Komen and Planned Parenthood
You may have read that the Susan G. Komen for the Cure organization has cut funding to Planned Parenthood for breast-cancer exams and other services for poor women who can't otherwise afford them. The Komen foundation recently adopted a policy that prohibits it from funding groups under investigation by the government, which it says forces it to stop all grants to PP. Activists and commentators have speculated that Komen's new VP of Policy, Karen Handel, advocated for the new policy precisely because it would "force" Komen to cease funding PP. Handel ran for governor of Georgia a couple of years ago on an anti-abortion platform and strongly advocated that the state eliminate its funding for PP.
The resulting outcry has led to increased scrutiny of Komen's policies and stance of various pieces of women's health legislation--and some of what's coming out may surprise those who have supported Komen by donating and participating in the Race for the Cure. For example, Komen lobbied against the Breast & Cervical Cancer Prevention & Treatment Act, which provided Medicaid coverage for some uninsured women.
Due to Komen's decision to cut its funding for PP, I can no longer support the organization. Money that I would have donated to Komen Race for the Cure participants (sorry, weesta) will go to PP instead. It appears I'm not the only one who's made and acted on this decision: Planned Parenthood received more than $400K in donations in the 24 hours after the Komen news broke.
The resulting outcry has led to increased scrutiny of Komen's policies and stance of various pieces of women's health legislation--and some of what's coming out may surprise those who have supported Komen by donating and participating in the Race for the Cure. For example, Komen lobbied against the Breast & Cervical Cancer Prevention & Treatment Act, which provided Medicaid coverage for some uninsured women.
Due to Komen's decision to cut its funding for PP, I can no longer support the organization. Money that I would have donated to Komen Race for the Cure participants (sorry, weesta) will go to PP instead. It appears I'm not the only one who's made and acted on this decision: Planned Parenthood received more than $400K in donations in the 24 hours after the Komen news broke.