Planned Parenthood Launches Campaign to Empower Pro-Abortion Businesses

ST. LOUIS - Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri (PPSLRSWMO) is launching Brands Against Bans, a campaign to empower pro-abortion businesses to leverage their platforms and publicly support sexual and reproductive health and rights. The campaign aims to expand awareness and community support for access to health care, including abortion. Brands Against Bans will demonstrate the economic value of publicly supporting abortion while dismantling stigma. The inaugural event will be held at Brick City Yoga on August 12, 2022, from 6 pm - 9 pm. Participants can sign up for an all-levels yoga class from 7 pm - 8 pm or walk through the free community fair and enjoy cocktails and alcohol-free drinks provided by The Wandering Sidecar Bar Company. Proceeds benefit The Regional Logistics Center Patient Equity Fund.

Statement from Bonyen Lee-Gilmore, Vice-President of Strategy and Communications, PPSLRSWMO:

“As a trusted provider of sexual and reproductive health care in our region for over 90 years, PPSLRSWMO knows what it takes to rebuild abortion access in a post-Roe America. It starts with the people’s power — the power of our voice, our wallets, and our actions. Brands Against Bans will unite like-minded consumers and businesses in a campaign that will send a clear message: we will not be silenced. This is only the beginning of building abortion equity in the communities we serve.”

Statement from Kate Ewing, Owner, Brick City Yoga:

“Access to reproductive health and rights, including abortion, is one of the most basic ways individuals can have agency over their own bodies. When everyone has reproductive freedom, our families, businesses, and communities thrive. As a small business, Brick City Yoga takes its responsibility to our community seriously and that means doing our part to shatter abortion stigma. We hope others will join us in this work."

Twelve brands have already joined the Brands Against Bans campaign, including Lush Cosmetics - North America, Brick City Yoga, The Wandering Sidecar Bar Company, Culture Flock, STL-Style LLC, Millennial Assistants, C&K Cleaning Krew LLC, Own Your Pride, Hedy & Hopp, Church Productions LLC, Golden Gems, and Lone Wolf Welding & Services LLC.

These partnerships support abortion access at a time when consumers are demanding more from the brands with which they engage. Consumers want to see corporations and brands step up to support abortion rights and engage with established organizations that share their values.

Abortion bans are deeply unpopular. According to a poll by Impact Research, 75% of Missouri voters want abortion to remain legal. Taking a public stance against abortion bans and supporting sexual and reproductive health and rights is beneficial for businesses. Seven in 10 top talent in the workforce say reproductive health care should be a part of the issues companies address when it comes to gender issues in the workplace. Seventy-seven percent of consumers consider reproductive health an important issue, and of these consumers, 86% want brands to take a stand. Fifty-six percent of Gen Z and 55% of Millennials would be more likely to buy from a brand that publicly supports reproductive health care. (PerryUndem, 2021)

Abortion bans impact labor force participation and earnings levels. Even prior to Roe being overturned, state economies lost billions of dollars and members of their labor forces because of abortion bans. The total economic losses due to state-level abortion restrictions, Women aged 15–44 (2020) in Missouri was $5.4 billion. (IWPR) Brands Against Bans is a way for businesses and consumers to unite and bring awareness to the multiple layers of harm caused by abortion bans.

Businesses and brands across Missouri and Illinois interested in participating in the campaign should fill out a form. By submitting the form, businesses commit to publicly engaging with issues of reproductive freedom in partnership with providers like Planned Parenthood. Brands Against Bans businesses will be featured on Planned Parenthood’s website to empower consumers to support like-minded establishments.