Image via Wikipedia
Yesterday the Komen Foundation, they who pinked the world and infantilized women and a serious disease in the name of raising money to help women, announced that they would no longer give grant money to Planned Parenthood, an organization that does actual good for women in terms of empowering them and providing much-needed access to reproductive health care.
Why? Because Komen is a business. Their business is making money off breast cancer, which shouldn’t really come as a shock. The reason for their decision stems from a new policy that prohibits them from funding organizations that are under investigation by local, state or federal authorities. Planned Parenthood is currently under investigation to see whether they are using federal money to provide abortions. It’s a groundless investigate instigated by Rep. Cliff Sterns (R-FL).
Essentially it means that Planned Parenthood uses Komen’s grants to provide mammograms and other breast care related health services to women who have no health insurance. That’s 170,000 clinical breast exams and 6,400 mammograms a year lost because Komen needs to pander to the GOP more than it actually cares about women’s breast health.
I am not a fan of the Pink Ones. They’ve spread a lot of misinformation about what mammograms and clinical screenings can and can’t do for women. They’ve trivialized breast cancer with some of their cutesy campaigns and many of the companies who sell pink ribbon products are peddling products with known carcinogens that have been linked to breast cancer.
I am on record despising pink ribbons and tit month. Pink is a baby colour and pink washing the world has enriched the portfolios of CEO’s and their investors a lot more than it has helped women in general.
What is most infuriating about Komen’s pandering cowardice is that an organization that claims to have women’s health at its heart is aiding the systematic, mean-spirited war on women that is one of the GOP’s and religious right’s core objectives.
My hometown of Dubuque, Iowa has never allowed a Planned Parenthood clinic to set up shop. Despite the fact that the nearest women’s health care for the working poor is 90 miles south, the good citizens of Dubuque consistently rally around an old geezer who spreads lies with the help of the Catholic Church every time PP has attempted to open a clinic.
I don’t know the gentlemen in question personally, but I know where he lives. Nearly everyone on the westside does because his back yard backs up to a main artery and in it sits a giant billboard vilifying Planned Parenthood. I have never been in Dubuque during one of the all out assaults on Planned Parenthood, but if I ever am, that old bastard will rue the day. He’s like every other mindless automaton in my hometown who equates clinics for women with sex and adheres to his Catholic brainwashing on the subject and has no trouble with the classism and racism that also drives the crusade. I love my hometown in a lot of ways, but I am not blind to the racism. It drives a lot of policy and politic and though it isn’t as bad as it was when I was growing up – the evil persists.
If you are interested in helping Planned Parenthood, click this link. And if you want to get the word out about the Komen Foundation throwing poor women under the bus of convenience, share this post or any of the links below via your Facebook or Twitter or other social media accounts.
Komen can do whatever it likes, of course, but it should be made to own this decision as publicly and as often as possible. It’s time to sink the pink.
Related articles
- The Pink Badge of Cowardice (tbogg.firedoglake.com)
- Komen Foundation Caves to Right Wing Pressure, Defunds Planned Parenthood (littlegreenfootballs.com)
- Furor Erupts Over Susan G. Komen Halt Of Grants To Planned Parenthood – NPR (blog) (npr.org)
- Komen foundation cuts off cancer screening grants to Planned Parenthood (boston.com)
- Shame On Susan G. Komen (eleftheria64.wordpress.com)
anniegirl1138 
I love every suggestion here. I will stop buying anything with a pink ribbon and ask the corporations to stop support for Komen. Women have to band together to protect women’s freedom to choose what makes sense to each of us!
Thank you all.
Joan
Another approach is to contact their corporate sponsors to tell them you will boycott their products. For instance, General Mills’ Yoplait Pink Lid campaign contributes a lot of money. However, General Mills isn’t in this for just altruism… they get to make a ton also. The list of Komen corporate partners/contributors is on line. Hit them in the wallet and corporations will drop them.
I don’t buy anything pink ribbon related and don’t imagine that too many companies are going to willingly jump into the pink wagon after this, but you’re right. Any corporation that supports Komen is fair game.
Thank you for this Ann. Great post.
you are welcome
I have written to almost 30 chapters of Komen- here in Colorado we are posting everywhere to boycott all Komen events and are redirecting all donations to Planned Parenthood- they will definitely feel the heat- Shame on Komen
Good for you. The last news update I read said that Komen is basically unapologetic and is claiming this decision isn’t a political one. However their new VP is a Sarah Palin bud and well known for her anti-abortion agenda (which she apparently is okay with pushing at the expense of women’s health access in general).
used to volunteer at the local PP affiliate. in one year? we provided FULL physicals to over 300 women who had no other health care options. they came in for reproductive health services, but we were able to provide much more – largely due to state health grants. the buttheads put a stop to that during the Bush years.
as for the Komen foundation, pink ribbons and tit month? they could at LEAST have chosen a shade of ‘nipple pink’, rather than baby pink. i’ve never been a huge fan – even as one who had stage 1 breast cancer, can honestly say that i do not own one item with a pink ribbon on it… if you live in the western world, and aren’t aware of breast cancer? you need to put some windows in your rock.
The breast cancer movement was purposely co-opted and Disney Princessed to mute the real issue – What causes breast cancer? Big Pharma makes tons of money off of “treating” breast cancer, so why cure it? And they can’t possible admit that women probably get breast cancer due to the increasingly heavy doses of chemicals we are exposed to via cosmetics, toiletries, food and all the crap that is dumped into our water supplies and hanging around in the air. It should surprise no one that breast cancer clusters tend to be in heavy industrial areas.
But getting us in Pink was a way to calm us down and get us to swallow more kool-aid while allowing corporations to cloak themselves, make their money, continue to poison us and look like great guys while they do it. It’s not that much different from convincing us that we should equate equality with being more like men while still not enjoying their power or freedom from societal scorn for our choices.
Women should be furious with the politics that the mostly male political establishment plays with our bodies. Do you think if we had the power to withhold health care from them that they would be passively signing up for walk/jogs and wearing blue ribbons? Not bloody likely. And the most sexist thing of all is that if it weren’t our breasts at stake – men/corps wouldn’t give a shit at all. Breasts have been hyper-sexualized to the point that even women don’t know (or feel it’s unnatural) for us to use them to feed our babies (which by the way, is a great way to help lower the risk of breast cancer – the longer you nurse; the lower your odds are).
Grrrr, the whole thing is infuriating. Planned Parenthood gives a shit about what real women really need and the Komen Foundation is a front man for corporate greed, flying under the radar of promoting “awareness”.
You are absolutely awesome- you make astute observations and you have a very lucid and powerful writing style.
Thanks, Joan.
Just heard about this – the word is getting out. The GOP really does hate women and all their body parts.
If only this backlash would reach those vermin in the GOP as well.