It felt good to get it out there – to express my frustration with what has been going on in our country regarding women’s health care, and at the same time give thanks to those who stand up for us. The letter helped me voice these things, and provided a platform for others to share their feelings. While I called it an open letter to Congresswoman DeLauro, I never actually anticipated that she would read it.

Imagine my surprise when I received a phone call from her yesterday. Really.

My disillusionment in politics was shaken for a moment.

Image via Huffington Post

It was a little surreal getting a phone call from the U.S. Capitol. Congresswoman DeLauro thanked me for my words, and, in turn, I thanked her for her attempt to share hers during Congressman Issa’s farce of a hearing.

After I took a few breaths and tamped down my fan-girling desire to squee (only natural, right?), I ended up having a pretty fantastic conversation with the Congresswoman. We discussed the hearing for a bit, and everything it entailed. Congresswoman DeLauro echoed my own thoughts when she said, “This whole situation is ugly.”

Ugly is right. The fact that a group of men were being called on to speak about women’s health is down right ugly and disastrous. (We were both equally baffled over MSNBC’s Morning Joe’s choice to have an all male panel discuss the House hearing’s…all male panel). Men can have a place at the table, but they should not be allowed to have the only voice in the discussion. To even think that washes away the years of fighting and struggling to achieve equality for women in this country.

Congresswoman DeLauro agreed with this sentiment and had some choice things to say about it.

It pushes back women’s individual rights. Look at what is happening in Virginia right now with the ultrasounds. It is a humiliation of women. It throw us back. You want to talk about violating individual rights? They’re having women be subject to a procedure whether they want it or not!

I feel very strongly, particularly that its all about trying to put women back in this space and place from which we have moved as decision makers. All of this is meant to put women back where they “ought” to be: this old ideology of what a woman’s place is.

 
Her words rang true, as one of my greatest fears is that as we begin to strip away these essential rights, we will leave women in a place that we’ve fought hard to pull ourselves out from. It was heartening to hear that we do have representatives on the Hill that have the same fears and are working tirelessly to protect our rights. Between my conversation with Congresswoman DeLauro and today’s House hearing sponsored by Nancy Pelosi (which included Sandra Fluke’s testimony), my faith has been bolstered, and my desire and drive to continue the good fight has been fueled.
 
My conversation with the Congresswoman ended with this reminder from her: “It is important to speak out because these institutions will try to go as far as they can. It is important to speak out!”
 
If you want to speak out and fight for your reproductive rights, please check out The Coalition To Protect Women’s Health Care – an organization that is sharing real stories from women.

But really, sometimes you just need to laugh at the absurdity surrounding the current fight over reproductive rights. Because otherwise, it all just seems unbelievable… That we’re having House hearings on religion and birth control that don’t involve women, that states are requiring trans-vaginal ultrasounds for women seeking abortions, that the concept of “personhood” is even being put up for a vote.

With all the progress our country has made, the last few months have felt like we’ve somehow been transported back in time, where somebody goes on national television to suggest that an aspirin between the knees is effective birth control. (Spoiler Alert: it’s not.)

While I have no shortage of outrage, frustration, and a wee bit of fear surrounding all of this, I also need to laugh at times, because then otherwise, I’d just be crying. And because sometimes it feels like this is one big SNL skit. I’m (not-so) patiently waiting for Loren Michaels to yell, “Cut!”

Watch Seth Meyers & Amy Poehler take the birth control debate on in Weekend Update. Really. 

For the more literary amongst us, Jezebel has come up with an “Abortion Law Mad Libs” – so grab a partner, break out the pens, and start thinking up some clever nouns, verbs, and adjectives!

How do *you* deal with the absurdity of it all? 

Dear Congresswoman DeLauro,

It it with pride and appreciation that I find myself writing this letter to you. Sadly, I am also fueled to write this letter out of anger, frustration and indignation.

Earlier today I was glued to the live feed of Representative Darrell Issa’s hearing on religious freedom and birth control. The hearing, spurred by the ongoing controversy over HHS regulations on birth control coverage by religious employers, included a panel of religious leaders of various denominations.

At first, I was shocked. Here was a panel, convened to discuss issues of birth control, and not one of them was a woman.

Image via Planned Parenthood

My shock quickly turned to outrage as I listened to these men discuss issues intimately connected to women without a second thought that something was missing – that some voice was missing. It was incredibly telling that many of your female colleagues walked out of the hearing in disgust and anger at the lack of women involved.

