Pro-Life News

I had an abortion' T-shirts cause rift within Planned Parenthood

Posted on Wed, Jul. 28, 2004

Affiliates say message goes beyond `pro-choice' values

A new Planned Parenthood product is drawing fire from the national group's Carolinas affiliates: "I had an abortion" T-shirts.

"This is going beyond pro-choice," said Brian Lewis of Mebane, director of public policy for Planned Parenthood Health Systems.

"We're offending people. ..."

Lewis made his comments to the Observer Tuesday -- the same day he fired off what he called a formal e-mail to the Planned Parenthood Federation of America office in New York, expressing the objection of the group's Carolinas affiliates.

Lewis represents Planned Parenthood affiliates in Charlotte and six other Carolinas locations. Abortion services are offered in the Winston-Salem and Columbia offices. Other services offered at all seven sites include birth control, education, and screening and treatment for communicable diseases.

The T-shirts are listed for sale for $15 on the group's Web site, with other products called "Wearables with a message" available at Planned Parenthood's online store.

"They have finally arrived!" it states under a picture of the T-shirt. "Planned Parenthood is proud to offer yet another t-shirt in our social fashion line ... These soft and comfortable fitted tees assert a powerful message in support of women's rights."

Lewis said he thought Planned Parenthood was planning to pull the T-shirts amid protests. But they were still listed for sale Tuesday evening on the Web site.

Other T-shirts listed for sale on the Planned Parenthood Web site included "Parenthood. Plan It!" and "Sex Ed 101."

Several phone messages left Tuesday in the media office of Planned Parenthood in New York were not returned.

Lewis said the goal of trying to destigmatize abortion is a good one. But the T-shirts, he said, turn women into what he called targets and billboards.

"This has so many repercussions," he said. "This is not what America needs."

Posted by Editor at July 23, 2004 09:03 AM