Attention New Yorkers - CPC stories needed!

Have you visited a crisis pregnancy center in New York City, thinking it was a comprehensive women's health clinic? If so, you have an opportunity to prevent other women from being similarly deceived.

Feminist activists across the country have been working to expose fake clinics for years. Thanks to the work of New York City feminists and a report by NARAL Pro-Choice New York, the New York City Council is considering a bill that would force CPCs to post disclaimers on their doors and in their advertisements.

The City Council is holding a hearing on the bill on Tuesday, November 16 at 1 pm at 250 Broadway, 16th Floor in Manhattan. NARAL NY is looking for women who are comfortable testifying about their experience at a CPC to share their story at the hearing. If you have visited a CPC in the 5 boroughs and would like to share your story with the City Council, register to speak by contacting

Rachel Cordero
Counsel, Committee on Women's Issues
rcordero@council.nyc.gov
phone: (212) 788 9073
fax: (212) 788-9112

or

Adira Siman
Counsel, Committee on Health
asiman@council.nyc.gov
phone: (212) 788-9063
fax: (212) 788-9112

If you would not like to testify in person, but would like to share your story in writing, email Rachel or Adira.

We are also encouraging anyone who can do so to attend the hearing. Show the City Council that this bill has the support of the public!

Email Emily Kadar at ekadar@feminist.org if you have any questions!

NYC Council sets example with Fake Clinic legislation

Crisis Pregnancy Centers go to great lengths to making women think you are walking into an office where you can get medical advice from professionals, talk about all of your options when facing an unplanned pregnancy, perhaps even see a doctor. But that will not happen behind their doors.

Despite the fact that they appear to be very clinical. Despite the fact that they may be located near a comprehensive clinic, or in a medical complex, or that they may wear a lab coat.

That's why we started the Campaign to Expose Fake Clinics. That's why Austin, TX and Baltimore, MD have passed legislation requiring CPCs clearly post on their doors the services they do and do not provide. That's why NARAL NY has done extensive investigative work to provide a report in NYC that documents the deception and misinformation women are subject to in a fake clinic.

In October, New York City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn and Councilmember Jessica S. Lappin introduced a bill similar to those passed in Austin and Baltimore. In order to distinguish between comprehensive clinics, the bill defines CPCs as "limited-service centers" and would apply only to counseling centers that do not provide and/or refer for abortions or FDA-approved contraception. This disclosure would have to be provided on their door in English and Spanish. This bill is particularly strong because it goes even farther to require CPCs to include the same disclosure in their advertising.

If you're interested in helping to fight fake clinics on your campus or community, contact us at campusteam@feminist.org.

This post is part of the November 2010 ezine. To subscribe to the monthly ezine, click here.

Baltimore's CPC Ordinance vs. Anti-Choicers, Round 2

Last Fall, amid heated debate, the City of Baltimore passed the first ever ordinance requiring crisis pregnancy centers to post signs disclosing that they do not provide referrals or information about abortion or contraception. Though the existence of these centers still makes some of us uneasy, at least we could rest assured knowing that women entering the facility would know that they were not getting comprehensive, accurate, medical advice.

Well, we knew it was too good to be true.

Freed up from their recent attempt to hijack health care reform, the leadership of the Catholic Church is at it again. Yesterday, the Archdiocese of Baltimore filed a federal lawsuit against the city, claiming that the ordinance violates church members' rights to freedom of speech and religion.

A spokesman for the anti-abortion Center for Pregnancy Concerns expressed disappointment that the government was not supporting their "sacrificial efforts" and that "[their] stand for life draws opposition."

Let's be quite clear, here: it's not the stance that of these Centers that is the issue in this particular case. It's the fact that they pose as a clinic. They act as though they are qualified to dole out medical advice to vulnerable women. All the signs do is ensure that women that do go to a crisis pregnancy center do so knowing the types of services that will be available to them at that facility; nothing more and nothing less. I sincerely hope that this lawsuit will find in favor of the city.

Truth be told, it's about ending the deception. If these Centers are proud of their services, they should be proud to call them what they are, rather than misleading women as to what they are not.

Want to get involved with ending the CPC masquerade in your community? Check out our Campaign to Expose Fake Clinics!

April 1 is "Don't Be Fooled By Fake Clinics" National Day of Action! What are you doing?

This April Fools’ Day, join FMF and campuses across the nation as we expose something that’s no joke…FAKE CLINICS!

Thursday, April 1st, is the Campaign to Expose Fake Clinics’ “Don’t Be Fooled By Fake Clinics” Day of Action.