My anger was tempered slightly as I watched some of your colleagues speak, pointing out what I had noticed – that in a discussion about birth control, the fact that there were no women present on the panel was indeed a huge oversight. However, any comfort I felt in that was challenged again as other Representatives made sweeping statements about first Amendment rights violations. A lot of buzzwords and catch phrases were tossed around, with both panel members and various Representatives claiming that liberty and freedom was being infringed upon with the decision to make all businesses (regardless of religion) provide coverage for birth control.

We heard from both sides of the debate, but sadly, we heard from very few women. Then I saw a familiar face. I may live in Massachusetts now, but as a former nutmegger, I was once a constituent of yours, and literally felt a wave of relief when I realized you were about to speak.

You brought up crucial points that many seemed to be missing – that any church led business must act like a business and provide for the people that work for them, and that includes allowing them access to have insurance-covered birth control. You reminded everyone that contraceptive coverage is both outstanding and overdue in relation to women’s health. You stood up as a Catholic, and made the point that you support the new guidelines not in spite of being a Catholic, but because you are a Catholic.

I knew you would bring clarity, perspective, and common sense to this issue. And you did…only to be rudely cut off just minutes in.

I wish you would have been given the time to finish your thoughts, as they were sorely needed in the discussion. As I stated at the beginning of this letter, I felt pride in watching you not waver in your belief and knowledge in what is right in this situation. I was proud that you did not back down in your stance to promote and protect women’s health and access to insurance-covered birth control. I commend you on taking on not only the panel, but your colleagues that support it. While the number of women even sitting in that room this morning was appallingly low, thank you for attempting to give us voice and speak to the truth of the situation – it is appreciated by many.

Please continue to fight for the women in this country, Congresswoman DeLauro. Please continue to be our much needed voice when it’s clear that many neither value or trust in it.

I am still flabbergasted that we live in a country that is even having hearings like this. I am dismayed that issues like access to birth control are even being brought up for Congressional debate. Yet I’m heartened that we have folks like you, and Representatives Davis, Cummings, Clay, and others speak up for what, according to Representative Connolly, surely looked like a sham and a shameful exercise.

In support & gratitude,

Avital Norman Nathman

Danielle

How do you define feminism?
At its core, feminism is the radical idea that both men and women are fully human and therefore should be afforded the opportunity to fulfill their God-given potential. Women and girls cannot fulfill their potential if they are not safe from domestic violence and sexual exploitation, are discriminated against in their workplaces and education, and are objectified rather than valued for their innate dignity as women, as humans. (I say God-given because I am a Christian. And no, that is not an oxymoron.)

When did you first identify as a feminist?
During a family vacation in second grade, I overhead the word “rape” on a Jerry Springer-like show. People were shouting and arguing with one another, repeating this word I had never heard. I asked my mom what it meant, and she calmly told me that “rape is when someone forces you to have sex with them.” After getting over the eight-year-old giggle mentality at hearing “it” – sex – I began to wrestle with why someone would do that. Fifteen years later, I am still wrestling with it, but now I do so as a feminist.

Has your (definition of) feminism changed over time? How?
When I first began uncovering the “great conspiracy” (as I call it) of women being subjugated and exploited by (mainly) men throughout history and across cultures, I was angry. I was angry at the perpetrators of injustice and those who did nothing to stop it. But anger alone doesn’t solve the problem. We need to be empathetic, hopeful, inclusive, and persevering, which is why I finally felt at home in feminism when stumbling upon Gloria Steinem’s infamous words, “Women’s liberation is men’s liberation, too.” It wasn’t – and isn’t – about a zero sum game for power between men and women; it is about elevating both women and men to live without the constraints of the past that stifle our potential.

Have you ever experienced resistance to identifying as a feminist? If so, why do you think that is and how do you handle it?
As a millennial, I am acutely aware of how many in my generation feign allergies to labels of any kind. Just as we are “spiritual,” but not religious, we are for equal rights between men and women, but do not identify as “feminists.” We’ve also lost perspective on how hard our mothers and grandmothers worked to enable us to accomplish an exhaustive list, such as play sports, go to college, participate in voting, be protected from sexual harassment in the workplace, and control our reproduction and sexuality. When someone says, “I’m not a feminist, but…” and then defend a pro-woman stance, such as equal pay for equal work, I tell him/her: “That makes you a feminist.” We need to own it.

