North Dakota Planned Parenthood Advocate

Getting to Know Wendy Davis- Part #3

Wendy Davis is an author, attorney, and former Texas State Senator. She is also the keynote speaker at Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota’s 12^th annual Progress on the Prairie! Throughout the month, we will be providing information about Wendy and her accomplishments to prepare you for her appearance on November 29, 2016. Our third post is about Wendy’s political career, including her filibuster as a Texas Senator in 2013 and her run for Governor in 2014.

Perhaps her most noteworthy political action was the June 25, 2013 filibuster to block Senate Bill 5. This bill was a proposal to ban abortions after 20 weeks, require clinics to meet the standards of hospital-style surgical centers, and mandate that doctors that perform abortions have admitting privileges at a nearby hospital. The filibuster required that she hold the floor until midnight, after which the Senate’s special session ended, meaning they would no longer be able to vote on the measure. After 11 hours – three hours short of midnight – it was said that Davis had gone off topic, which forced a vote on whether the filibuster could continue. Despite Republican efforts, the filibuster continued through midnight and the close of the special session. The bill was dead. The next day, Governor Rick Perry called for a second special session and the bill was eventually passed by the House and Senate. However, the bill was eventually ruled unconstitutional by the United States Supreme Court in June of 2016.

The filibuster attracted national attention and national fundraising efforts. In 2013, Davis intended to run for re-election to the Senate, but changed her mind and announced candidacy for Texas Governor instead. This was encouraged by groups like Battleground Texas and EMILY’S List.

On March 4, 2014 she won the Democratic nomination with 79.1 percent (432,065 votes), defeating her only challenger, Reynaldo Madrigal. Wendy was the first female nominee for Texas governor since Gov. Ann Richards was defeated in 1994 by George W. Bush. In the general election, she lost to Republican nominee Greg Abbott, the outgoing Texas Attorney General.

We hope you can join us on November 29^th to hear Wendy Davis speak at our annual event. Join us for an inspiring evening together as we build fortitude and determination for 2017! For more information, contact Amy Jacobson at ajacobson@ppmns.org or 701-526-0726.

Take Time for Self-Care

Over a week after the election, we are all still feeling the collective trauma. It has left us feeling shaken and fearful. These feelings are very real, rooted in policies Donald Trump has promised to enact when he takes office. We are not here to say that those feelings are invalid or that you should suppress them. We are hoping to provide ways in which you can take care of yourselves and create change post-election.

1. Slow down and self-soothe. Try meditation or yoga.
2. Feel free to scream. It will release endorphins. You will feel better.
3. Allow yourself to feel the emotions – whatever they are, they are valid.
4. Talk it out with someone who can relate. Build a support system. Stay connected.
5. Take a break from social media if it is making you feel anxious or overwhelmed.
6. Take care of yourself. Be kind to yourself. Eat your favorite dessert or watch your favorite movie.
7. Get back to your normal routine, when you are able. It will help you feel more in control.
8. Know when to ask for help. Counseling and/or medication are options you can look into.
9. Do your research. Know what we are up against. Know who will be impacted.

And when you feel ready…

10. Take action. Volunteer, protest, whatever you are comfortable doing. Join a grassroots organization, become more politically aware and active, and use your voice.  Join forces with other marginalized communities. We need to be united in demanding that all of us can live safely and peacefully in this country. We need to make sure that the policies we work toward include transgender and gender-nonconforming people, immigrant communities, people of color, low-income people, and other marginalized populations. Most importantly, we must make space for individuals in those communities to lead the way. Slate has created a helpful list of ten productive ways to channel post-election anger, sadness, or fear into action.

