Reproductive Rights

What Planned Parenthood Means to Me: My One Public Gratitude

Posted by on

plannedparenthoodI’m not one to do gratitudes on Facebook during the month of November. It can be annoying to me, mostly because I’m kind of a curmudgeon and it feels a little braggy when I see people posting certain types of things they are grateful for. Sometimes it can feel like a backdoor brag.

I am definitely a glass half empty kind of person, it’s hard for me to really feel grateful even though I’d like to cultivate that part of me, I also like to think that my cynicism is part of my charm.

The things I’m grateful for include the humdrum parts of life, my kiddo, my home, a car that runs, family who cares about me. Pretty boring stuff.

And so even though I don’t do social media gratitudes, I find myself mildly infected by the notion. And so I want to do this one in a more public way. Because it’s something that’s unbelievably real to me today and something that’s recently been taken away from thousands upon thousands of women in my state of Texas.

Accessible, affordable, reproductive health care.

I visited my local Planned Parenthood last week. I got a pap smear for the first time in five years, as I don’t have health insurance.

I’ve known all along that I could take advantage of this service, but I’m lazy about checking into things and I’m fairly healthy, and I really hate to go to the doctor. I hate getting a pap smear.

So, anyway, I finally got off my duff and made an appointment. Since I don’t have health insurance, I asked about financial assistance and was told that I could fill out a one-page application with my driver’s license and a utility bill. They don’t request proof of income, but do audits. It was super easy. And I qualified.

Planned-Parenthood-Patient-CareI got my pap smear, with a practitioner who sat down and chatted with me, explained several things, listened to another couple of minor-ish health concerns, got a referral for a free mammogram, and some side advice on other low-cost health clinics.

My experience was a relief. It didn’t take very much time or effort on my part. Sure, I had to wait a little longer than I might have with a doctor who takes health insurance. But I ended up having a really nice conversation with a young mother while we waited in the lobby. My visit cost me $17. Very affordable. Hell, less than most co-pays these days.

This Is New To Me

I realized something recently, being poor forces you to navigate systems. It’s a learning curve. I was by no means rich before Annika was born, but I have always had health insurance. When she was born and I stopped working, I made an educated decision to start a crazy life that included low-income and no insurance. Yeah, I know I took a huge risk. But that’s not the point of my post.

My point is that I suddenly realized that I could use a service that’s been there all along. It’s something that’s been there all along for other women in Texas. And now it isn’t.

I suddenly realized that I’m very grateful that I live in Austin where the Planned Parenthoods aren’t at risk. Yet.

Having services specific to reproductive health care, whether you want birth control or not; whether you want an abortion or not; these are things that many women take for granted. They say, “Well, you can go to a regular doctor.” Yeah, but those doctors charge hundreds of dollars to do an exam.

And here’s the thing. I’m not some welfare queen (unbelievably stupid notion, imho). I’m not living off the government. I just wanted to be able to raise my daughter and be available for her while she was young. I worked my ass off for many, many years. I wasn’t lucky enough to become a mother in the most traditional sense, with a husband and the ability to live on one income.

And I do work. I just don’t work quite enough to be able to afford health insurance.

Again, yes, I understand that I made that choice. I did. I decided that my bond with my daughter while she was young was worth the risk of going without health insurance. And I’d do it again. All over again. Because it has been worth it. And because I think that people should be able to have those kinds of choices. I have sacrificed a lot to be able to have this lifestyle in the past five years. And it was all worth it.

So yeah, I’m extremely thankful this year for Planned Parenthood and the people who support the organization’s mission. I’m saddened that there are women this year who are doing without because of right-wing conservatives who believe so passionately in the rights of unborn children that they are sacrificing living human beings.

I’m pissed that religion has taken over the government.

Since life isn’t all that linear, I’ve come to realize that we can all be down and out at one point in our lives. There is no such thing as “those people.”Because we are all or have been or potentially could be “those people.” By taking care of those people, we are taking care of our past, present and future selves, our children, and our grandchildren.

So, my one gratitude this month, and it’s a biggy, is that Planned Parenthood exists to provide important, low-cost, professional quality reproductive health care to women.

 

Texas: An Abortion-For-Profit State

Posted by on
For profit, surgical ambulatory centers.
For profit, surgical ambulatory centers.

So, HB2 passed in the Texas Senate last Friday. I did not watch the live stream or go to the Capitol. I didn’t see the point to be honest. At that point, it was over. I spent that evening feeling depressed and wondering what the realities of this bill mean for Texas women.

I think that House Bill 2 is purely a profit driven bill. It has nothing to do with life. It’s all about money, greed, and ugly power over women in desperate situations.

So, let’s take a look at this and really see what will be the outcome.

Abortions are going to become more expensive. That’s it.

