Keep Hope Alive While many people view Valentine’s Day as a time to celebrate romance, the annual February 14 occasion has become a focal point for the anti-abortion movement. Planned Parenthood, NARAL Pro-Choice America, and the American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri, among others, strongly discourage people from attending so-called “Love and Hope” vigils around the state. Abortion is safe and legal, so don’t be fooled into allowing yourself to be lured into these deceptive events. To help spread the word, several media outlets, including HuffPost, the Kansas City Star and Reuters, are circulating a document they created called “Love and Hope?” Please do not support those who use our language against us. Instead of praying for an end to abortion, the authors of this document encourage supporters of reproductive health and justice to “pray that our fellow pro-lifers will continue to stand in solidarity with the unborn, and that more of the culture will see that we are defending those who cannot defend themselves.” The document also includes this line: “We acknowledge that many pro-life people feel alone in this fight, and we affirm the truth that standing for life does not happen alone.” This quote is not far from how anti-choice advocates describe abortion. Since Roe v. Wade, anti-choice activists have often argued that abortion is a sinful and selfish act. As an example, The Right to Life Network claims abortion is something that only “a self-indulgent culture would consider an option.” Of course, there’s no contradiction in standing for the unborn but also standing in solidarity with the most vulnerable and disadvantaged members of our communities. In fact, the best way to show solidarity is by supporting Planned Parenthood and access to contraception for all. A strong investment in reproductive justice means fighting for policies that uplift women and families as a whole. We also hope you will join us in fighting the anti-abortion movement in some of their largest annual events. This year, the anti-abortion Life Always bus tour will hit nine cities, each focused on a specific component of the so-called “war on women.” The anti-choice organizations sponsoring the tour want to repeal a variety of laws that protect women and their reproductive rights, including access to contraception, safe and legal abortion, fair and equitable parental leave, paid sick days and paid family leave, equal treatment for mothers and fathers, and protection for people with pre-existing conditions. In response to this war on women, Planned Parenthood will kick off our 40th Anniversary celebration with an exciting program of activities at our Missouri headquarters, 1105 W. Brookside Drive. Some events are already sold out, so we hope you’ll soon join us. Plan to attend: Tuesday, February 11 : Community Education Workshop: “Fighting Back Against Anti-Abortion Groups” with Planned Parenthood staff members in the St. Louis area. : Community Education Workshop: “Fighting Back Against Anti-Abortion Groups” with Planned Parenthood staff members in the St. Louis area. Wednesday, February 12 : Planned Parenthood Advocates of Missouri volunteer training with representatives of Missouri’s U.S. senators : Planned Parenthood Advocates of Missouri volunteer training with representatives of Missouri’s U.S. senators Thursday, February 13: Statewide Community Education Workshop: Understanding and Defeating the Anti-Abortion Movement with speakers in St. Louis. On Wednesday, February 12, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Missouri, Greater St. Louis is partnering with Missouri’s U.S. senators Claire McCaskill and Roy Blunt to hold a Volunteer Training and “Understanding and Defeating the Anti-Abortion Movement” workshop in St. Louis. Topics include working with a coalition to change hearts and minds; how to talk to our peers about reproductive health and justice; and understanding the challenges of changing political policy at the local, state and federal levels. For those of you in the St. Louis area who cannot attend the trainings, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Missouri will also hold monthly meetings to discuss issues related to reproductive health and justice. These meetings will take place: Sunday, February 16, 6:00 – 7:30 PM, St. Louis Sunday, March 9, 6:00 – 7:30 PM, St. Louis All meetings are at Planned Parenthood 1105 W. Brookside Drive. We’re looking forward to celebrating our 40th anniversary with you, whether at the community events or at the volunteer trainings. These events will highlight the impact that Planned Parenthood has had on the state and the nation, and we’ll look forward to bringing you these stories. Please join us. […] of the 40th Anniversary of Planned Parenthood St. Louis and Greater Missouri was in the spotlight last week when St. Louis Planned Parenthood president and CEO Suzanne Sataline and St. […] […] people who are fighting against it,” said Suzanne Sataline, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Greater St. Louis and Planned Parenthood Advocates of Missouri, in a statement to the local ABC affiliate. “It’s truly […] […] anti-abortion groups,” says the email. “It is crucial that we stand firm against these attempts at division.” Planned Parenthood St. Louis, as reported by KSDK, is the second-largest affiliate in the state behind […] […] It may seem like a coincidence, but Planned Parenthood St. Louis, with affiliates in four other Missouri cities, is holding a 40th Anniversary celebration event today and Tuesday. Planned Parenthood Advocates of Missouri is doing some trainings today and tomorrow. The Missouri ACLU plans a big event in Kansas City. The anti-abortion group Operation Save America (OSA) will hold a rally in Jefferson City on Tuesday night. We’ll talk more about what this means in a bit. But what can we expect the activists to do? […] […] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Taryn Kage, TarynKage, TarynKage and @Katy_Vaughn, TarynKage. Taryn Kage said: One of the things I love most about all these reports on the “40 Years, 40 Events, 40 Stories of Planned Parenthood” is that Planned Parenthood (and others) are always… […] A group of Missouri state lawmakers are drafting a bill to make medically unnecessary ultrasounds mandatory for women seeking an abortion. Missouri has passed a law mandating ultrasounds for women seeking an abortion. […] The Missouri House of Representatives will debate a bill Wednesday that seeks to require abortion clinics to offer ultrasounds for women seeking an abortion. The bill’s sponsor, Missouri State Rep. Todd Richardson, D-Poplar Bluff, said ultrasounds are necessary for abortion patients to fully understand what they are consenting to. […] Suffolk County Republicans were left red-faced last week when a staffer, posing as a constituent, asked whether abortions should be permitted after 24 weeks of pregnancy and whether they could receive the necessary medical procedures in their home country if they were injured. […] “I’m a pro-lifer, too, I just think there are enough services out there for those women who are going to carry