PPGMR – Memphis Flyer

Gloria Steinem

Feminist organizer and activist Gloria Steinem will be the keynote speaker at the Planned Parenthood Greater Memphis Region’s (PPGMR) James Award celebration in September.

Her upcoming appearance was announced at a PPGMR reception Thursday evening at the Majestic Grille. This will be Steinem’s first public appearance in Memphis.

“We are so thrilled to be welcoming Gloria to Memphis for this event,” says Ashley Coffield, President and CEO of PPGMR. “While reproductive health providers across the country, and certainly here in Tennessee, are facing more intimidation and political opposition, the need for our services is only escalating — as is the resolve and generosity of our supporters. Gloria’s message is more relevant now than ever in Memphis.”

The James Award ceremony, which this year will also mark PPGMR’s 75th anniversary, will be held on September 15th at the Hilton Memphis (939 Ridge Lake). Each year, the James Award (named in honor of former Memphis City Councilman/PPGMR supporter Bob James) is presented to a Mid-Southerner who has shown “unwavering support to the ideals of Planned Parenthood.”

Honorees will include Representative Johnnie Turner (D-Memphis) and attorney and former PPGMR Board member Eddie Kaplan.

“We can think of no more deserving individuals for these honors than Rep. Turner and Mr. Kaplan,” said PPGMR Board Chair Barbara Newman. “The passion, courage, creativity, and hard work that they have demonstrated in supporting Planned Parenthood over the past several decades are an inspiration to us all. These awards are presented in gratitude for all that Johnnie and Eddie have done for generations of Memphis women and families.”

Rachel Ankney and Tamara Hendrix will be honored as 2016 Volunteers of the Year. Hannah Piecuch, Ema Wagner, Nora Goodman-Bryan, and Annie Vento will be recognized as the 2016 Young Volunteers of the Year.

Tickets for the James Award celebration are on sale now. For more information, call 901-725-3008 or email Grace Weil.

Planned Parenthood Greater Memphis Region (PPGMR) will hold a candlelight vigil on Saturday, December 5th to honor the victims of the Black Friday shooting at a Planned Parenthood facility in Colorado Springs.

In that shooting last Friday, Robert Dear, 57, killed University of Colorado campus police officer Garrett Swasey and two others — Ke’Arre Marcell and Jennifer Markovsky —
at Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains. He wounded nine others and held those inside the clinic hostage before surrendering to authorities. It has been reported that Dear muttered things about “baby parts” during police questioning, which may link his motive to the rhetoric that some pro-lifers have been spreading about Planned Parenthood facilities engaging in the sale of fetal tissue.

The vigil will be held from 4 to 5 p.m. outside the Planned Parenthood at 2430 Poplar. Attendees are encouraged to wear pink.

PPGMR President and CEO Ashley Coffield took a few minutes to discuss how the Memphis facility is addressing security following last week’s shooting.

Flyer: Has Planned Parenthood Greater Memphis Region stepped up security in light of the recent shooting in Colorado Springs? Are there any plans to implement wanding or metal detectors?

Coffield: We are heartbroken by the shooting at the Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado Springs. In response, we have reviewed our security protocols and consulted local and federal law enforcement. We are confident that we are providing a safe, warm, and welcoming environment for our patients to receive high-quality, compassionate care. We are not wanding our patients and visitors as they enter our facility or using metal detectors. We are vigilant about security, but you shouldn’t have to enter an armed fortress to get birth control, cancer screenings, or abortion services.

There are often protesters outside PPGMR, and they have a First Amendment right to be there. But have you ever had any issues with them stepping onto the property? How do you protect the privacy of patients while honoring the rights of protesters?

Protestors are not allowed on private property, only on public spaces like sidewalks. We have a parking lot that keeps the occasional protestor at a significant distance from our patients and visitors. From time to time, a protestor will step onto our property from the sidewalk. In those cases, we have a professional security guard who will ask the protestor to remain on the sidewalk. We always contact the Memphis Police Department if we have any concerns. We have a strong relationship with law enforcement.

The current political climate and misconceptions about Planned Parenthood seems to have had a part in influencing Robert Dear’s decision to carry out the shooting in Colorado Springs. What would you like people to know about what PPGMR actually does because it’s not just abortions, right?

Planned Parenthood has been in Memphis for nearly 75 years. We won’t be bullied, and we’re not going anywhere. Our doors were open after the shooting in Colorado, and they will remain open. We offer affordable, non-judgmental services such as annual exams, birth control, and STI testing and treatment. HIV testing is always free. Long-acting, reversible contraceptives—IUDs, the implant, and birth control shots—are free. We accept most insurance plans, including TennCare. Our highly trained educators offer free, age-appropriate, honest, and accurate classes for teens and parents on sexuality and sexual health. And our fearless staff and volunteers fight to protect reproductive rights.

As long as Planned Parenthood has existed, there have been people who have tried to discredit the work that we do. We won’t back down from our mission because of smear campaigns and hate speech. I’m grateful and encouraged by the outpouring of support we’ve received from the Memphis region in the last few months, especially in the wake of the shooting. We’re here — no matter what.