What do you see as the future of feminism?
One of the lasting effects of the recession in the United States is the realization that a gender-stratified workforce is unsustainable in a changing economy. Traditionally male-dominated sectors such as construction and manufacturing are moving overseas or becoming defunct, while health care, education, and other traditionally female-dominated fields are growing rapidly. For the first time in our country, more women are employed than men. Yet, these women are also the primary caregivers of children and homemakers. Within the next few decades, I foresee a seismic shift in our workplaces: flexibility is in, traditional hours are out. Internationally, I see women becoming more empowered to make educated, informed decisions in their families and communities to wage peace and promote health.

Danielle is a recent graduate and newlywed working in the philanthropy sector. She blogs about marriage, feminism, and faith at from two to one, and is especially interested in developing relationships among other self-identified feminists who practice their faith traditions. Connect with her via her blog or LinkedIn.

If you would like to participate in this series, please contact me for more details!

We certainly don’t need anymore stuff in our house. We’re filled to the brim with toys, books, art supplies, etc… and I didn’t want to add to any of that. What he does need, however, are clothes. It seems like every other week EZ grows just a smidge bit more, with his pants resting right above his ankles, taunting me.

Then I came across these pjs from Old Navy and thought I’d figured out a way to solve two problems at once (go me!).

EZ definitely could use a few more pajamas, and I knew he would love these. It’s like wearing your organs outside your body – cool & gross at the same time, which is one of his favored categories at the moment.

They finally arrived the other day, and I knew they would be an immediate hit. I quickly pulled them out of the packaging to inspect. The first thing I noticed was that, for some reason, they weren’t as soft as the the Old Navy pjs we own. (I assumed a run through the washing machine would fix that. It didn’t. Total bummer.) The second thing I saw was that some of the body parts had labels, something I hadn’t noticed when purchasing the pjs online. They were mostly innocuous: “Dr. Love” for the heart, “toot factory” for the colon (um, ew.), and “funny bone” for the, er… funny bone. As I scanned the rest of the parts, I had to restrain myself when I came across this one, located in the leg:

"muscles from dad"

Sigh.

Why, Old Navy, why? Why play into these gendered stereotypes that I’m more than done talking about? Why not “muscles from mom”?

Showing off my muscles with a toddler EZ

Or better yet… Why not “strong muscles from eating good food”? Or “strong muscles from exercising”?

Dads aren’t not the only ones with muscles, but when it comes to attaching traits to parents (and kids), most clothing lines (and this is not only specific to Old Navy) default to easy, tired tropes and stereotypes related to gender.

This post isn’t meant to vilify Old Navy. In fact, they do a semi-decent job of offering a range of choices for boys and girls (if you can stand to flip through the vast amount of pink stuff for girls, and sea of blue and green for boys).

But this points to the larger, systemic, more ingrained pattern I’ve been seeing. From board games and toys to clothing, stereotypical notions about gender continue to be promoted and accepted.

Boys are dirty...

...and girls are princesses

As I’ve talked about before, this problem is cyclical. Stores put out these types of clothes, people do buy them, and the store continues to put them out. The reality is that the majority of these stores all have low price points, and to be able to find stores that don’t push tired stereotypes or sexualized messages/trends, you sometimes have to be willing to pay more, and frankly, that sucks.

Speaking of messages, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the current JC Penny debacle with Ellen Degeneres. JCP hired Ellen as their new spokesperson, and the conservative group One Million Moms decided to boycott the store because they disagreed with Ellen as the new face of the company. I absolutely despise One Million Moms and their views, and actually found myself agreeing with Bill O’Reilly over this issue. (I know. I checked outside my window to see if I could find any flying pigs too).

While I certainly applaud JCP for standing up for their choice in using Ellen as their spokesperson, I wish they would acknowledge the poor choices they’ve made, and continue to make in regards to the other messages they promote through their clothes.

Melissa from Pigtail Pals does a great job of explaining just what I mean in her latest blog post. We can’t stop excusing stores that continue to churn out these types of clothing, whether purposefully or not. The fact that many of these stores don’t even realize that what they’re doing can be harmful speaks volumes. Let’s continue to push for change and not accept mediocre results – our kids are worth more than that.

When EZ turned 4, we started getting him in on the action. We started with Chutes & Ladders and Candy Land, and soon he was addicted as well. Every so often we’ll add a new one to our collection, and they are usually child-friendly. This past weekend we picked up both Operation and Guess Who. Operation has changed a bit…there’s no longer a bread basket or butterflies in the tummy (instead there’s “cellphone wrist” and neon green boogers…both of which I’m sure we’ll lose in the next week or two, as is par for the course with any tiny game piece).

