Insider News June 2022
In this issue:
- President & CEO Message
- Celebrating Pride Month
- Closing Out the School Year
- 2022 Legislative Session Comes to an End
- How You Can Help
- In Case You Missed It
Dear Friends,
This month we are celebrating Pride Month and have been attending Pride marches and events in White Plains, Yorktown, Nyack, and Sayville. We honor the strength and resilience of the LGBTQ+ movement and we celebrate the diversity of the entire community. No matter your gender identity, race, income, ZIP code, immigration status, or sexual orientation, Planned Parenthood is committed to delivering health services and education to all people with care and respect.
Thank you to everyone who attended our 35th annual East End Benefit on June 4 at the oceanfront Bridgehampton Tennis and Surf Club. More than $300,000 was raised in support of our health care services, education programs, and advocacy efforts in Suffolk County. Alexis McGill Johnson, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, spoke to the 175 supporters at the event about the threat to safe and legal abortion care and what the national landscape will look like if the leaked Supreme Court draft decision does indeed overturn Roe v. Wade. She shared her experience from a recent trip to Texas where she saw patients being denied care, undocumented immigrants who could not travel out of state for care, and a domestic violence survivor who did not know who she would be able to get away from her abusive partner to go out of state. Sandy Perlbinder was awarded the Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic Legacy Award in recognition of her more than 30 years of commitment to helping guarantee access to reproductive care and empowering individuals to determine their own sexual health and reproductive futures.
Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram to stay up-to-date on what is happening at PPHP and issues related to sexual and reproductive health care and share our posts so your friends and family stay informed as well. Thank you for your continued support of PPHP.
In this together,
Vincent Russell
President & CEO
June is Pride Month and we stand in solidarity with LGBTQ+ communities. At PPHP, we believe everyone should have the freedom to live an authentic life. This month, and every day of the year, we honor and celebrate the diversity, strength, humanity, and power of LGBTQ+ communities. LGBTQ+ people — like all people — deserve access to the full range of health services, including sexual and reproductive health care and education.
At PPHP, we proudly offer a wide range of sexual and reproductive health care needs to members of the LGBTQ+ community. This includes birth control including vasectomy care, STI testing and treatment, HIV counseling, prevention medications, testing, and treatment, annual gynecological exams and gynecological care, gender affirming hormone therapy, and abortion care. It is important to remember that LGBTQ+ people, including transgender men and nonbinary people, can and do have abortions.
Our health centers provide vital sexual and reproductive health care services for people of all sexual orientations, gender expressions, and gender identities. Our 10 health centers are located in Westchester, Rockland, and Suffolk counties, and many services are available through telehealth. To learn more about our health care services, visit www.pphp.org or call 800-230-PLAN.
Our Teen Information and Peer Services (TIPS) programs are closing out the school year with their biweekly meetings, strategizing on how to keep their peers engaged and informed on medically accurate sex education and getting them access to Planned Parenthood resources and services. One way TIPSters do this is through co-facilitating education programs with our Education and Training team in the community. Rockland TIPSters reached more than 700 individuals through 32 education and outreach programs within their school year and our Westchester TIPSters reached 129 individuals through seven education and outreach programs at Riverside High School. Our Suffolk TIPSters started late in the school year, but we are excited to bring back all three TIPS programs for the 2022-2023 school year.
We are also getting ready for our Peer Health Ambassador Summer Enrichment (PHASE) program. The program runs from July 11 through August 18 and in collaboration with Boys & Girls Club of the Bellport Area. The program will meet Mondays and Thursdays from 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. and will cover topics including personal development, sexual health education, art, yoga, planting, games, and more.
To learn more about our Education and Training programs, please visit https://www.plannedparenthood.org/planned-parenthood-hudson-peconic/local-education-training.
2022 Legislative Session Comes to an End
The 2022 Legislative Session has come to a close! You may be wondering what bills passed and which didn’t so here is a recap of our “wins,” what bills we will have to continue advocating for in the future, and what you can do now to continue to fight for sexual and reproductive health and rights.
Legislative Wins
Many bills protecting and expanding access to health care and voting rights were passed this legislative session. Here are a few highlights:
- Legal Protection for Abortion Package (multiple bills) - advanced a range of measures aimed at protecting providers, patients, and assistors from hostile out of state attacks on care. (awaiting Governor’s signature)
- Limited-Service Pregnancy Centers (LSPC) Study Bill (S.470/A.5499) - authorizes the Department of Health to conduct a study and issue a report about the unmet needs of pregnant people in New York State and the impact of LSPCs, also known as crisis pregnancy centers, to further understand their practices. (awaiting Governor’s signature)
- Requirement for insurance coverage for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) to prevent HIV infection (S.688/A.807) (awaiting Governor’s signature)
- The John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act (S.1046E/A.6678) - solidifies protection against discrimination when trying to exercise the right to vote (awaiting Governor’s signature)
- Removal of 10-day advance voter registration requirement (S.517/A.502) (awaiting Governor’s signature)
More Work to Be Done
While we had many successes this session, there is still more work to be done to protect access to sexual and reproductive health care and social justice. These are some of the bills that we did not see pass this session, but we will continue advocating for:
- Equality Amendment (S.8797/A.10468) - amends the NYS Constitution to increase protections against discrimination and expands list of protected classes
- Comprehensive Sex Education in Public Schools (S.2584A/A.6616)
- Abortion Access Fund (S758/A1926)
Take Action Now
What can you do now? Great question! Here are some actions you can take as we wait for the formal Supreme Court decision (which will happen this month).
- Call NYS Leadership and express your disappointment that the Equality Amendment did not make it to the floor for a vote. Click here for instructions and a script
- Become a Rapid Response Volunteer – be the first to know about local rallies, demonstrations, or actions after the Supreme Court decision is released
If you are looking for more ways to get involved with PPHP, visit https://www.plannedparenthood.org/planned-parenthood-hudson-peconic/get-involved-locally.
We have exciting events planned for 2022! Be sure to mark your calendars and check your email for more details and ticket and sponsorship opportunities.
The Summer Benefit
Saturday, September 10, 4:00 - 6:00 p.m.
A private waterfront home in St. James
Honoring Ida and Robert Gordon and Roberta Gordon
The Empower Gala
Wednesday, October 19, 2022, 6:30 p.m.
The Sleepy Hollow Hotel and Conference Center, Tarrytown
Keynote Speaker Dr. Jamila Perritt, President & CEO, Physicians for Reproductive Health
Honoring The Tenney Family
For more information, visit our Calendar of Events. We look forward to seeing you in 2022!
You can continue to make Care. No Matter What. possible!
A monthly gift to PPHP ensures security for patients in your local communities. Consider joining our Monthly Giving Program today at www.pphp.org/donatetoday.
Double your impact! Does your employer have a matching gift program? Check with your Human Resources Department to find out. For questions, contact the Development Department at [email protected].
Committed to safeguarding the future of reproductive health care? Consider leaving a legacy gift to PPHP in your will. Please contact the Development Department at [email protected].
Do you have a little bit of time to get more involved? Visit www.pphp.org for ways you can help.
PPHP in the News:
Southampton Press: Planned Parenthood fundraiser Shows Determination to Protect Abortion Access
Newsweek: The Science of How Morning-After and Abortion Pills Work
Seventeen: What is Abortion? Experts Answer All of Your Questions
TIME: Willow Rosen Teaches Kids and Teens About the Toughest Subject—Themselves (PPGP feature)
Wired: How Abortion Clinics Are Racing to Prepare for a Post-Roe America