The True Life Diary of a Planned Parenthood Worker and Activist

The battle to open our clinic in Aurora, Illinois, might be over, but the war against Planned Parenthood and the women we serve continues.  Right now, there are picketers outside clinics all across the country in an attempt to restrict women's access to health care services.  The anti-choice people call it 40 days for life." We call it another day at the office.  

Basically, the anti-choice groups have decided to picket more than 80 Planned Parenthood clinics across the country for 40 days. September 26-November 4.

We are all used to picketers -- Planned Parenthood is used to picketers.  But the picketers aren't just picketing our clinics -- they're really about making it impossible for women to get health care.  So we've decided to do something about it.  Throughout their entire 40 days campaign, we're giving folks the opportunity to see what it's really like to work at a Planned Parenthood clinic.  Every day, we're posting videos, photos and stories from our doctors and nurses to our educators and receptionists to find out what it's really like to come to work every day.

The stories we've heard are amazing.  One woman hides the fact that she works at Planned Parenthood from her family because they are anti-choice.  One was called a slut last week.  One pedals as fast as she can into the clinic parking lot on her bike every day so that she can avoid the protesters stares.  But they all have one thing in common -- they come back every single day to serve their patients.  

Throughout the campaign, we'll be keeping track of the number of protesters that our staff sees.  We're asking our supporters to pledge money for each protester we encounter.  A nickel, a quarter, a dollar -- we can make our money go far.  Every day that they stand outside our clinics and intimidate patients, they will be helping us raise money.

Our campaign is called Emily X: The True Life Diary of a Frontline Planned Parenthood Worker and Activist.  Check out Emily here.

•  Thanks for all you're doing.

  I volunteered for PP when I lived in Dallas; I've done some volunteer work here and there since I've lived in Tampa, but reading this makes me want to commit more fully to volunteering on the frontlines, even if I have to drive to Sarasota to do it.

  Thanks again,

  boof

  by boofdah on Mon Oct 15, 2007 at 01:45:53 PM PDT

•  Thanks for all you're doing.

  It's important for all of us.

  by TomP on Mon Oct 15, 2007 at 01:46:45 PM PDT

•  Emily, put up your Tip Jar comment for mojo...

  everybody else, pony up the $.

  40 Days for Dignity and Health would be how I'd reframe these days.

  by antirove on Mon Oct 15, 2007 at 01:47:15 PM PDT

•  Thanks for all you're doing!!!

  we've been supporters forever.

  by condoleaser on Mon Oct 15, 2007 at 01:47:51 PM PDT

•  Sorry to be so dense...but what was the final

  outcoming with the clinic in Aurora?

  I wish PP had supported New Lamont in CT instead of Holy Joe Lieberman.

  by ShainZona on Mon Oct 15, 2007 at 01:50:25 PM PDT

  •  Our clinic opened and is now seeing patients.

    More details from Got-a-Grip are here.

    by Planned Parenthood on Mon Oct 15, 2007 at 01:57:52 PM PDT

    •  :>)))))

      Thanks.  And congratulations.

      by ShainZona on Mon Oct 15, 2007 at 02:13:36 PM PDT

•  if i could put this on the Frfont Page i would

  each and every day of the campaign.

  sadly i lack that power -- but more than appreciate the diary and more than applaud the campaign (and, as a result of your story, i've pledged $).

  thank you for getting this out to dKos.

  _______________

  it's their screen name because they couldn't figure out how to spell "moran."

  -9.75 (e), -7.18 (s)

  by dadanation on Mon Oct 15, 2007 at 01:53:04 PM PDT

•  I love this diary at Over My Med Body

  A med student was doing a rotation in ob-gyn at Planned Parenthood and learned how important it is.

  Planned Parenthood ain't Abortions

  During my OB-Gyn rotation, I’ve been working with the great staff of our local Planned Parenthood, and let me just say: Planned Parenthood rocks.

  I will admit, fully ignorant of Planned Parenthood beforehand, I thought I’d be doing abortion evaluations. Planned Parenthood equals abortions. That was the extent of my knowledge. I spoke with friends–well-educated, public health-type friends, and that was their same response. "So, did you do any abortions today?"

  I was so far, far off base it’s not even funny.* In fact, it may sound ironic, but I’m pretty confident when I say this: No matter what your feelings are about the subject, there would be more abortions performed in this country if Planned Parenthood didn’t exist. Let me explain.

  snip

  I am far from zealot or activist–as I said before, I knew nothing before a few weeks ago–but I’ve been incredibly impressed with my short time there, and I’m hoping I’ve educated you as to what Planned Parenthood does in your community, since I was woefully ignorant myself.

  by Rebecca on Mon Oct 15, 2007 at 02:09:32 PM PDT

•  I Thank You Too, Please Post Tip Jar.

  All I can say is thank you so much for your daily committment to serving women's healthcare needs.

  by VirginiaBlue on Mon Oct 15, 2007 at 02:21:31 PM PDT

•  Thanks

  to the staff for their devotion to your clients. It's not easy facing derision and worse every day.

  by operculum on Mon Oct 15, 2007 at 02:27:03 PM PDT

•  It makes me so damned mad

  that these anti-choice idiots want to deprive working poor women of decent health care.  WHaddya bet msot of 'em hate wlefare and Medicaid and S-CHIP?

  by irishwitch on Mon Oct 15, 2007 at 02:28:11 PM PDT

  •  You're right--most of 'em probably hate S-CHIP

    The anti-choice crowd never thinks beyond their hatred of abortion.  When we ask them what they'd do instead to prevent abortion, all they thing of is making it illegal.  They never think of education about contraception, honest sex education, and they do hate the idea of funding programs like Head Start, Medicaid, food stamps, school lunches or S-CHIP, which all make parenthood more affordable.

    by CoolOnion on Mon Oct 15, 2007 at 02:54:00 PM PDT

    •  Oh, they THINK avbout sex ed

      and birth control. But they a e against both of them--because use of birth control (in their twisted world view) leads a loss of fear of pregnancy which leads to more sex and eventually failure rates kick in, causing more abortions. I told you it was twisted.