Then there’s Guess Who. I loved that game as a kid, and was super excited to play with EZ. But I have to say, once we set it up and got started I was shocked. Out of 25 characters to choose from, only 5 are women. That couldn’t be right, I thought, and rushed to see what the original game had…

Original Guess Who

It also only had 5 (It was also extremely white-washed. The current version is a bit more colorful). And then it all came rushing back to me. Whenever I played as a kid, I hardly ever picked the girls. Why? Because when you’re as calculating and competitive as I am, you knew that the odds would never be in your favor if you chose a girl. She’d be guessed in less than 3 questions.

Yeah, I can't get excited over a victory that is basically handed to you on a sexist platter.

And you know what? EZ is picking up on that now. He hardly picks a female character because he knows that I’ll be able to guess it in a couple of questions. We’ve mostly stuck to the animal side of the board (where this is almost an even ratio of cat:dog, mind you), and I’m trying to figure out if we can somehow create our own board to use.

I could get all angry and up in arms over how Guess Who is a totally sexist game, but really, instead of being shocked and angry, I have to admit, when this all sank in, I was more disappointed than anything else. I doubt it was a conscious choice on the part of Hasbro to only include 5 women in the game. In fact, that’s the problem…Nobody thought about it.

It’s part of a larger, systemic issue, one that is perfectly laid out for us with the latest drama surrounding LEGO’s new girl line.  LEGO continues to claim that their research has shown that girls just don’t like their gender neutral sets, and the company won’t back down from promoting their new LEGO Friends girl line, no matter how upset customers are. But the problem goes beyond LEGO Friends.

Pigtail Pals recently posted a picture from LEGOLand, showing a LEGO female firefighter (yay!) putting on lipstick (WTF?). Nobody from LEGO corporate (or any park employee) took a second to think about why that could be off putting and completely sexist? I have nothing against wearing make up, but to portray a woman as a firefighter, and then to rely on tired stereotypes to complete the piece seems like poor form to me.

But should we be so surprised when the management team for LEGO is compromised solely of older white men? (That ironically look like they belong in the original Guess Who). Their board of directors isn’t any better, including only one woman, who incidentally joined the board just this past May.  

Looking at who makes up the decision-making team of LEGO, one immediate solution jumps to mind: More women. Sure, it might not solve all of their issues, but it would be a good start. We need more women in these types of positions…or we at least need more people in charge that will take a second to really think through some of these decisions.

Hm…maybe we can have the firefighter carry an ax or fire extinguisher instead of touching up her lipstick?

Why don’t we have half men and half women in the next edition of Guess Who? That will really throw them for a loop! 

Let’s be the change we want to see. Let’s encourage our daughters and our sons to find their way into jobs that impact society for the better, so perhaps one day they’ll be the ones making these types of decisions and they’ll make better ones.

Then again, sometimes circumstances arise that make it very, very easy to walk away.

Image via Lifehacker.com

I received an email about a month or so ago, letting me know that my domain hosting package from Go Daddy was up for renewal in March. I have to be honest, I don’t really think all that much about that kind of stuff. Way back when, I signed up for Go Daddy because I saw some deal (and many other people I knew had recommended the site to me) and that was that.

My site is pretty small potatoes, and it’s simply laid out, so I never really needed much from my host. And, as one tends to do, when you don’t need something, you tend to forget about them.

But then…in the past year or so, I kept seeing Go Daddy’s name in the news, and not for anything positive. Stories about their CEO’s shady background regarding elephants starting leaking, causing me to wonder just why I was staying with them. But despite my intentions to switch hosts, I never got around to it.

I had a list of excuses…I was lazy; I wasn’t sure exactly how to go about doing it; Who would I switch to?

So I chose the path of least resistance.

But then, Go Daddy had to go and make me take the time and effort to drop them. Their consistent use of sexist ads (which they reminded us again this past weekend during the Super Bowl) was the last straw for me.

Miss Representation goes into more detail as to why folks should drop Go Daddy, and Lifehacker has written up a step by step guide on exactly how to do it.

And you know what? I feel pretty darn good about this break up.

I no longer need to stammer through a list of weak excuses when I explain why I’m still being hosted by Go Daddy. I don’t have to have that wave of squick wash over me when I think about their horribly sexist commercials and then ponder just how uncomfortable it is that they keep parading scantily clad (or completely naked) women in their ads while their company has “daddy” in its name.

Instead, I transferred my domain over to Hover. I have yet to see a sexist or insulting commercial for them, and they also happen to oppose SOPA (which not all hosting sites seem to be in agreement over). It may not be much, but not putting anymore of my money in Go Daddy’s pockets feels like a step in the right direction.

