West Hollywood has taken an official stand in opposition to President Trump’s signing of a bill that would allow states to withhold federal funds from organizations that provide abortions. The bill is viewed by many as an attack on Planned Parenthood, the non-profit organization whose services include not only abortion but also anemia and STD testing, cholesterol and diabetes screening, flu vaccines, help with quitting smoking, high blood pressure screening and others.
A statement released by the city yesterday said: “The City of West Hollywood is deeply alarmed by the action taken by President Donald J. Trump today to sign into law House Joint Resolution H.J. Res. 43, which allows states to withhold federal funds from facilities that provide abortions. H.J. Res. 43 was used by the Republican majority in the House to allow states to deny funding of family planning services, including abortion services, to women’s health care clinics, such as Planned Parenthood.
“H.J. Res 43 rolls back protections put in place by the Obama Administration, which were intended to prevent conservative governors who oppose abortion and family planning services from denying Title X funding to women’s health care clinics.
“The Title X family planning program is a vital source of family planning and related preventive care for life-saving care to low-income people. It includes services such as birth control, cancer screenings, and testing for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV — in addition to providing abortion services, which are non-government funded.
“The exclusion of reproductive health care providers from publicly funded health programs, simply put, hurts people. It harms health outcomes, widens disparities, and creates new barriers to care. When the very providers who are best suited to deliver Title X-funded services are targeted for exclusion based on factors wholly unrelated to the program’s objectives, then federal health care resources become poorly and inefficiently distributed. The result is that health care is less likely to reach individuals in need.
“H.J. Res 43 is another assault against women’s rights to choose and to make personal decisions related to personal and family health.
“The City of West Hollywood was the first city in the nation to declare itself pro-choice and it has continually supported state and federal legislation protecting and advancing women’s reproductive rights and access to healthcare. West Hollywood will not remain silent as efforts are made to take women back to an era of back-alley abortions — this is completely objectionable and the City of West Hollywood will continue to fight for women to be treated with respect, and for dignified healthcare for all. Anything less is unacceptable.”
The City Council voted on Dec. 5 to oppose actions by the Trump Administration that he views as being in opposition to WeHo’s progressive values. It agreed to:
— Direct the city manager to convene a staff working group to respond to proposed actions by the new administration that contravene the city’s core values;
— Authorize the mayor and city manager to send letters opposing proposed appointees who have a history of supporting programs and policies which are contrary to the city’s core values;
— And increase the city’s programming about threats to civil rights and civil liberties.
It’s simple. Abortion is taking a life. What if religious right say homosexuality is wrong and the majority believe it’s ok to kill gays. Not ok. Just because someone is mostly liberal shouldn’t be assumed that they support abortion.
@Fine7760 – First off, your closing comments about the founding premise of Planned Parenthood are patently false, dangerously misguided, and genuinely bonkers. I don’t know what fake news source gave you that racist interpretation of PP’s intent, but something tells me it starts with a “B” and rhymes with whitefart. As for your equally misguided take that abortion “murders innocent babies?” Here are the facts: the vast majority of abortions are performed at earlier than 10 weeks – *months before* these embryos can be called “babies.” Tell me, how many “babies” have you met who could survive being frozen for… Read more »
Here is Margret Sanger, founder of P.P. beliefs. Historians seem to disagree on just how involved in the eugenics movement she was. Some contend her involvement was for political reasons — to win support for birth control. In reading her papers, it is clear Sanger had bought into the movement. She once wrote that “consequences of breeding from stock lacking human vitality always will give us social problems and perpetuate institutions of charity and crime.” “That Sanger was enamored and supported some eugenicists’ ideas is certainly true,” said Susan Reverby, a health care historian and professor at Wellesley College As… Read more »
I am too emotionally distraught from everything post election.
I am proud that I live in a City that actually has a Planned Parenthood Clinic.
I can not join in the numbers to decry the government changing the law about who and what can enter or exit any woman’s womb. I already can’t sleep at nights.
@fine7760 – Why should Planned Parenthood stop performing any medical services which our society obviously needs? And why is our government even contemplating punishing PP for safely adhering to those needs, when abortion has long been ruled the law of the land? It’s not “morally wrong” just because YOU say it is. I happen to think organized religion is morally wrong, that it only divides people – but I understand that many others think differently. That while it is not for me, others may want that choice for themselves. It’s called humility and respect. Please remind yourself that morality is… Read more »
Michael, while you attack me for attempting to judge others for their morality you have done the same with me. And why should I finance a procedure that murders innocent babies in the name of inconvenience? Planned Parenthood is a huge business and as part of their business plan is closing down clinics that are not engaged in abortions. Should we fund General Motors, U.S. Steel, Cedars – Sinai Hospital, Kaiser Permenente, Blue Cross or Blue Shield? P.P. is a huge business founded on premise of stopping the over population of minorities, and maintaining the majority of the white race.
Michael, If it’s only 3% they should stop doing it thereby be able to continue receiving money. That’s just good business but of course we know the numbers are manipulated and it’s in fact a big money maker for Planned Parenthood. And currently it may be “perfectly legal” but in fact “morally wrong.”
@fine7760 – Only about 3% of Planned Parenthood services are even abortion-related. So you’re “fine” with gutting all of the rest of PP’s women’s health services simply because you happen to not agree with *a perfectly legal procedure* which is performed *comparatively rarely* by this organization?
If P.P. was not primarily in the abortion business they would not be shutting down those clinics that do not provide abortions.