[All Tips Compiled from: UsaToday, Advocate, Huffington Post, Cosmopolitan, Boston Magazine]

If you’d like to become involved with Planned Parenthood, here are 7 Ways to do so
(follow the link for more details):

1. Attend Progress on the Prairie with keynote speaker Wendy Davis!
2. Make a donation to Planned Parenthood
3. Speak Out Against Hate. Pen a letter to the editor of your local paper.
4. Volunteer for Planned Parenthood. We have opportunites in North Dakota. Email Amy a ajacobson@ppmns.org.
5. Make an Appointment for Health Care at Planned Parenthood. We have a clinic in Moorhead, MN.
6. Tweet Your Defiance With #WeWontGoBack
7. Share Cecile Richard’s Message of Strength

Sign Up for Email and Texts 

8 Things You Can Do to Help Planned Parenthood

It's up to us to keep fighting to protect Planned Parenthood health centers, so they can continue to serve the people who rely on them — people who come from communities that need our continued support in this new reality — immigrants, people of color, the LGBTQ community, people of faith, and more. It's up to us to stand strong. It's up to us to make sure that Planned Parenthood health centers will be there wherever and whenever they are needed, no matter what.

 

1. Donate

The work to protect Planned Parenthood patients’ access to care starts today. Your support helps so much. Planned Parenthood health centers are open, and they are continuing to deliver vital reproductive health care — like birth control, cancer screenings, and STI testing and treatment.

>> Make a gift today.

 

2. Sign Up

Join Planned Parenthood Action Fund’s email network to receive email alerts on the latest reproductive rights fights and ways to take action to protect reproductive health.

>> Sign up for email alerts.

 

3. Get Online

Follow us on social media:

>> Facebook.com/ppnodak

>> Twitter.com/ppnodak

 

4. Volunteer

Share your time and talent to make a difference in your community.

>> Sign up to volunteer with Planned Parenthood.

 

5. Make an Appointment

Need birth control? A well-woman exam? STD tests? You can show your support by making your next reproductive health care appointment at Parenthood Parenthood. 

>> Make an appointment today.

 

6. Share Your Story

Sharing your story is a critical way to help show your community that Planned Parenthood matters. They help us fundraise and work to protect health care and reproductive rights. If you are a patient and/or supporter, contact us and we will get in touch with more information and to set up a time to talk. 

>> Share your story today.

 

7. Shop

When you shop with AmazonSmile, you can designate a portion of your purchase as a donation to Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota! It’s fast, easy, doesn’t cost you a thing, and the donations add up to make a real impact for our patients.

>> Start shopping now.

 

8. Speak Out

Planned Parenthood’s patients are from all walks of life, and they all deserve access to health care in a safe and welcoming place. Wherever you are — online or IRL — show that you believe every single person is deserving of respect, dignity, and equal rights under the law--no matter what.

Getting to Know Wendy Davis-Part 2

Wendy Davis is an author, attorney, and former Texas State Senator. She is also the keynote speaker at Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota’s 12^th annual Progress on the Prairie! Throughout the month, we will be providing information about Wendy and her accomplishments to prepare you for her appearance on November 29, 2016. Our second post is about Wendy’s political career, focusing on her time as a Texas Senator.

In 2008, Davis defeated incumbent Republican Senator Kim Brimer to represent District 10, despite a legal challenge against her candidacy by the state Republican Party. During her first term, she was honored with the “Bold Woman Award” from Girls, Inc., “Freshman of the Year” from AARP, “Champion for Children Award” from the Equity Center, and “Texas Women’s Health Champion Award” from the Texas Association of OB-GYNs. Texas Monthly named her “Rookie of the Year” in 2009 and the readers of Fort Worth Weekly chose her as the “best Servant of the People.” She was re-elected in 2012, defeating a challenge from Mark M. Shelton, a pediatrician and Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives. Davis was listed among “12 State Legislators to Watch in 2012” by Governing Magazine.

While a Senator, Davis was the Vice-Chair on the Senate Select Committee on Open Government as well as a member of the Senate Committee on Economic Development, the Senate Committee on Transportation, and the Veteran Affairs and Military Installations Committee. She was also involved with the Senate Committee for Education and Vice-Chair on the Senate Committee on International Relations and Trade. [All information from Wikipedia]

We hope you can join us on November 29^th to hear Wendy Davis speak at our annual event. Join us for an inspiring evening together as we build fortitude and determination for 2017! RSVP here. For more information, contact Amy Jacobson at ajacobson@ppmns.org or 701-526-0726.

