People have decided to turn Vice President-elect Mike Pence’s rhetoric against him – thousands of dollars are pouring into Planned Parenthood as donations under his name.
Since the election, the women’s health organization has received over 50,000 individual donations in the name of Governor Mike Pence, a staunchly pro-life Republican, a representative confirmed to the New York Daily News. Planned Parenthood provides reproductive health services across the nation, primarily to women who otherwise can’t afford them or don’t have access to them.
The donations, which are a protest of Pence’s longstanding crusade to cut Planned Parenthood’s funds and limit women’s access to abortion, have made up around a quarter of the non-profit organization’s total donations since the election.
Cecile Richards, Planned Parenthood president, said,
We’ve seen an unprecedented outpouring of support, with more than 200,000 people donating in the week following the election — a quarter of whom pledged to be monthly supporters, recognizing the long-term work that is needed.
She added, “Tens of thousands more are pledging to make sure access to health care is protected.”
A grassroots movement started on social media last week informed online activists that they could have certificates of donation sent directly to Pence’s State House address in Indiana. The initiative grew, gaining more attention with the involvement of celebrities such as Amy Schumer and Amber Tamblyn.
Just after the election, pop superstar Katy Perry donated $10,000 to Planned Parenthood, relating how the organization helped her as a teen and urging fans and fellow celebrities to follow suit. “I am making a public donation to Planned Parenthood for the teenage me, who made several visits to first a clinic in Santa Barbara and then Los Angeles, CA to educate myself on my sexual health, a subject I had little to no information on because of my sheltered upbringing,” Perry said.
Pence has been a consistent opponent of abortion rights since he began his political stint, even signing a state measure in March requiring miscarried or aborted fetuses in Indiana to be “interred or cremated.” The Los Angeles Times reported that the governor also said, “We’ll see Roe vs. Wade consigned to the ash heap of history where it belongs.”
Abortion services make up around 3% of everything Planned Parenthood offers, according to the non-profit. They also provide breast exams, Pap test, STI tests and treatments.
