Why? It was the first day of the 2011 legislative session and we wanted to make sure our priorities were heard! We (close to 400 activists from across the state!) greeted our state representatives as they returned to work and let them know that Health Care Reform Implementation, Family Planning Funding and passage of the The Reproductive Health Act must be at the top of their to-do list.

In case you weren’t able to join us, here are some highlights:

Pre-trip Lobby Training: We practiced our skills before the big day.

Bus trip: A 3-hour road trip with pro-choice activists! Sure we left NYC at 7:00am, but there was coffee, doughnuts & enthusiasm.

A speaking line-up full of Albany’s biggest supporters of women’s health:

“We will work will our colleagues to pass The Reproductive Health Act THIS legislative session” -Speaker Silver

“Birth control without cost will improve the health of women”- Senator Sampson

“NY is and should remain a pro-choice state”- Governor Cuomo’s staff

Lobby Visits: We met with Assembly Members and Senators from all 5 burroughs!

Here we are with Assembly Member Dick Gottfried, Chair of the Assembly Health Committee and 100% pro-choice champion.

Many thanks to our activists for making this year’s Day of Action a huge success!!

• If you haven’t yet seen it, Joan Malin had a great piece up on the Huffington Post about the importance of getting STD tested.
• PPNYC’s own Haydee Morales also had a fantastic op ed up in el diario about the importance of getting STD tested.
• Last December, two protesters blockaded the doors to our Manhattan health center. Last week, these two protesters were convicted of violating the FACE act.
• The FBI put out a press release about it.
• The blog Jezebel picked it up.
• As did RH Reality Check.
• And DNA Info.
• As well as New York Paralegal blog.
• And the Ethiopian Review.
• In sex education news, the fantastic blog Beccarama wrote about our We’re Going to the Principal’s Office campaign.
• The Sunday New York Times has a profile of Cecile Richards.
• Newsweek featured the responses of pro-choice activists to their “there are no more young pro-choice activists” piece.
• Charles Blow had an op ed about the politics of abortion in the NY Times this weekend.
• Oklahoma passed some heinous anti-choice legislation.
• Although Center for Reproductive Rights is challenging it.
• Kansas vetoed a bill restricting abortions that take place at the end of the second trimester or later.
• Michelle Goldberg writes about the recent uptick in restrictions on abortion for the Daily Beast.
• As does Politico.
• Dear Abby gives pro-choice advice in her latest column.
• Wendy Norris is writing a series of pieces on how well the FACE act is being enforced.
• The LA Times has a big piece on risky sex amongst people in their 20s.
• Cecile Richards has a new Huffington Post piece about the new health care reform animation narrated by Julianne Moore.
• PPFA’s Dr. Cullins was featured on AOL Health in an article about UTIs.
• Gaby Lazzaro, PPFA Bilingual New Media Coordinator, had an op-ed posted on Being Latino about GYT.

That’s all we’ve got. What have you been reading?

• That there are currently 850 Planned Parenthood health centers operating across the country, offering a wide range of safe, reliable and affordable health care services to women and men in need.
• That we’ve received such an overwhelming response in our call to action to stop the Stupak amendment. We’ve already filled up our buses down to DC for the December 2 Day of Action, and tens of thousands of you have signed our online petition to keep language like what’s in the Stupak amendment out of health care reform.
• That despite setbacks many women in this country not only have access to safe, legal abortion services but a range of family planning options.
• That our country is no longer funneling massive funds into harmful abstinence-only sex education.
• That PPNYC has so many amazing and inspiring activists working with us.
• That Baltimore just passed a law requiring Crisis Pregnancy Centers to clearly state that they do not provide abortion or birth control referrals.
• That women today have such an amazing online feminist community to turn to with blogs like feministing, feministe, RH Realiity Check and more.

What else are you thankful for?

Thanks to Flickr user abbietabbie for the photo.

Name: Sherin Bennett

Age: 30

Profession: Full-time graduate student, studying Urban Public Policy Analysis and Management at Milano The New School

Where do you hail from? Northfield, Illinois

Why did you get involved with the Activist Council? I went to Planned Parenthood when I first moved to NYC because I didn’t have health insurance and needed GYN exams and birth control. Once I got a job that provided health insurance, I wanted to give back to Planned Parenthood.

What’s the most exciting/terrifying/invigorating thing you’ve done while a member? Exciting — seeing the Political Action Group part of the Activist Council grow to over 100 members in the past few years, and having our advocacy and fundraising capabilities expand as well.

Terrifying — that moment before any event when I wonder, “Is anyone going to show up?”

Invigorating — attending the 2008 election party and knowing the group put in a lot of work to get our message out and get people to the polls. Also, I’ve made some great friends among Activist Council members and I’m so fortunate to have them in my life!

Why is it important to be involved? There are so many aspects to reproductive rights and I don’t think enough people realize just how tenuous our position is. Also, I’ve found that learning more about the politics and advocacy around reproductive rights has made me a better advocate for many things I care about.

Sound good to you? If you want to get involved, check out our Activist Council!

Name: Aimee Pelletier

Age: 32

Where do you hail from? Now?  Astoria, NY.

Why did you get involved with the Activist Council? Reproductive and sexual health rights are essential to our freedom. If we have control over decisions related to our bodies, that is the basis of being in control of the rest of our lives. As the old feminist saying goes: the personal is political.  I’m able to be more directly involved in the cause of ensuring these rights because there are a lot of hands-on, grassroots opportunities to take advantage of through the Council.