So…we’re through, Go Daddy and I. I have to say that this won’t be one of those break ups that tear at me, making me question whether or not I did the right thing. The moment I clicked “accept” for the transfer to Hover, I felt a little bit lighter.

Who knew shaking off some sexism could feel so freeing?

Heather

How do you define feminism?
I believe feminism is a cultural movement about shifting consciousness away from gender inequality and moving towards a more expansive view of humanity that discourages any form of oppression on the human condition.

When did you first identify as a feminist?
I grew up encouraged by my mother that the sky is the limit and you can be whatever you want to be. In grade school, I always looked forward to accompanying her during “Take Your Daughter to Work Day” and seeing her level the playing field with her male colleagues. It never occurred to me that my rights and privileges were limited as a female. In fact, the women I knew were powerful, vocal, and sophisticated.

It wasn’t until I was older and living on my own that the term feminism became meaningful to me. I was 19 and had reached a turning point in my spirituality. After reading Sue Monk Kidd’s The Dance of the Dissident Daughter, it was as if someone had taken the blind folds off my eyes. I had a lot of curiosity and energy around discovering the many parallels between patriarchy and Christianity. I started to ask myself, “How could God be male, in fact, how could God be a gender? Why is it women give birth, but yet Christianity was telling me I came from the rib of man? How come Eve was the first to sin, and in fact her sin involved food? Why did Mary need to be a virgin impregnated by God? I was rather perplexed by this notion of faith and the patriarchal storytelling that permeated biblical text. I wondered why females were so keen on being obedient to religious views that down played their significance? Growing up in the South, there was a strong undercurrent of familial and societal pressures surrounding the need to be compliant to religious beliefs. I knew for myself, this need for compliance, aka “good girl”, was a result of being socialized female in a patriarchal culture, and I personally needed something more inspiring.

Has your definition of feminism changed over time? How?
I don’t think my definition has changed, but my experience of the definition of feminism has evolved over the years. Looking back, I spent a lot of time in my twenties better understanding the social construction of gender and how it influences the way we think, dream, behave, and respond or not respond to our bodies, ambitions, relationships, sexuality, and personal power. I loved reading contributions from Gloria Steinem, Carol Gilligan, bell hooks, Susie Orbach, Ani DiFranco, and Kim Chernin. Knowing now, what I didn’t know then, I think I was setting the stage for becoming clear on how I wanted to create and color this one life. Today, feminism is not just an ideology I’m wrapping my mind around, but it’s a way of life that fully engages my mind and heart.

Have you ever experienced resistance to identifying as a feminist? If so, why do you think that is and how do you handle it?
Fortunately, I have not experienced resistance. In many ways, I intentionally gravitated towards people and places that shared and supported my values and beliefs. It’s comforting and brings community. I will say that since living in Asheville for the past five years, I have felt more comfortable than I ever have as a woman. There is an eclectic assortment of humanity residing in these mountains. It’s a very tolerant, progressive city where women are well on their way to being represented equally in politics, higher education, businesses and sustainability efforts. It’s an inspiring place to be as a woman!

What do you see as the future of feminism?
I think the F-word continues to bring up strong opinions intergenerationally. In fact, the term has a lot of history with a lot of layers of interpretation depending on what decade you were born in. I’ve now heard ‘humanist’ and ‘womanist’ as possible options for rebranding the term. Regardless, behind the label is an unequivocal determinism to inspire people to think critically about culture and humanity. I cannot think of a more compassionate and accepting understanding than what underlies feminism, and perhaps all the ‘isms.’

The future of feminism starts in the home and with our families. How are we promoting gender equality in the home? What stereotypes of gender are we encouraging, and perhaps need to reconsider? Are we investing in our girls and boys the same? How much media is informing our youth’s sense of self? Are our children being bullied, terrorized or discriminated for being gay, fat, or poor? Do our communities, schools, religions, or politics encourage this discrimination? Are we willing to go to bat for these issues, whether in our very home or in our community? These answers begin the dialogue of feminism.

