These Doors Stay Open

Planned Parenthood Advocates in Missouri (PPMO Advocates) — which works to advance public policy to ensure high-quality, affordable sexual and reproductive health care and sex-positive education are available to all Missourians — shares in the deep disappointment across this state after last night’s election outcome. As challenging as Tuesday night has made our road ahead, the doors of Planned Parenthood health centers in Missouri will stay open — today and always. Our fight to protect access to Planned Parenthood services will continue as long as it’s needed.

“The results of the election are deeply concerning. During the campaign, some candidates made reckless and dangerous threats against Planned Parenthood and access to critical reproductive health services,” said M’Evie Mead, Director of Policy and Organizing for Planned Parenthood Advocates in Missouri. “As some of these politicians now turn from campaigning to governing, we expect them to reject extremist rhetoric and represent all Missourians in moving our state forward.

“We will not allow bigotry, hatred, and discord to dominate the conversation. Countless patients depend on Planned Parenthood for critical preventive health care and we will not stop fighting to protect their access and rights. Together with our community of supporters, we will get back to the work for which Missourians depend on us, including improving access to safe, legal abortion, critical preventive health care, and sex-positive education for our youth,” continued Mead.

PPMO Advocates is happy to share in the victories of the Missouri candidates who stood strong with Planned Parenthood and its patients and won the hearts and votes of Missourians. We congratulate candidates who won in races targeted by Planned Parenthood Advocates: Senator-elect John Rizzo, Sen. Scott Sifton, Rep. Deb Lavender, and Representatives-elect Martha Stevens, Sarah Unsicker, Doug Beck, and Crystal Quade. PPMO Advocates looks forward to working with them in Jefferson City to improve policies that expand access to health care and education for women, men, and families.

“We believe all Missourians deserve access to quality reproductive health care, no matter their zip code, income, sexual orientation, race, religion, gender, or country of origin,” said Mead. “The majority of Missourians, including both Republican and Democratic voters, support access to health care at Planned Parenthood and want abortion to remain legal and safe. We will fight to make sure those rights are protected and that women, men, and young people can still access the care they need. We will not give up and we will not back down. Planned Parenthood’s doors will stay open.”