What’s the most exciting/terrifying/invigorating thing you’ve done while a member? Learning to be a trainer for college students who want to become pro-choice activists was the most invigorating thing I’ve done so far.  That I could help those younger than me honor their rights makes me feel legitimately connected to the pro-choice/pro-woman movement.

Why is it important to be involved? People should be able to make their own private reproductive and sexual decisions and choices–from cancer screening to birth control to abortion–and that is something I want to help ensure.

Sound good to you? If you want to get involved, check out our Activist Council!

Name: Marisa Butler

Age: 26

Profession: Executive Assistant at Coalition for the Homeless

Where do you hail from? Kansas City, Missouri

Why did you get involved with the Activist Council? Planned Parenthood has always played an important role in my reproductive health. During the last presidential administration, I felt that it was important for me to add my voice to the reproductive rights movement. The great thing about the Activist Council is that there are so many levels to be involved in. You can volunteer directly or help behind the scenes to organize fundraisers, phone banks, and other events. As a bonus, it is fun to get to know the other activists.

What’s the most exciting/terrifying/invigorating thing you’ve done while a member? I’ve been a clinic escort when some of the more angry protesters have been present. Sometimes you are called pretty horrible names, but in a city like New York, there is also so much support. People pass by on the street and say, “Good job!”, or offer to buy you coffee. It also feels great to know that you can help provide a safe atmosphere for clients who are seeking services at the clinics.

Why is it important to be involved? I think it is important not to let one side of the issue control any debate. I feel very strongly about reproductive rights and that if I add my support and time, I can make a small difference. I believe that if more people did the same, we could make a big difference.

Sound good to you? If you want to get involved, check out our Activist Council!

ps – Want to submit your photo even though the day is over? Don’t worry you still can! We’ll take them on a rolling basis until we see real health care reform that includes women’s health!

Name: Emily Schunk

Age: 27

Profession: Graduate student, getting a Masters in public health

Where do you hail from? Minneapolis, MN

Why did you get involved with the Activist Council? I’ve always been somewhat intimidated by the term “activist” (due to my shy nature) and avoided being one because of that. When I got an email about “activist training” I signed up right away – I got super psyched because I realized that I could learn to become an activist and contribute more to women’s and reproductive rights.

What’s the most exciting/terrifying/invigorating thing you’ve done while a member? So far, I am the most excited about the upcoming Body Politic Music Event (Oct 28) – I have never planned an event and feel really empowered doing all these things I never thought I would be good at!

Why is it important to be involved? There are so many reasons to be involved, but for me I like the feeling of taking responsibility for something that I believe in. It’s so easy to talk big, but to do something – that fills my life with growth, courage, friends and power!

Sound good to you? If you want to get involved, check out our Activist Council!

Name: Molly Pearson

Age: 24

Profession: Nursing Student, NYU (accelerated 2nd degree program)

Where do you hail from? Chicago… I <3 Da Bears & Cubs

Why did you get involved with the Activist Council? I am studying to be a nurse and am particularly interested/passionate about teen and women’s health issues.  Eventually I would like to pursue a WHNP or ANP degree and specialize in sexual health.  With that said, I am always looking to learn more, network and help out in any way that I can when it comes to reproductive health issues.

What’s the most exciting/terrifying/invigorating thing you’ve done while a member? Participating in the August 2009 Health Care Reform Rally was both exciting and invigorating.  I also thoroughly enjoyed going through the Activist Council training and meeting/learning from like-minded pro-women supporting people.

Why is it important to be involved? I think it’s SUPER important to be involved because until we live in a world where ALL women have easily available and affordable access to reproductive health care (including:  affordable contraceptives, cervical cancer screenings, breast cancer screenings, abortion and supportive counseling) there is always more work to be done.

Sound good to you? If you want to get involved, check out our Activist Council!

Name: Janice Formichella

Age: 28

Profession: Women’s activist

Where do you hail from? Originally from Phoenix Metro area (Queen Creek, AZ to be specific)

Why did you get involved with the Activist Council? I got involved with the Activist Council after moving to NYC from AZ, where I was involved in a very active feminist community. I actually met a girl at an Activist Council event who I became friends with and invited me to join. It was great to be turned on to a group of passionate activists and it felt like a good fit for me.

What’s the most exciting/terrifying/invigorating thing you’ve done while a member? Having the opportunity to be trained as a Boot Camp facilitator meant a lot to me. I have a lot of experience as a campus activist and firmly believe that campuses are an untapped source of passion, knowledge, and creativity that all progressive causes could be utilizing better. Having the opportunity to help educate campus feminists about reproductive rights activism is the best opportunity I could have asked for as a member.

Why is it important to be involved?

Reproductive rights activism is a vitally important cause to be involved with as a progressive because of the way that women’s health impacts society as a whole. I believe in the ability the family has to be a positive influence on society and want to do what I can to ensure that we build happy, healthy homes and families.

I also stay involved with this work because I am a strong believer in the power of the process of organizing. My experience as a feminist activist has allowed me to witness the power solidarity has on women’s lives. There is so much more to activism and organizing than the final result, there is much to be gained by simply being involved with the process. It creates a powerful energy that really improves the lives of those involved, and those they come in contact with. I am passionate about making the process valuable to those involved, and I look forward to bringing this passion to NYC campuses as a Boot Camp facilitator.

Sound good to you? If you want to get involved, check out our Activist Council!