I could be totally wrong, but I think it’s almost guaranteed that they will. And here’s why. The new guidelines are going to cost the clinics more. Not only are the clinics required to upgrade to become  ambulatory surgical centers, which will cost millions, but they also must give any woman having an abortion at the clinic access to a physician 24 hours a day. That means more on-call staffing at every clinic.

If the clinics don’t upgrade to become ambulatory surgical centers, what happens then? There are 422 current ambulatory surgical centers in Texas. Will they begin performing abortions? My guess is that at least some of them will. And they will cost a pretty penny.

I took a look at the list of ambulatory surgery centers in Texas. You can find the excel file here. 

Take a look at it. And something will suddenly jump out at you. They are for profit centers. I didn’t examine all 422 centers, but it jumps right out at you as you scan the file. Those two ugly words up against Planned Parenthood and any other free/low cost health clinics that are non-profits.

Also, Milla Perry Jones, Gov. Rick Perry’s sister is the vice-president of government affairs of United Surgical Partners International, based in Addison, TX.  She is also on the board of the Texas Ambulatory Surgical Center Society. Media reports that there is no direct correlation, but let’s get real, perhaps this link didn’t directly originate in the governor’s office, but we’re not stupid folks. This is huge. Government is one of the most incestuous businesses in the world.

This isn’t about life. This is about money. And it’s a disgusting way to get it, by closing access to health care for poor women and putting a price on an unplanned and unwanted pregnancy. It’s quite despicable.

Honestly, it’s even worse than fighting over ideology. At least that, I can stomach. I can understand that many people abhor the taking of a life. But in this case, Texas legislators aren’t interested in saving lives, they just want to be paid for the ones they help get rid of.

 

There’s a Revolution Afoot: Chanting, Clapping Crowd Stops Vote #standwithwendy

Posted by on

Last night as I sat anticipating the downfall of women’s reproductive rights in a nail biting tension filled filibuster with Senator Wendy Davis (D-Tx) the tables were turned when at approximately 11:45 p.m. Senator Leticia Van de Putte (D-Tx), who was stalling, and about to be hand-to-the-faced, said, “At what point must a female senator raise her hand or voice to be recognized over the male colleagues in the room?” At that point, the clapping started and didn’t stop until after midnight. The noise grew, shouts were heard. The voice of the people stopped the vote! At one point a woman screamed out a few times, (paraphrasing), “LISTEN TO THE PEOPLE!”

leticiavandeputteThe men (and a few women) on the other side of the political table had the power, but they were stopped by the screaming and chanting of what I’m sure was overwhelmingly majority of women’s voices. Clapping and cheering, called an “unruly mob” by the media, the people won!

The crowd stopped the vote! I didn’t know it for sure until I awoke this morning and went directly to my Facebook feed and a friend had posted it in my comments from a post last night. The day was not as dark as I thought it would be when I first awoke! In fact, it only got brighter!

As I sat in my darkened living room last night watching and listening to the crowd chant and clap, hope filled my chest and I began clapping, softly, with the crowd. Just my own small feeling of joining in with the crowd, not able to be there as a single mom with a small child.

You see, I am just one of the people who needs this bill to die for good. While there are many, in many different walks of life, I represent the characteristics of the women in our state and country who need to be supported. A woman of (barely) childbearing years. A mother. A single mother. A mother to a child. A mother to a girl child. Someone who has no real voice in government. Because as it stands, our current state government overwhelming favors men and people who support an outdated and ridiculous religious construct that favors judgment and power over human life. People who are “pro family” but be damned if your family doesn’t have a boy and girl at the head of the table serenely holding hands and forcing all their children into bowed-head submission.

For all their grandstanding and values, they are anti-life. They do not represent the majority of Americans.

Yep I said it. Those fuckers don’t believe in life. I will no longer call them pro-lifers. Only call them anti-choice and anti-life. They are anti-life because they don’t support human life. They support power and control. They support judgment. They believe in squelching the innocent who make mistakes. They believe in dangling lies in order to achieve a chauvinistic agenda.

And it’s time they are stopped.

Because the truth is, this is a crime against ALL women. I grew up in small town Texas. And when I was in my very early child bearing years, there was very little in the way of reproductive support. There was no where in my hometown to get an abortion. You had to drive four hours to the nearest clinic. These are the kinds of things sexually active females know about when they are young. We all knew where to get pills and how to get an abortion if needed. But the only way we knew was through each other. It was whispered in secretive girl meetings and never in front of parents or mentors. There was also a sense of shame and fear surrounding the act in a conservative town. Women were shamed for having sex. There was a lot of slut shaming amongst peer groups, even by the women who were sexually active. The joke on my campus when I was a student at Abilene Christian University was that there was a stream of Christian girls headed to Fort Worth every weekend. Yup, you guessed it, the closest abortion clinic in my hometown with a church on every corner and home to three Christian universities.