      The truth is EVERY  anti-choice group I have found (and I spent   a good dozen hours over several days seaching and reading) is abstinence only sex ed and anti-at least hormonal birth control and the IUD. The rest will allow them--for amrried couples. But htey are against unmarried people usign them, and don't wnat kdis informed of them.  The sole exception was NAtl RIght to Life COmmittee, whioch took nos tanc eone ither issue.

      They are oppsoed to SEX , bnot just abortion,.

      by irishwitch on Mon Oct 15, 2007 at 08:11:31 PM PDT

•  I've never understood their side

  What on earth do they find offensive about the concept of planning parenthood?

  I was planned, and I always appreciated the fact that I was wanted, that I was a choice, and that I was not born by "accident."

  What's so bad about planning?

  by CoolOnion on Mon Oct 15, 2007 at 02:49:35 PM PDT

  •  It's god's will

    What right do you have to get in the way of god's will?  You should accept the punishment he gives you.  

    It's all about a punitive, judgmental view of life.  

    by Rebecca on Mon Oct 15, 2007 at 03:19:04 PM PDT

    •  Yeah, "punishment"--that's another thing

      That's another thing I don't like about these right-wingers--for all their talk about being "pro-life," they think pregnancy is "punishment."

      They really do hate kids, don't they?

      by CoolOnion on Mon Oct 15, 2007 at 03:51:24 PM PDT

      •  I think it's their compassion deficit.

        They seem to be unable to care for anyone baby, kid or adult they don't know personally.  We see it all the time.  Where suddenly a family member will get sick or whatever and suddenly an epiphany will occur on that one and only that one point.  

        by Rebecca on Mon Oct 15, 2007 at 03:56:58 PM PDT

  •  Takes it out of "God's Hands"

    My folks are Catholic and last week when they visited here, they went to the local Catholic church for mass (they do it every time they come out).  There was a nice, glossy four-color insert in the bulletin about the latest "pro-life" events.  It included a quote from a mother of 20.  No, that's not a typo. Twenty.  Twenty freakin' kids.  Most of what she talked about was how "God provided with just enough to feed the next mouth that came along."  I wonder how much was God and how much was from sources much more earthly.

    I remember going to Catholic church as a child and the church bulletins were full of announcements about so-and-so's illness, let's pray for her, the bingo night, the fundraisers for the Ursuline nuns' campaign to feed the hungry, operation rice bowl, etc.  Now, the entire church bulletin is taken up by the crusade to save the blastocysts and guest lectures or books for sale by "important pro-life activists."  My parents' priest discreetly told them that they should base their family planning on whether or not they truly believed that the church would look after the fifty-plus potential children they could wind up having in their lifetime, and go from there (there are only two of us).  I don't know how St. Peter isn't rolling over in his tomb.

    But the whole idea is "faith-based family planning"--it's "God's will" that you get knocked up every ten months whether it's good for you or not, and if you have so many kids you can't remember all their names, well then hey, it's God's will, and you don't have one of your own.

    by athenap on Mon Oct 15, 2007 at 04:12:13 PM PDT

    •  God gave us brains, too.

      I like the discreet message from your parents' priest--good for him!

      My husband's grandmother had 12, but they lived on a farm and wanted every lil' potential farm worker they could get!  There was always plenty of food for everybody, but after 12 kids, she had really bad osteoporosis.

      I can't imagine someone having 20.

      by CoolOnion on Mon Oct 15, 2007 at 05:28:59 PM PDT

      •  My Gods Very Clearly

        have stated they don't want me to be a baby machine.  And when I asked Jesus at their monthly poker night last week, he confirmed it, too.  The Gods gave me a brain and the capacity to make a choice.  And it's funny how it's "interfering with God's Will" when it's a pregnancy, but no one bats an eye at interfering with "God's will" by taking Lipitor, getting blood transfusions, or organ transplants.

        I'm okay with people having as many kids as they want--if they are willing and able to provide for them.  I am also okay with people having the kids they can't provide for if they have a moral problem with aborting or preventing them.  But I am not okay with them telling me what to do with my plumbing.  I already have doctors, nurses, hospital administrators, HR personnel, accountants, actuaries and insurance company call center cubefarmers sticking their noses between my legs and into my healthcare decisions.  There ain't room for religious or ideological wingnuts to stick their snouts there, too.

        While I'm here...does anyone have a link to local PP efforts to counter-pledge.  I'd like to do something for my local PP.

        My daughter is too young (2.5) for PP right now, but as soon as she hits teen-hood, she, like her mother, will be patronizing PP.  At the very least, she and her brother will be taken down there to see how very beleaguered the place is, and how very important the work is that they do.  When I was a dirt poor college grad with no health insurance, PP provided for me and kept me from being a dirt-poor, too young mother-to-be via affordable birth control and gynecological health care.  Maybe we'll be lucky enough in ten years that a trip to PP won't entail running through a gauntlet.  We can hope.

        by athenap on Tue Oct 16, 2007 at 07:14:35 AM PDT

•  My little incident...

  Here's a little of what happens after dark at the clinics....

  http://www.dailykos.com/...

  by Ribalding on Mon Oct 15, 2007 at 03:29:02 PM PDT