News
Planned Parenthood Generation organization developed on campus
By Gabriela Foster ’18
April 13, 2017
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As the Trump Administration recovers from a failed health care bill, groups such as Planned Parenthood live to fight another day. On Wednesday, March 29, Hamilton Planned Parenthood Generation (PPGen), formerly known as VOX, celebrated “Pink Out.” By wearing pink and voicing opinions in the Science Center Atrium, individuals protested legislators in Washington who are working to defund Planned Parenthood.
PPGen hopes to create a group of students dedicated to protecting and promoting reproductive health services and education. “Hamilton’s PPGen is committed to fighting for reproductive justice, combating the federal efforts to defund the organization and getting as many Hamilton students and community members to participate alongside us in this activist project,” stated Charlotte Bennett ’17, who played an integral part in bringing PPGen to Hamilton along with Rachel Harshaw ’17, Barbara Perego ’17, Maude Wilson ’17 and Amelia Mitchell ’18.
As a national organization, PPGen works towards protecting individual reproductive rights through multiple outlets including voter registration, working in conjunction with elected officials and supporting local health centers. The new addition to the Hamilton community also aims to promote a culture of sex positivity, which the group defines as “simply the idea that all sex, as long as it is healthy and explicitly consensual, is a positive thing.” A constructive environment is necessary to create a positive discourse regarding difficult topics. Trump’s inability to pass the American Health Care Act (AHCA) has bolstered the group’s momentum. “We believe reproductive freedom is a right!” stated Bennett ’17, regarding Trump’s recent attempts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Under the ACA, more than 55 million women were provided with birth control without copay, when birth control had previously been between 30 percent to 44 percent of women’s out-of-pocket healthcare costs (Planned Parenthood, 2017).
Though the GOP’s threats of slashing Planned Parenthood funding did not come to fruition, members of PPGen emphasize the importance of being vocal regarding reproductive rights. “Personally, with the current political administration and environment that we’re living in, I think it is incredibly important to be an activist and ally and support organizations like Planned Parenthood,” stated Perego, a founding member of PPGen. With growing gridlock on Capitol Hill, PPGen aims to continue fighting for reproductive justice. “We believe everyone deserves safe, accessible and affordable reproductive care. Trump’s failure to pass the AHCA is the tip of the iceberg—though it’s a relief that the AHCA failed, we cannot assume the battle is over,” stated Bennett ’17.