Abortions are not restricted to one-size fits all kind of women. Abortion and reproductive rights are important in every walk of life.

From Guttmacher Institute:

Abortion is a common experience: At current rates, about one in three American women will have had an abortion by the time she reaches age 45. Moreover, a broad cross section of U.S. women have abortions. 58% of women having abortions are in their 20s; 61% have one or more children; 85% are unmarried; 69% are economically disadvantaged; and 73% report a religious affiliation. No racial or ethnic group makes up a majority: 36% of women obtaining abortions are white non-Hispanic, 30% are black non-Hispanic, 25% are Hispanic and 9% are of other racial backgrounds.

Since the oppressive regime of GW Bush our country has been in a tailspin. It’s out of control. Too much conservative and religious meddling in our country’s laws.

But I see a light. I see many people around me caring enough to stop the power. For the first time in decades, Texas is moving back toward blue and we need to keep it going.

Let’s all get involved. This is just one of many fights to come. Last night we won a small victory in a huge war. It isn’t over. Not by a long shot. They will regroup and come back stronger. We need to come back stronger too.

Years ago, when Bush took power and began ravaging the rest of the world, I knew with all my heart that this day would come. Our government had gone too far. It has gone too far. The power hungry mongrels are ready to be put down. And it’s only going to happen with the people’s support and letting our voices be heard, just like they did last night. Let’s keep screaming and chanting y’all.

Get involved:

Planned Parenthood Volunteering

NARAL Pro Choice Texas

NARAL Pro Choice America

 

 

Getting Raped and Having Abortions Are Two Different Conversations

Posted by on
Why is this even a conversation piece?

Just because someone says something stupid doesn’t mean we need to give it any attention.

I have a bit of an obsession with all the controversy over abortion and birth control lately. From recent statements made by Richard Mourdock and Todd Akin I fear that the controversy is becoming twisted.

So why are we letting these men run the conversation? They are twisting it and turning it away from the conversation about choice. Who gets to choose? Are women going to let men tell us what to think about? What to talk about? Whether or not to have a baby? And when/if we can have an abortion?

Rape and abortion are two different conversations. Rape doesn’t always end in pregnancy. Abortion doesn’t always stem from unwanted and/or violent sexual activity. Why are we twisting up our reproductive rights with abuse?

If we aren’t careful, the choice will be turned into a question about scenarios in which women should be allowed to have an abortion. Instead of the real question of choice.

Reproductive rights and choice in the matter of reproductive rights are getting bogged down in a male chauvinism.

For the record, I’m as liberal as they come and I will vote for Obama in this upcoming election. But I am very concerned that a few comments made by Republicans are being taken and twisted by their opposition in order to get the left riled up against the other party. It’s about to backfire on us and we need to step very carefully.

Rape is rape. And yes, women who get raped sometimes need to get abortions. But let’s not get the two conversations confused.

Rape is a violent atrocity that typically happens to women and children. Many women suffer long-term consequences such as pregnancy, STDs and emotional trauma due to the rapes.

Abortion, birth control, and a woman’s right to choose, however, is under attack in this country. Too many laws are being passed right under our noses taking away our reproductive rights when it comes to abortion and birth control.

When a woman is raped, she needs to be able to have that choice. Her choice was taken away when sex was forced upon her. She must have a choice somewhere in the process.

That should be a given.

That should not even be a question.

It shouldn’t be part of the debate. Time is marching backwards. How can this even be? We fought so hard to instill and enforce laws that gave women choice in the matter of childbirth.

It’s being taken away  from us. The choice and option of having birth control was also a hard-fought battle.

Please, let’s not get the two confused. All woman should have choice in being pregnant. Sometimes that choice comes after the fact. Even if a woman is not raped, she gets to choose. That’s what the current law states. We need to start working toward keeping it that way. If we aren’t careful, that’s going to go away. It’s happening already in many states. South Dakota, North Dakota and Mississippi are down to one clinic. They are making it even harder by requiring waiting periods. Many states are now requiring that women be told of all possible “risks” of abortion, of which many are not backed by most scientific communities.

And the biggest fear here, is, if Mitt Romney is elected, we stand a good chance that Roe v. Wade will be overturned, which would allow states to ban abortion. I’m pretty certain that Texas would be one of the first ones running toward that legislation.

Let’s not get bogged down in the what ifs of rape or terminal illness, choosing over the fetus or the mother.

The argument is moving in the wrong direction. The conversation is becoming all glommed up by the technicalities.

Let’s start by saying all women deserve choice. Sometimes that choice starts after a pregnancy begins. And sometimes, it must end. We choose. Women must have choice.