My hope is that as we move forward we can all go within ourselves and ask, “What would I do if I wasn’t afraid?” There’s enough ‘out there’ telling us how or who to be as women and men. We cannot be afraid to stand up and stand out for whatever it is that brings meaning, purpose, and connection to our lives. I hope we look back one of these days on the legalization of same-sex marriage with the same feelings we have now looking back on desegregation of public bathrooms; a necessary and vital paradigm shift to creating equal opportunity. I hope women and men are given equal pay, I hope paternity leave is honored in professions, and I hope for the day when girls and women stop hating their bodies. I am hopeful women will begin to utilize social media in new, creative ways to represent their unique and strong voice, rather than media’s values of beauty, youth, and sexuality. I hope that the young women today seek out the mentors of the generation before them. And I mostly hope that we begin to lean on each other more because in connection there’s everything and in separation there’s nothing.

For more information about Heather, please check out her website.

If you would like to participate in this series, please contact me for more details!

She was 18, he was 23.

They married in Germany on February 2nd, 1947 after having met almost a year before at a U.S. based hospital outside of Munich. They brought with them rich histories filled with traditions, love, and unspeakable horrors. She had survived the war living in bunkers underground, and in the barns and homes of righteous gentiles. He made his way through a handful of concentration camps, finally being liberated from Dachau, black numbers forever etched into his skin.

They both had suffered great loss, but once they met, they fell in love, and began building a new life…together.

Moving to a small apartment in Munich, Germany, they immediately fell into their new life. He drove an ambulance, and she learned to make hats. She soon became pregnant with their first child, a daughter. They lived in Munich for a bit longer before making the move to the states. Their remaining family had been dispersed, some traveled along with them to America, while others moved to Israel. They were young, but they had each other and their small family. They arrived in the U.S. in 1949. He was a factory worker while, on paper, she became a housewife.

…I don’t think she ever had to submit to an actual professional test. But if she had to, she would have passed with flying colors.

The years passed and each one brought about some change. A son was born. They had a large farm of their own, raising chickens and cows. They owned a grocery store. They made dresses in a factory (where a young Diane Von Furstenberg was one of their clients). They owned their own clothing store. They watched as their children grew up, went off to school, and got married. Their daughter had her own children. They became snow birds down in Florida, and eventually moved there permanently. They watched their granddaughter get married. They arrived only days after their first great-grandkid was born, and proceeded to pour their love into him.

Through their years together they loved not only each other with a quiet fierceness, but those around them as well. Their family, friends, and loved ones all saw bits and pieces of their love story as they aged.

Late summer of 2010 brought a pause in their story. After dealing with some illness, he passed away. Yet, their love remains, and she lives each day comforted by her many memories. Despite him being gone, today is still their 65th wedding anniversary, and is a day to truly celebrate. For their story is an everlasting story…

True love lasts a life time.

My grandparents: Philip & Esther Sal

I joined in the disbelief and outrage, and made my way to the Komen Foundation’s Facebook wall to share my thoughts. Big mistake.

While I saw a handful of folks expressing their anger and disappointment, I saw many more posts of congratulations and thanks from people happy that the Komen Foundation is pulling funding from Planned Parenthood.

What?! Are they really unaware of what this means?

So…now it’s time for a break down:

-According to Planned Parenthood, the Komen Foundation gave $680,000 in grants last year and $580,000 the year before.

-The money from the Komen Foundation went to nineteen Planned Parenthood programs that treat low-income women, many of whom are located in rural and underserved communities. The grants provided women with breast health education, screenings, and referrals for mammograms — lifesaving care for women where Planned Parenthood is their only source of health care. 

-The “official” reasoning that the Komen Foundation has given for their actions is because Planned Parenthood is currently under investigation by Congress, which violates their (brand new) rule that bars them from contributing to organizations that are under investigation at the local, state, or federal level.

-However, the more probable reasons that they’ve pulled funding have to do with bowing to Anti-Choice pressure from wealthy conservatives.

-The Komen Foundation already has a shaky non-profit history, being accused of “pink-washing,” using raised funds in questionable ways, and have turned people off by seemingly losing their original focus on researching a cure.

It looks more and more like the Susan G. Komen Foundation has made a decision that better suits their organization and not their cause. They have made a choice that might curry them favor from conservatives and anti-choice folk in the short term, but I have a feeling that this will only serve in harming them as an organization in the long run. While they might feel like they’re making a stand in pulling much needed grant money from Planned Parenthood, in reality, they’re making it harder for low-income women in remote locations to access screenings and information for breast health care.

Their decision is cowardly, upsetting, and frankly appalling.

So what can you do?

If you’re just as angry as I am, there are a few ways to help.

-You can always make a donation to Planned Parenthood. No amount is too little. A wealthy donor in Texas has already offered to donate $250,000 in response to the Komen Foundation’s decision, but PP is still struggling to make up the rest.

Let's take the Komen Foundation's message to heart here.