Planned Parenthood of Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota’s (PPMNS) Board of Directors voted unanimously to oppose the constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage that will go before Minnesota voters next year.
“Planned Parenthood has always stood up for people’s right to make life’s most profound and intimate choices,” said PPMNS Board Chair Sarah Dodge. “All people, regardless of their sexual orientation, should be free to make their own choices about love, commitment and relationships.”
Last week, the Senate Appropriations Committee adopted an ammendment to a bill that, if signed into law, will block re-imposition of the Mexico City Policy, also known as the Global Gag Rule.
The amendment, introduced by Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), would mean that future presidents will not have the authority to refuse funding to foreign NGOs that provide advice, counseling or information regarding abortion, or that lobby a foreign government to legalize or make abortion available.
In an article for The Huffington Post, U.S. Representative Mike Honda (D-CA) wrote that the “biggest casualty” in the initiatives to cut Medicaid and Medicare have been women’s health programs, especially preventive and reproductive health services, such as those that Planned Parenthood provides.
“Despite this, Republicans call for deficit reduction deals that would substantially cut Medicaid as well as Medicare and Social Security, and have a disproportionate impact on the health and economic security of women nationwide. Cuts to Medicare and Medicaid will be debilitating to women and families who rely on these programs to afford preventive and reproductive health services. This is no time to gouge a gaping hole in social safety nets that protect these communities from falling into poverty and poor health.”
Join Planned Parenthood and our volunteers as we participate in the Big Gay Race on October 15th, and take a stand against the proposed constitutional amendment, which would amend the Minnesota Constitution to ban same-sex marriage and the legal recognition of same-sex couples.
The Big Gay Race is put on by Minnesotans United For All Families, and all proceeds will go towards opposing the constitutional amendment. In November 2012, Minnesotans will stand up for all families and vote NO on the constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage.
Planned Parenthood is putting together a team to participate in the race. We hope you'll run with us!
Here's how to sign up to run with Planned Parenthood at the Big Gay Race:
Every year about 11,000 women in the U.S. are diagnosed with cervical cancer, and nearly 4,000 die. Seventy-percent of cervical cancers are caused by strains of HPV. HPV is the most common sexually transmitted disease in the U.S. and throughout the world.
