USA TODAY International Edition
Planned Parenthood gifts made in Pence’s name
People on soINDIANAPOLIS cial media, ranging from regular Janes to celebrities, have been passing around Indiana Gov. Mike Pence’s official contact information. Why? To encourage others to make a donation to Planned Parenthood in the vice president- elect’s name and send him a notification of the gift.
Planned Parenthood confirmed that yes, people are putting their money where their tweets are. The organization wouldn’t say exactly how many donations they’ve received in Pence’s name, but in a statement from Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, they said they have seen an “unprecedented outpouring of support” since the election. Planned Parenthood said 128,000 people have donated since Nov. 8.
President- elect Donald Trump has stated his intention to appoint judges who oppose abortion. In his interview with
60 Minutes, he left open the possibility of repealing Roe v.
Wade and returning the issue to state control. If abortion is banned in some states, Trump said, “Well, ( people seeking abortions) perhaps have to go, they’ll have to go to another state.”
Pence is no stranger to digital protests from supporters of abortion rights. The social conservative is against abortion. After he signed into law a controversial bill that requires the remains of aborted or miscarried fetuses to be interred or cremated, women began calling and emailing his office with updates on their menstrual cycles. Today, the Periods for Politicians ( previously Periods for Pence) Facebook page has 85,000 fans who continue to share their reproductive health issues with Pence and others.
A judge granted a temporary injunction of House Enrolled Act 1337 on June 30, the day before it was to go into effect. In addition to the provision about interring or cremating the remains, the law would have prohibited abortions solely because a fetus had been potentially diagnosed with a disability such as Down syndrome.