As the first month of the New Year draws to a close, newly inaugurated President Trump and his administration are poised to take action against Planned Parenthood with a fresh set of alarming policies.
On January 5, House Speaker Paul Ryan confirmed the fear of thousands of men and women across the country; the GOP will actively pursue legal actions to defund Planned Parenthood.
“The Planned Parenthood legislation would be in our (repeal) bill,” Ryan told reporters, according to The New York Times.
Anxieties reached a boiling point following this announcement prompting a Facebook Live discussion forum hosted by Cecile Richards, President of Planned Parenthood Action Fund, Jaqueline Ayers, Director of Legislative Affairs, and Kelly Robinson, Deputy National Organizing Director. The women met to discuss methods of defending reproductive rights and to address audience questions and concerns. Above all, they urged members of the community to take action in a fight that will prove monumental.
“At the end of the day what I want folks to take away is that we are in the middle of a movement moment. We’re in the middle of a time that is calling us to take action like we have never taken action before and we’re ready for it,” Robinson said.
In the coming months all the health services Planned Parenthood offers such as cancer screenings, birth control, and prenatal care, will come under direct fire. For outraged individuals that do not wish to see reproductive rights roll back to an era of poodle skirts and sock hops, Robinson offers some advice for action.
“So in January what we have to do is fight back…tell the stories of those 2.5 million people that visit Planned Parenthood each year, of those one in five women that comes to our healthcare centers,” Robinson said. “…We need to show up in every way that we can, from sharing our stories to showing up in person. Volunteers across the country have already organized over 300 events in 47 states. Just about no matter where you are there’s an event happening near you that you can get involved in.”