Getting to know Wendy Davis- part 1

Education/Law career/Early Politics

Wendy Davis is an author, attorney, and former Texas State Senator. She is also the keynote speaker at Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota’s 12^th annual Progress on the Prairie! Throughout the month, we will be providing information about Wendy and her accomplishments to prepare you for her appearance on November 29, 2016. Our first post is about Wendy’s education, law career, and early political involvement.

Wendy attended Tarrant Country College as part of their two-year paralegal program from 1984 to 1986. Her next step was to attend Texas Christian University in 1986 - she received her English degree in 1990. The following fall, she attended Harvard Law School. While there, she volunteered at a legal clinic for the poor. Her work included helping AIDS patients to write living wills. She also worked with surviving partners, to make sure they understood their legal rights.

In 1993, she earned her law degree and was admitted to the State Bar of Texas that same year. Davis’ law career began in 1993 and continues to the present. Her current practice includes federal and local governmental affairs, litigation, economic development, contract compliance, and real estate.

In 1999 she was elected to the Fort Worth City Council. She focused on transportation, economic development, and neighborhood issues during her nine-year tenure.

 [All information from Wikipedia]

We hope you can join us on November 29^th to hear Wendy Davis speak at our annual event. Join us for an inspiring evening together as we build fortitude and determination for 2017! For more information, contact Amy Jacobson at ajacobson@ppmns.org or 701-526-0726.

Brown-Bag Presentation Cuba: Women and Wellness!

Join us for the brown-bag presentation Cuba: Women and Wellness!  Invited speaker Migdalia Loyala is Director of Education & Outreach at Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota.

Last spring, Loyala joined a Witness for Peace Delegation to Cuba. During the delegation, she gained a unique understanding of the Cuban healthcare system and learned how U.S. policies affect Cuban women’s healthcare and well-being including explorations into maternal health and childbirth, nutrition, mental health, and end-of-life care.  She will share her observations and answer questions.

The brown-bag is Tuesday, November 8^th from 12:00 to 1:00pm in the Prairie room of the Memorial Union at North Dakota State University.

Polish women frustrated with push for more restrictive abortion legislation

Photo from The Sydney Morning Herald

Abortion is currently heavily regulated in Poland. The only legally accepted abortions are “severe and irreversible damage to the foetus, a serious threat to the mother’s health, or if the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest” (BBC).      It is projected that there are more illegal abortions than legal ones in Poland. While legal terminations average between one and two thousand; conversely, it is estimated that there are between 10,000 and 150,000 illegal abortions annually (BBC).

Having severely limited abortion laws was not enough for some Polish people, however. A citizen’s initiative by an anti-abortion group proposed a bill to ban all abortions unless the mother’s life is at risk.  Additionally, abortion would be punishable with a prison term, and doctors performing abortions would be criminalized.  The initiative to ban abortion services gathered more than 450,000 signatures.

In response, Polish women sent out a call to action. Marta Lempart proposed Monday, October 3, 2016 as a day for national action – during which women would ignore work and stand in solidarity against the government. A “Black Monday” Facebook group was formed, which presently has upwards of half a million followers. On “D-Day,” 200,000 demonstrators participated in 200 different cities across Poland. Those who were unable to partake wore black clothing and/or black ribbons. Many businesses across Poland closed in solidarity with those on strike (BBC).

Because it received more than 450,000 signatures, the citizen’s initiative was brought to Parliament. Surprisingly, they voted overwhelmingly to reject the near-total ban on abortion, 352 votes to 58. But this good news hasn’t made Polish women content. Another protest is scheduled for October 24, 2016.

Lempart has said that Polish officials will not make decisions about women’s rights without the contribution and participation of women: “I’m not happy about having to protest about such simple things, but I am happy that maybe this government will be overthrown by women. And maybe the next. I want all governments to be scared of women” (The Sydney Morning Herald).

Get to know Briana our new ND Grassroots Organizer!

