Planned Parenthood Honors Dedication to Women's Health and Rights

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Planned Parenthood Federation of America

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WASHINGTON, DC — Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) Immediate Past President Karen Pearl, Dr. Allan Rosenfield, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Co-Executive Producers Patrick Harbinson and Dr. Neal Baer, Seventeen Magazine, ABC's hit drama Boston Legal and The Kansas City Star will be among those honored for their contributions to protecting women's rights at the Planned Parenthood Awards Gala this evening at the Planned Parenthood Annual Conference in Washington, DC. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Representative Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) will receive Voice for Choice Awards honoring their political commitment to reproductive rights and reproductive health. Stan Adelstein, a Republican State Senator from South Dakota will be honored with the Barry Goldwater Award. Diverse celebrities Kate Walsh (Grey's Anatomy), Aisha Tyler (Ghost Whisperer), LisaGay Hamilton (The Practice), Heather Tom and Bree Williamson (One Life to Live), and singer Natalie Merchant will co-host and perform at the event.

"Our most prestigious award of the evening, the PPFA Margaret Sanger Award, will go to PPFA Immediate Past President Karen Pearl and to Dr. Allan Rosenfield, a longtime leader in women's health issues," said Cecile Richards, PPFA president. "In 2005, Karen stepped fearlessly and selflessly into the role of PPFA interim president, taking on the job at a time of enormous change in the reproductive rights movement. Karen is a woman of substance, a woman of valor and a woman of grace who served Planned Parenthood with humor, kindness, and grace."

"Dr. Rosenfield is a man who sees need, embraces change, takes responsibility, and believes in the power of humankind to change the world for the better," added Richards. "Tonight we also recognize the efforts of Senator Feinstein and Representative Maloney, leaders who exemplify the practical good that politics and legislation can produce in real people's lives."

Dr. Allan Rosenfeld has been a PPFA leader in many capacities over the years, including serving as national chair from 1985 to 1986, during which time he fought long and hard against the global gag rule and took PPFA to a whole different sphere in the medical world. Rosenfield currently serves as dean of the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University, where he is also a professor of obstetrics and gynecology.

Senator Feinstein was the first woman elected senator of California and the first woman member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. This past fall, she led Democratic opposition to the confirmation of Samuel Alito, declaring, "If one is pro-choice in this day and age, in this structure, one can't vote for Judge Alito. It is simply that simple."

Representative Maloney is an outspoken leader opposing the Bush administration's war on women and has worked tirelessly for increased funding for family planning services. A former co-chair of the Women's Caucus, Maloney is a nationally recognized advocate for women's issues, championing funding for women's health needs, reproductive freedom, and international family planning.

This year, South Dakota State Senator Stan Adelstein will be honored with the Barry Goldwater Award. The Barry Goldwater award is presented each year to an outstanding Republican legislator who has acted as a leader within the Republican Party to protect reproductive rights. State Senator Adelstein has a deep commitment to his community of Rapid City and to his state of South Dakota.

"Tonight we also honor the courage and commitment of those in the media and entertainment industries. The PPFA Maggie Awards, named after Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger, celebrate noteworthy achievement in media coverage of reproductive rights and health care issues and similar contributions in the arts and entertainment industries, critically important in our media-saturated culture," said Richards.

The 2006 PPFA Maggie Awards will be awarded to: The Last Abortion Clinic (PBS Frontline)
Boston Legal, "Smile" (ABC)
Sheryl McCarthy, columnist
The Kansas City Star, for editorial writing
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, "Rockabye" (NBC)
La Opinion, for editorial on Proposition 73
The George Lopez Show, "Prescription for Trouble" (ABC)
Seventeen Magazine, "Vagina 101: What's Normal, What's Not"

Published

March 30, 2006

Source

Planned Parenthood Federation of America

Contact

Erin Libit (202) 360-7890

Published

March 30, 2006