March 12th Rally to Protect Women’s Health

Public Rally to Send Message to Lawmakers—Trust Women and Stop the War on Women’s Health

DENVER – In response to the increased and inflammatory rhetoric at the local and federal level surrounding women’s health, concerned members of the community including legislators, doctors, and faith organizations will gather on March 12 from 11 am -12 pm on the West steps of the Colorado Capitol for a Rally to Protect Women’s Health.

The event, hosted by Protect Families Protect Choices and Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains, is an opportunity for the public to take a stand for women’s health and have their voices heard. 

“Where it used to be Roe that anti-choice politicians railed against, now it’s also birth control, access to health care, and a woman’s right to privacy.  It is 2012!  These issues should not be in question,” said President and CEO of Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains Vicki Cowart.  “Each day we hear from people who are clearly frustrated; debates in 2012 about birth control and restricting women’s access to health care undermines decades of progress.”

Nationally, we have seen everything from attempts to defund preventive health care programs for women to proposed legislation that would allow any employer to refuse to insure any health service they morally object to.

Now the same sort of over-reaching attacks on women’s access to health care have made their way into our own backyard.

In Colorado, a floor vote on HB 1130 is highly anticipated and expected to take place soon.  This bill would create fetal “personhood” by creating a new class of victim for a fetus.

Colorado voters overwhelming defeated two similar fetal “personhood” ballot initiatives in the 2008 and 2010 elections, rejecting the measures by 3-to-1 margins both times.  Coloradans recognized that this idea could have far-reaching and undesirable consequences like prohibiting medical care for which a woman has consented—including abortion and in vitro fertilization.

But just this week the Colorado Supreme Court decided that it will allow Personhood Colorado to move forward in placing a third “personhood” measure on the Colorado ballot again this election season.  This means that for the third time Colorado voters will be presented with an anti-choice, anti-woman, anti-family measure that will insert politicians, the courts, and lawyers into the most personal and private medical decisions women in consultation with their doctors and families make every single day.

“No wonder women and men who support women’s health, have been asking themselves, ‘what is going on,’” said Cowart.    

It’s time to take a stand, and the PFPC coalition encourages any concerned member of the public to join us on Monday, March 12.  We will rally to protect women’s health and our voices will be heard.  We will send a strong message to our state’s lawmakers—stop the war on women!

Event Details

• WHAT:  Rally to Protect Women’s Health
• WHEN:  Monday, March 12, 11 am -12 pm
• WHERE: West steps of the Colorado Capitol (Lincoln & Colfax)
• SPEAKERS: Representative Andy Kerr, House District 26
  Representative Crisanta Duran, House District 5
  Dr. Andrew Ross, OB-GYN
  Vicki Cowart, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains
  Lorena Garcia, Executive Director of COLOR
  Meagan Como, Student at Colorado State University
  Jeremy Shaver, Executive Director of the Interfaith Alliance
• WHY:  It’s time to take a stand and protect women’s health!