I’m Briana Rabenberg and I am the new North Dakota Grassroots Organizer for Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota (PPMNS).

I’m a recent graduate (May ’16) of Minnesota State University Moorhead (MSUM). I have undergraduate degrees in both Sociology and Women’s and Gender Studies. Outside of Planned Parenthood, my hobbies include spending time with my (2) dogs, drinking coffee, and reading feminist literature. I’m trying to learn how to play the ukulele and knit. I’m an avid Netflix watcher (who isn’t?) and I like to cook (sometimes).

I became acquainted with PPMNS while volunteering for North Dakotans Against Measure 1 as a service learning project in 2014. The volunteer work was so engaging that I continued volunteering, this time directly with PPMNS. These experiences are what led me to apply for the Grassroots Organizer position in North Dakota.

My work is to connect with new and existing supporters of PPMNS. I will also maintain data entry related to volunteer work and assist during the legislative session with things like fundraising. I’m the point person for interns, campus organizing, and other small scale local events. Additionally, I will create content for our website and other social media – like this post!

I’m so thrilled to be working for an organization that shares my intersectional feminist values. I feel very lucky to have a position that will utilize my education and give me the opportunity to continue learning about reproductive health. I have not been working for long, but I can already tell that I am going to love it here.

I can’t wait to get to know more of our supporters in North Dakota. Please feel free to reach out to me via email or phone – I’d love to connect.

BETHANNE'S STORY: THE UNQUANTIFIABLE POWER OF INFORMATION

BethAnne, left

I grew up in Minnesota in a very traditional, conservative and religious family that happened to be very anti-choice. While growing up, I had lots of misinformation filling my head—some of which was information about Planned Parenthood. The organization was either not talked about or demonized. However, like every young person, I had questions about sexual health. I was directed to the Planned Parenthood information website with a question about birth control, and I started to learn all this new information about not only my body and how it functions, but also the choices and options I have available to me. I remember learning about abortion on the Planned Parenthood website and finally understanding the procedure. I was raised to demonize the procedure when I really had no idea how it worked, nor had I ever read any medically accurate information about the topic. Having this information really transformed me. The empowerment that comes from information and accurate information is almost unquantifiable.

An ideological shift followed, and soon after, an understanding of the importance of body autonomy. I grew up in a family that expected virginity until marriage, and that entire decision-making process had been taken away from me. It was in someone else’s hands, making me feel as though my existence had been dictated to me. However, after having that ideological shift, everything that was mine came back to me, and I was in control of it again. It’s been incredible. Because of that, I’m able to communicate more accurately in my life, both in interpersonal relationships and within my work life. Having the confidence and knowing the vocabulary to describe what is okay has really given me a base of empowerment from which to work.

Now, I don’t want there to be even one less voice on the Planned Parenthood side supporting the people that are there, supporting the organization. When it comes to developing a sense of empowerment in someone like me, who is female identified, Planned Parenthood is an amazing resource and so necessary. People should discover what and who Planned Parenthood is from the people associated with the organization rather than believing what they hear elsewhere. With the election coming up, I think this is especially true for politicians. I would like to tell them that their next term is not worth my life or my health. They may want to stay in office, but their job is not worth the health of one human being they serve. That person’s health is worth so much more. I would really want them to know the absolute necessity of this when it comes to someone’s health, wellbeing and happiness. We want to protect our life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, well, Planned Parenthood does that.

    - BethAnne (St. Louis Park, MN)

Cuba: Women and Wellness

Join us at NDSU for the brown-bag presentation Cuba: Women and Wellness!  Invited speaker Migdalia Loyala is Director of Education & Outreach at Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota.

In March, Loyala joined a Witness for Peace Delegation to Cuba. During the delegation, she gained a unique understanding of the Cuban healthcare system and learned how U.S. policies affect Cuban women’s healthcare and well-being including explorations into maternal health and childbirth, nutrition, mental health, and end-of-life care.  She will share her observation and answer questions.

The brown-bag is Friday, Sept 16^th from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. in the Arikara room of the Memorial Union at North Dakota State University.