Abortion access and reproductive health care are under attack — so we mobilized our largest-ever grassroots training.
Imagine that you’re living in a time when politicians are acting against the will of the majority to roll back women’s rights and decimate reproductive health care access for everyone. It’s not logical, it’s not popular, and millions of people will be harmed. (Let’s be real: When people lose access to health care, people die).
But everyone keeps telling you: Without more political power, this is just the way it’s going to be.
You have two choices.
1. You can accept your dystopic future, or
2. You can build power to take back your rights.
If you pick the second, you’ll be joining millions of people determined to make a difference this year and in the future. And it’s working. Unprecedented numbers of women are running for office. Recently, nearly 500,000 people submitted comments to speak out against the administration’s dangerous gag rule. And Roe v. Wade has more public support than ever.
We can — and will — win this. The nearly 2,000 leaders who joined us at Power of Pink 2018 are a perfect inspiration for how and why.
A Wave of Leaders are Ready to Protect Roe v. Wade and Our Right to Abortion
Held last month in Detroit, the 2018 Power of Pink was Planned Parenthood Action Fund’s largest EVER grassroots training. (And remember, Planned Parenthood’s been around for 101 YEARS). We convened about 2,000 activists from 48 states, and trained them across 42 workshops and 14 pre-conference sessions.
We came together to network, build alliances, and learn things like how to run for office, organize grassroots campaigns, and so much more. Here’s a peek at what we accomplished — in a single weekend.
- We contacted 13,079 people.
- We collected pledges from 3,186 people determined to take action.
- We submitted 1,682 comments on the gag rule.
- We signed up 500 new supporters.
- We made 4,821 calls to our senators urging them to reject Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation.
If you want to feel what it was like to be in a room with that much energy, you can watch part of the conference. You can also get the slide deck for one of our 42 incredible workshops, 'Nothing About Us Without Us: Centering Disability Justice in Reproductive Justice Conversations,’ and get an incredible list of resources from the presenters.
How Power of Pink Proves We Can Stop Kavanaugh
In a nutshell, it:
- Debunks the idea that young people don’t vote or get involved with politics. In fact, more than half of Power of Pink attendees were under the age of 25.
- Shows that an intersectional movement is building. Not only does Kavanaugh have antiquated and harmful views on abortion and birth control, but he also threatens immigration reform, civil rights, LGBTQ+ rights, environmental policy, and so much more.
- Dispels the myth that progressives are burning out because there are so many attacks on our rights. On the contrary, we’re just getting stronger and more connected.
Here's How You Can Take Action Now
You can take action, too! Here are a few ways you can easily help:
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If you have 30 seconds: Sign the petition to tell your senators to stop Brett Kavanaugh. Then ask your friends to do the same!
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If you have 90 seconds: Call your senators at 202-684-2473 and tell them to stop Brett Kavanaugh. Then ask your friends to do the same!
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If you have a few minutes to spare: Check out the incredibly moving #DearSenators campaign to hear moving stories (and share your own!) about what's at stake if our senators vote to confirm Kavanaugh.
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If you have a few hours to spare: Become a Planned Parenthood Defender. You’ll get access to resources, trainings, events, and more to bolster the fight for health care and reproductive rights.
Tags: Roe v. Wade, Brett Kavanaugh