Teach students on your campus the truth about the quacks at Crisis Pregnancy Centers by:

- Getting the word out with educational “Don’t Be Fooled” Facts and candy
- Having students sign our petition to stop deceptive advertising and funding for fake clinics
- Screening our investigative videos
- Proposing a "Truth in Advertising" disclaimer on campus if your campus health center refers to CPCs, or campus newspaper accepts ads from CPCs

Check out our “Don’t Be Fooled By Fake Clinics” Action Series for more ideas. Don’t let the quacks of fake clinics fool students on your campus!

Don't Be Fooled By Fake Clinics Action Series: Burma Shave Signs

Need a clever and creative way to raise the visibility factor of your "Don't Be Fooled By Fake Clinics" Day of Action April 1? Well, we have a simple and fun solution for you! Create Burma Shave signs!

What in the world are Burma Shave signs, you ask? Well, back in the 50's the Burma shaving cream company launched an ad campaign that consisted of sequential roadside signs, each with a short slogan.

By the end of the sequence, the driver just NEEDED to buy shaving cream! Put this technique to use on campus and you'll have students banging down the door of your next meeting begging to join your campaign!

It's simple:

Get some poster boards, markers and tape.
Pick out a main walkway of campus where the signs will be highly visible and people will read the signs one after another.
Get the proper approval to post signs on campus.

Now for the slogans...We've come up with a few starter ideas for you, following what we like to call the "You wouldn't....so why..." pattern:

Sign 1: You wouldn't want your professor telling you the world is flat.

Sign 2: You wouldn't want your dentist telling you that toothpaste causes cavities.

Sign 3: You wouldn't want a firefighter telling you that a smoke detector won't save your life.

Sign 4: So WHY are FAKE CLINICS [or the name of your local fake clinic] telling women that abortion causes breast cancer, infertility and mental illness?

Sign 5: And WHY are FAKE CLINICS [or the name of your local fake clinic] telling women that condoms won't protect against STIs and HIV?

Sign 6: Don't let FAKE CLINICS [or the name of your local fake clinic] fool you! Join the [name of your club]'s Campaign to Expose Fake Clinics! Come to our meeting on [day] at [time] at [place] or email [contact] to find out how you can help!

These are just some examples of the types of "You Wouldn't..." sayings you could use. Feel free to customize these slogans to make them more relevant and in-tune with your particular campus, student body, and the local fake clinics. Need help with this idea? Contact your FMF Campus Organizer.

Don't Be Fooled By Fake Clinics Action Series: Educate Your Campus with "Don't Be Fooled" Facts

Fact: No one can resist free candy. So, this April Fools' Day, use this fact to your advantage and join our "Don't Be Fooled By Fake Clinics" Day of Action by passing out "Don't Be Fooled" Facts, tied to pieces of candy.

On slips of paper, write examples of the kinds of falsehoods that CPCs perpetuate, and then write the FACT to counter those false claims. Staple these to little pieces of candy. You can buy it in bulk and save money.

Here's an example of what your tag would look like:

CPCs say that abortion causes breast cancer. But don't be fooled!

FACT: Scientists disagree. Organizations such as the American Medical Association, the World Health Organization, and the American Cancer Society ALL say that no such link exists.

Don't be fooled by the [name of nearby fake clinic] at [location]. Instead, get comprehensive reproductive health care at [name of local comprehensive women's health clinic] at [location].

Or, here's another example.

CPCs say that abortion leads to mental illness. But don't be fooled!

FACT: An eleven-year longitudinal study of 13,000 women found that women who give birth have the same rate of need for psychological treatment as women who have abortions.

Don't be fooled by the [name of nearby fake clinic] at [location]. Instead, get comprehensive reproductive health care at [name of local comprehensive women's health clinic] at [location].


These little snapshots of fake clinic scare tactics will make students on your campus as angry as they make you, so ask them to join your campaign!

In addition to using chocolate to get the word out, you can also make handy (and informative!) table tents to place on all of the dining hall tables. The table tents should identify the CPCs near your campus and warn students about what types of so-called "services" they might receive there.

Grab some candy, paper and a stapler and get the word out!

PS - To identify your local fake clinic, visit www.optionline.org and punch in your zip code. (PLEASE NOTE: This is an anti-choice website with false and misleading information).

Don't Be Fooled By Fake Clinics Action Series: Hold a Film Screening

This April Fools' Day, make sure that women on your campus don't get fooled by fake clinics and put together a simple, yet informational event: a film screening and teach-in.

We have two videos on our website that would teach people who aren't already familiar with CPCs a lot about their deceptive practices. The first is called, "Our Reality: A Look at Crisis Pregnancy Centers" and the second is called, "Crisis Pregnancy Centers: A special Report" Both were produced by FMF in conjunction with Stuart Productions and featured on RH Reality Check.

1. Contact your Student Affairs or Student Activities office and see what the procedures are for screening a film for the public.

2. Reserve a space! Maybe it will be in a classroom, the women's resource center, or an auditorium. See what you need to do to hold the event in this space. Make sure there is a projector that you can hook up to your computer.

