguised as legitimate legislation, which the South in particular has been fond of since passing "poll taxes" and "literacy tests" in a barely concealed ruse to strip black citizens of their voting rights.

It's definitely a ruse, but it exposes more than just deception on the part of Republicans: It reveals an almost child-like fear and misunderstanding of the role that sex plays in the lives of (healthy) individuals. In layman's terms: Somebody needs to get laid.

Trying to unplug the GOP's time machine:

"Planned Parenthood saves lives," said Rep. Alma Adams, D-Guilford, noting that it's the only healthcare available to many low-income women and men. She said most county health departments are not equipped to offer those primary services. "Republicans claim they're for keeping government out of people's lives. Why doesn't that apply when it comes to women's lives?" asked Adams.

Because Republicans (even females) have a fundamental fear and mistrust of how emancipated women will shape our society, so they place roadblocks in their way whenever possible. Economic roadblocks, reproductive roadblocks, cultural roadblocks, etc. And our society suffers for it.

Via WRAL and Mark Binker

Of the funds appropriated in this act to the Department of Health and Human Services for the 2012-2013 fiscal year, none shall be allocated to renewing, extending, or entering into new contracts for the provision of family planning services and pregnancy prevention activities with providers other than local health departments. Upon the expiration of any contracts in effect during the 2011-2012 fiscal year between the Division of Public Health and private providers of family planning services and pregnancy prevention activities, the Department shall reallocate three hundred forty-three thousand dollars ($343,000) of these contract funds to local health departments. Local health departments receiving funds under this section shall not contract with outside vendors for the provision of family planning services or pregnancy prevention activities. These services shall be provided directly by local health department recipients. This section does not apply to contracts administered by the Department pursuant to G.S. 130A-131.15A.

Translation: The state will provide no family planning services and the state will not contract with outside vendors for family planning services.

Translation: There's nothing the NCGOP likes more than screwing poor women.

I wish I could talk to each of our Democratic women legislators right now, especially those who have decided not to run for reelection. I know they are discouraged and worn out, but the truth is we need them more than ever. Yet even without them, I am optimistic that we can stop the Republican Party from turning women into second-class citizens in North Carolina.

Why the optimism? It's simple. The women I know are fed up with men in government trying to interfere in their personal choices. What's more, they are speaking out and acting up like never before. From concerns about contraception and family planning to abortion rights an dequal pay, women are gearing up to push back against Republican over-reaching. And they are going to turn out in droves this fall.

All that outcry via blogs, tweets, Facebook about Susan G. Komen's bad move against Planned Parenthood has paid off. This afternoon, Nancy G. Brinker, Founder and CEO, apologized to the American public

for recent decisions that cast doubt upon our commitment to our mission of saving women's lives.

In the press release, she said:

The events of this week have been deeply unsettling for our supporters, partners and friends and all of us at Susan G. Komen.

No kidding!

In light of cancer charity Susan G. Komen for the Cure's decision to turn their backs on women's health in favor of bowing to GOP political pressure to defund Planned Parenthood, I suggest they change their logo to one that more accurately reflects how they really feel about women. As I have designed the logo, I will sell the rights to use it to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure for the low, low price of what they used to give to Planned Parenthood to help low income women receive breast exams. Please send the check to Planned Parenthood, thank you. NOTE: There is no petition. This is satire!

Unbelievable as it seems, the national offices of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation today announced they are severing their ties with Planned Parenthood Federation of America. Apparently their big right-wing donors pressured them into believing that Planned Parenthood isn't first and foremost a woman's health organization, just like they are.

Read more about this bone-headed move, and sign an open letter to stand with Planned Parenthood as a champion of the right of women to have basic health care and to make their own choices about their bodies.