Pink has never looked prettier as activists filled the streets yesterday for the national #PinkOut movement. For those of you who are unaware, the #PinkOut is a national protest against the defunding of Planned Parenthood. Planned Parenthood is more than just abortions & pink is more than just pretty — pink is powerful.
This issue has been sitting on my heart pretty heavy for some time now. Truthfully I really tried to avoid writing about this just because I feel so conflicted about it & I wanted to avoid ranting. I managed to cry about it for an hour the other morning & then talk about it during a drunk on-camera interview. So yeah, I guess it was only really a matter of time before it I ended up saying something about it. It’s controversial & falls into my grey area but nonetheless breaks my heart.
MY EXPERIENCE | Have I ever made a trip to Planned Parenthood? Yes, I have. Why? Well obviously if I went to Planned Parenthood I must have gotten an abortion, right? Nope, wrong. I actually went to get tested for STDs. I had been seeing someone who wanted me to get tested before anything happened. This was surprising to me because I had never been asked that before but nonetheless, I agreed. I decided to go to Planned Parenthood because I was nervous & I didn’t really know what to do? I was also way too embarrassed to talk to my mom about it. I could be married & pregnant but I will still NEVER want to talk about my sex life with my mom. So I tried to do this independently & discreetly. I went online & got the number to call. They scheduled me with an appointment right away. When I walked in the office about 4 days later, I felt so gross about myself. Walking into that office felt degrading. I couldn’t believe I had stepped into Planned Parenthood. There are so many negative connotations that come with Planned Parenthood & they couldn’t help but run through my mind. When I had gotten dressed that morning I wore jeans, flats, & a shirt that didn’t show an inch of cleavage. I didn’t want to look like a whore for a slight second because that’s how I had already felt about this whole situation. I sat there in the office looking at all the rest of the beautiful girls in the room — wondering what they thought about me & thinking what I thought about them. Why is everyone here? Oh, a guy walked in, wonder what he’s here for? Finally I get called in & I stumble to the back like the nervous slut that I assuming am. They checked my vitals & then asked me a lengthy survey of questions. The doctor finally comes in & she is super sweet. She does the swab & is very reassuring. While I wait for the results, I educate myself with all the different pamphlets that they offer in the room. Around 30 minutes later, the results return & I tested negative. Instantly my mood changes & I no longer feel like a whore! ~lol~ So my Planned Parenthood experience ended up being very positive. I left feeling like a healthy, mature sexually active adult. It was my first time getting tested & I felt rather ignorant for not have getting tested before. Whether you’ve been with a handful of people or a shipload of people, you should get tested. Don’t be selfish or prideful, think about the bigger picture. No matter how you feel or where you think you stand — it’s important, get tested.
LOGIC | PLANNED PARENTHOOD OFFERS FREE SAFE & LEGAL ABORTIONS. OK, WE GET IT. The first thing people are going to correlate with Planned Parenthood is abortion. Truthfully, I can understand it. As a teen that was pretty much the only thing I knew about PP & I didn’t really have any reason to get more information so I just left it at that; PP = abortions. It wasn’t until later that I realized that PP actually offers a whole lot more. One of those things being contraception. Contraception so you know, you don’t get pregnant & have to get an abortion? A lot of people don’t realize that PP proactively works to prevent abortions more than anything. In all reality only 3% of PP’s services are made up of abortions. The other 97% is made up of healthcare services for both men & women. These services include STD testing & treatment, cancer screening, accompanying healthcare, & of course, contraception. These are still educated & compassionate doctors behind this non-profit organization. Doctors that have devoted their lives to caring about other people & the human body in all its magnificence. I’m sure they appreciate life & the human body more than most of this planet. When pregnant women step into their office I don’t think they’re shoving the abortion option down their throat. It’s the pregnant women that are making the choice. Logically if you take away PP, women of low income areas are going to have to go elsewhere to get a blackmarket abortion which will lead to unsafe and unsanitary procedures. Proper healthcare is the only way to prevent infection, disease, & death.
RELIGION | Truth is, it’s 2015 — not 15 AD. I’m sure that’s apparent to everyone. I’m sure you see how we live now is obviously a whole lot different & more complex. Temptation has always been alive but I feel like it is alive & well now more than ever. There are so many different types of temptations that you can give into: drugs, greed, materials, fame, sex — you get the picture. In 2015 everything is at the tip of our fingers; everything including sex. I feel so conflicted because I believe in God but I am truly a prisoner of temptation. My willpower is so weak in this modern world. I want to be the best person I can be but there is a natural temptation that lives within my body & I give into sin even when I know it is wrong. God knows that it is impossible to live a perfect human life which is why he sacrificed his son. It irritates me that I see protestors stand outside of Planned Parenthood yelling at individuals that walk through the doors. Calling women murders & sinners; making it out to be like it’s some Satanic harlot hotspot. No one can judge these women, no one but God. You know what these women & these protestors have in common? That they are sinners. No one is perfect, it is impossible to be perfect. God is love & has called us to love. I don’t know how these people can tattoo Jesus on their forehead but point fingers & spread hate. God never gave you that job or that title so get the fuck off your Pegasus. The God I know would want you to love & be understanding. Sure, maybe he wouldn’t want you to agree but you don’t need to go around shouting from the rooftops. Lead by living and lead by loving. Instead of shouting; speak. It is okay to stand by your Christian opinion but you also need to stand with your Christian attitude at all times & that attitude should be nothing but love.
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Truthfully, I am not a fan of abortion. I definitely think it’s not something to “shout” about. I don’t think it is right & I don’t see it as an option for myself. Life itself is truly a miracle & I would never take away an innocent life that has been given the opportunity to blossom. I love humanity & I try to approach all lifestyles with a level head. I respect women & I understand choice. With that being said, I stand with Planned Parenthood.