3. Make flyers and publicize the event. Make an eye-catching flyer announcing when and where the film screening will be. Post them on campus and hand them out when you are tabling. Make announcements in classrooms and ask professors if they will give their students extra credit for attending the screening.

4. Buy some yummy snacks! Popcorn, chips, licorice, ice cream, pizza. Go wild, budget permitting.

5. Screen the films and then hold a discussion about it. How do people feel about about what they have just seen? What are the inital thoughts? Make sure that you have brushed up on your facts so that you can field any questions. Do people want to take some action on the issue?

6. Formulate a plan. Whats next? Have the people at the screening get involved with the campaign to expose fake clinics. What actions do they want to do after seeing those films? Don't know where to start, check out the rest of our action series!

Our Reality: A Look at Crisis Pregnancy Centers from RH Reality Check on Vimeo.

Go Student Journalism!

As a PR intern, working on the Feminist Majority Foundations Campaign to Expose Fake Clinics, it’s always exciting to see a story about CPCs in a college paper. Not only does it assure me that all the calls I make bugging reporters and editors are not in vain, but the quality of some recent articles has really impressed me.

Being a recent graduate I remember the sleep-deprived days, permanently playing catch up with homework and revision all too well. When you’re a student, it seems, time is always your enemy, so the hours these reporters have put into their investigations deserves some recognition.

Take the recent article in MTSU’s The Sidelines for example; as well as investigating the campaigns website and asking me some great questions, reporter Rozalind Ruth took the time to interview the director of Mufreesboro Pregnancy Support Center, a nurse practitioner from MTSU’s Student Health Services and a community health educator from Planned Parenthood of Middle and East Tennessee.

I don’t know how many hours this added up to, but Ruth was clearly dedicated to an in depth study from all sides. After reading her article students would be in no doubt about the pro-life position of Mufreesboro Pregnancy Support Center and know where to go for unbiased advice.

Another great example was the article by Carly Tamborski in the University of Cincinnati’s News Record. She gives a detailed description of how to identify CPC and how to identify a genuine clinic.

Grace Pettygrove of the University of Oregon’s Daily Emerald compared claims about breast cancer risks made by the local CPC with those of the National Cancer Institute. She highlighted student activism against this CPC by interviewing the director of Students for Choice at UO.

Alissa Scheller also interviewed student activists and wrote her article in American’s the Eagle, after personally attending a panel discussion hosted by AU’s Students for Choice.

It’s great when reporters highlight the work of activists. It shows that those who believe in choice are not prepared to allow deception and misinformation to obstruct this right.

As can be expected these articles have provoked in a huge response with comments from all sides of the abortion debate. This is great, the longer an article is discussed; the more students will know that CPC’s are not what they claim to be.

Women who find themselves in a situation of an unintended pregnancy, will no doubt remember reporters who took time out of their busy schedules to make sure they’d know exactly where to go and who to trust.

As the nurse practitioner Ruth interviewed said “… a lot of organizations do have a bias, and that’s not really what our patients need–they need information… (so they can) make an educated decision that’s going to best fit their life.”

Conference Countdown! Last Chance for Low Rates!

The Feminist Majority Foundation's Western Regional Feminist Campus Leadership Conference is only 8 days away! Will we see you November 6-7 at Santa Monica College in Los Angeles? Don't forget to register now!

We're working hard to make sure this is one conference you won't forget!

On Friday, Nov. 6 from 12:00 - 1:30pm come to Santa Monica College Quad for a Feminist Speak OUT! The event is free and open to the public so come have your voice heard! Then stick around for our Action Training, Networking Event and Pizza Party from 6:00 - 8:00pm.

And ATTENTION FMLA ALUMNI! On Saturday, Nov. 7 from 7:45 - 10:00pm, don't miss our Feminist Mixer at Damon and Pythias in Westwood (1061 Broxton Ave). We hope to see you there.

Early Bird Registration has been EXTENDED through Monday, November 2, so register now to lock in these discount rates!

Remember, register today to get the reduced rate of $15 for individuals and $12 for groups.

See you next weekend!


For Equality,

Jacqueline, Allie, and duVergne
The West Coast Campus Team

P.S. Don't forget to check out our conference website for more info on hotels, room board, ride board, fundraising tips, and more!

Exposing Fake Clinics Action Series: Trick or TRUTH!

Over at FMLA of the Claremont Colleges, we’re gearing up for the Don't Get Tricked, Get Treated week of action to try and get the word out to students about CPCs—and we’ve engaged chocolate to help us out.

In my opinion, no one can resist free candy. So in keeping with the “Don’t Get Tricked, Get Treated!” Halloween theme, we decided to set up our own version of “trick or treat.” We’re calling it “Trick or Truth.” On slips of paper, we wrote examples of the kinds of falsehoods that CPCs perpetuate, and then wrote the TRUTH about those false claims. We came up with several of these, and are stapling them to Halloween candy we bought in bulk at Costco.

