Today, Seattle City Council and Mayor Ed Murray introduced and passed a joint resolution affirming the City’s support of Planned Parenthood. The Mayor will be concurring.
“I stand with Planned Parenthood to send a clear message to those who continue to put politics ahead of women’s access to health care,” said Mayor Ed Murray. “At their five health centers in Seattle, Planned Parenthood provides critical reproductive health services to men, women and children, and I’m proud to join the City Council in thanking them for their important work.”
“I stand with Planned Parenthood and am grateful that this reputable organization provides such a wide range of essential healthcare services,” said Council President Tim Burgess. “While some groups want to use lies and misinformation to smear Planned Parenthood’s reputation, in Seattle we recognize quality healthcare when we see it.”
“It’s unconscionable that Congressional Republicans want to use Planned Parenthood as if it were a bargaining chip in a hostage negotiation,” said Councilmember Jean Godden. “I once accompanied a friend undergoing an abortion during the days when there were no safe, legal options. We cannot go back. I stand with Planned Parenthood, as it is a vital and accessible medical care provider for the communities in Seattle and throughout the Puget Sound.”
“From family planning to STD testing to cancer screenings to reproductive health, Planned Parenthood is a vital fixture in Seattle’s community,” said Councilmember Sally Bagshaw. “I stand with Planned Parenthood and am proud my colleagues unanimously agree.”
“Women’s healthcare and reproductive rights have faced constant attacks from the right wing – attacks that have intensified recently. Working people need to stand together and rebuild the women’s rights movement, independent of corporate politicians,” said Councilmember Kshama Sawant. “We need to fight for single payer healthcare, paid parental leave, and to end the gender pay gap.”
Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest and the Hawaiian Islands provides reproductive health care services for 107,288 patients at 35 health centers in Washington state. Ninety-five percent of Planned Parenthood clients receive family planning services. Additionally, Planned Parenthood’s education and outreach programs deliver sexuality and family planning education to teens, women and men each year, with programs including middle and high school responsible sexuality courses, parent-child communication programs, and teen education programs.
The full text of the resolution is below:
A RESOLUTION affirming the City of Seattle’s support of Planned Parenthood and recognizing its vital role in providing health care.
WHEREAS, Article 25 of the International Declaration of Human Rights states that everyone has the right to medical care; and
WHEREAS, Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest and the Hawaiian Islands, an affiliate of Planned Parenthood Federation of America (Planned Parenthood), is a non-profit organization providing medical care for women, men, and communities in the City of Seattle and throughout the Puget Sound; and
WHEREAS, Planned Parenthood offers cancer screenings, pregnancy testing and counseling, testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections, comprehensive sexual education, preventive health care services, birth control for men and women, emergency contraception, and abortion services; and
WHEREAS, Planned Parenthood offers guidance and counseling on relationships, consent, body image, and other general health issues; and
WHEREAS, Planned Parenthood provides resources for families on a variety of issues that impact children, families, and young adults, including sexual health education resources; and
WHEREAS, Planned Parenthood serves more than 100,000 women and men in Washington state a year, including thousands of teenagers, people with limited income, and people in personal crisis; and
WHEREAS, Planned Parenthood has been under attack by anti-women’s health hardliners in recent months due to a series of manipulated and misleading videos released by an anti-choice organization, immediately seized upon and repeated by dishonest policymakers; and
WHEREAS, Planned Parenthood has been the subject of numerous politically-motivated and misguided investigations across a number of states as a result of those attacks; and
WHEREAS, each and every investigation has found that Planned Parenthood follows all legal, ethical, and medical guidelines, has broken no law, and committed no misconduct; and
WHEREAS, Planned Parenthood locations in California and Washington have been targeted by arsonists within the last several months; and
WHEREAS, Planned Parenthood patients and staff members have been subjected to harassment, threats, and protests with increasing regularity,
WHEREAS, Planned Parenthood is a trusted health care provider for one in five women in the United State and provides crucial health care services to people across the country and in Seattle; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SEATTLE, THE MAYOR CONCURRING, THAT:
Section 1. The City of Seattle (City) expresses its gratitude to the Planned Parenthood Federation of America and Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest and the Hawaiian Islands for providing health care to millions of people annually, including teenagers, people with limited-income, and other vulnerable populations. Furthermore, the City reaffirms its support for Planned Parenthood health centers in Seattle and elsewhere carrying out their mission to safeguard and provide access to a fundamental human right.