{"id":25557,"date":"2016-01-26T16:53:37","date_gmt":"2016-01-26T22:53:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/?p=25557"},"modified":"2016-01-26T16:53:37","modified_gmt":"2016-01-26T22:53:37","slug":"politicians-and-donors-support-womens-rights-at-planned-parenthood-fundraiser","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/politicians-and-donors-support-womens-rights-at-planned-parenthood-fundraiser\/","title":{"rendered":"Politicians and donors support women\u2019s rights at Planned Parenthood fundraiser"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Enrica Nicoli Aldini<\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s been a rough year for Planned Parenthood. Not only have Republicans in Congress repeatedly tried to pass bills to suspend federal funding to the reproductive health services organization, but a Planned Parenthood clinic was also the object of a gunman attack in Colorado Springs, Colo. last November.<\/p>\n

However, the mood was far from somber among the reproductive rights advocates who filled the dining rooms at City Winery on the Near West Side Thursday night. An estimated 600 donors, supporters and elected officials came together to raise funds for Planned Parenthood Illinois Action, the health organization\u2019s political arm in the state, and celebrate the 43rd anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u201cTonight is about celebrating choice,\u201d said Carole Brite, president and chief executive officer of Planned Parenthood of Illinois.<\/p>\n

\u201cSince July 2015, there has been an increase in hateful rhetoric,\u201d Brite said, looking back at what she called a \u201chell of a year Planned Parenthood has had.\u201d \u201cThe attacks have been about destroying the right for all women to make their own reproductive decisions. Planned Parenthood has stood steadfast because of all your help.\u201d<\/p>\n

Several elected officials took the stage to speak in support of women\u2019s right to choose. Some received special awards for their advocacy to advance women\u2019s rights. Illinois Senator Daniel Biss (D-9th) was the recipient of the Richard J. Phelan Profile in Courage Award for his efforts to fight bills that would restrict access to health care.<\/p>\n

At an event whose chief occasion was celebrating women and their rights, Biss said men have to recognize that they too are involved in the fight for women\u2019s reproductive freedom.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is my responsibility to be an ally and do whatever I can to advance that cause,\u201d Biss said. \u201cThese fights are not going to be won if men don\u2019t stand up and do the right thing. Every day and every hour I\u2019ll be standing with this community because it is essential.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lorie Chaiten, director of the Reproductive Rights Project at the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois, received the Dr. Marvin Rosner Lifetime Achievement Award. Chaiten reminded the audience that while the level of health care and services for women in Illinois is progressive, minors still have to face many barriers when seeking an abortion. If they don\u2019t want to involve their parents in the decision, they\u2019ll have to go through the lengthy and burdensome process of requesting a parental approval waiver in court. Plus, the costs of the procedure might be prohibitive for women who can\u2019t afford proper health care coverage.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery day in Illinois women without Medicare have to decide whether to pay for the procedure or pay rent,\u201d Chaiten said. \u201cWe must educate the public so they can elect pro-choice officials, until we\u2019ve finally secured reproductive justice for all.\u201d<\/p>\n

U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) said she\u2019s never seen such an attack against women\u2019s rights since Roe v. Wade. \u201cPlanned Parenthood has become the poster child for Republicans who want to attack women\u2019s rights,\u201d Schakowsky said. \u201cThey feel free to say the most ridiculous and hateful things.\u201d The congresswoman is the ranking democratic member in a select House committee to investigate Planned Parenthood after allegations that the organization makes profits from fetal tissue donations.<\/p>\n

Schakowsky told the audience she had actually objected to the formation of the committee. She said she believes it would foster violence and the use of an aggressive rhetoric.<\/p>\n

Just as Schakowsky spoke, pro-life activists protested the fundraiser and celebration outside City Winery, with anti-Planned Parenthood banners and signs showing gruesome pictures of damaged fetuses.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese people are clueless,\u201d said Henrietta Burmakova, a recurrent donor to Planned Parenthood and clinic escort volunteer in Chicago. \u201cI\u2019m here to raise awareness because it\u2019s surprising how many people don\u2019t know exactly what\u2019s going on with abortion clinics.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kate Votava, who attended the night as a VIP donor, also spoke of a \u201chorrible angst\u201d against Planned Parenthood that made her come out to stand up and support women\u2019s rights and the reproductive health organization.<\/p>\n

While it certainly has not been a good year for Planned Parenthood, the atmosphere at City Winery was upbeat. Waves of optimism for women\u2019s rights came especially from the older attendees, who remembered what it was like before 1973 and Roe v. Wade.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re still here and kicking,\u201d said Schakowsky amid applause and cheers from the crowd. The congresswoman noted how abortions had been sought and performed for days on end before 1973, but only Roe v. Wade made sure abortions would become safe.<\/p>\n

\u201cRoe was not the beginning of women having abortions,\u201d Schakowsky said. \u201cBut it was the end of women dying having abortions.\u201d<\/p>\n

Planned Parenthood gift bags in support of women\u2019s reproductive freedom. The fundraiser drew about 600 donors and supporters and many Illinois pro-choice politicians. (Enrica Nicoli Aldini\/MEDILL)<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Enrica Nicoli Aldini It\u2019s been a rough year for Planned Parenthood. Not only have Republicans in Congress repeatedly tried to pass bills to suspend federal funding to the reproductive health services organization, but a Planned Parenthood clinic was also the object of a gunman attack in Colorado Springs, Colo. last November. However, the mood […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":195,"featured_media":25566,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30,675,585],"tags":[899,706,704],"class_list":["post-25557","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-public-affairs","category-social-justice","category-winter-2016","tag-abortion-rights","tag-planned-parenthood","tag-womens-rights"],"yoast_head":"\nPoliticians and donors support women\u2019s rights at Planned Parenthood fundraiser - Medill Reports Chicago<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/politicians-and-donors-support-womens-rights-at-planned-parenthood-fundraiser\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Politicians and donors support women\u2019s rights at Planned Parenthood fundraiser - Medill Reports Chicago\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"By Enrica Nicoli Aldini It\u2019s been a rough year for Planned Parenthood. 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