Here's what we wrote on our "Trick or Truth" treats:

TRICK: CPCs say that abortion causes breast cancer.

TRUTH: Scientists disagree. Organizations such as the American Medical Association, the World Health Organization, and the American Cancer Society ALL say that no such link exists.

TRICK: CPCs say that abortion leads to suicide.

TRUTH: An eleven-year longitudinal study of 13,000 women found that women who give birth have the same rate of need for psychological treatment as women who have abortions.

We’re hoping that these little snapshots of CPC scare tactics make students as angry as they make us, and that they help get the word out about the dangers of CPCs. And since we’re pretty strapped for funds at the moment, we needed a way to attract students to the tables we will be setting up in front of dining halls. Chocolate is a pretty powerful (and cheap!) tool.

In addition to using chocolate to get the word out, we also made handy (and informative!) table tents (pictured here) to place on all of the dining hall tables. The table tents identify the CPCs near our campus and warn students about what types of so-called "services" they might receive there.

Lastly, we'll be holding two screenings of the FMF's Investigative Videos, followed by discussion sessions.

I hope you've got a lot of cool plans in store! If you don't, grab some candy, paper and a stapler and get the word out!

Don't Get Tricked, Get Treated Week of Action starts next week!

This Halloween, join FMF and campuses across the nation as we expose something REALLY frightening…FAKE CLINICS!

Next week, October 25 - 31, 2009, is the Campaign to Expose Fake Clinics' Don't Get Tricked, Get Treated Week of Action.

Teach students on your campus the truth about creepy Crisis Pregnancy Centers by:

Getting the word out with educational flyers.
Having students sign our petition to stop deceptive advertising and federal funding of fake clinics.
Creating a Haunted Clinic on your campus to show how scary fake facilities really are.
Getting vocal: protest, rally, speak out!

Check out our Action Series for more ideas. Don't let the ghouls and goblins of fake clinics deceive students on your campus!

For Equality,

Allie, Danielle, duVergne, Emily, Jacqueline, Patrice, Tania, Val and Wendy
The FMF Campus Team

P.S. Don't forget about the Video Contest to Expose Fake Clinics on Your Campus! Click here for guidelines. Get creative and submit your video!

Exposing Fake Clinics Action Series Step 8: Create a Haunted Clinic

Attention feminist art majors, set design gurus, and those with a general love for Halloween: we have got a super creative Campaign to Expose Fake Clinics "Don't Get Tricked, Get Treated" Action idea for you!

Create a Haunted Clinic on campus! It's like a haunted house, but with creepy fake doctors and nurses making false medical claims about abortion!

All you need is a classroom, a study lounge, or other space on campus. You can even use a tent or canopy outdoors. If you can't get your hands on any of the above, you can improvise with a table.

Next, you'll need some spooky Halloween decorations (you know, cobwebs, spiders, and the like), some doctor and nurse costumes (like a nurse hat, a stethoscope, a lab coat...whatever is easiest to get a hold of), and lastly, if you're able to round up any supplies to make your haunted house extra spooky, like a fog machine, black lights, strobe lights, or just trash bags to cover the walls, go for it!

Be sure to publicize your haunted clinic, and when students come through, have the fake doctors and nurses make the totally creepy (but all too real) false medical claims made at CPCs.

Our Campaign to Expose Fake Clinics Kit, Investigative Videos, and this Ms. Magazine article should supply you with plenty of material to work with!

Be sure to use your Haunted Clinic as an opportunity to educate students who come through. Consider screening the Investigative Videos inside the haunted "clinic", holding a discussion session, passing out flyers, or even just asking folks to sign the Petition to Stop Deceptive Advertising and Federal Funding of Fake Women's Health Clinics.

Get creative and be sure to share your ideas with us!!

Don't forget about all the other great ideas we've got for the Don't Get Tricked, Get Treated Week of Action. Don't miss the Campaign to Expose Fake Clinics Video Contest Deadline - Nov. 1 is quickly approaching!

You Don't Want to Miss This!

Hey Western States Feminists!

Have you registered for the Western Regional Feminist Campus Leadership Conference yet? No? Well hurry up and REGISTER because Early Bird Registration ends Oct. 21!

Right now, it only costs $15 for individuals and $12 per person for groups of 5 or more. To take advantage of this group rate, get in touch with Allie or Jacqueline at amcdonald@feminist.org or jsun@feminist.org or call us at 866-471-3652.

In case you haven't heard, The Western Regional Feminist Campus Leadership Conference is the feminist event of the season and you won't want to miss it! It is taking place at Santa Monica College on November 6th and 7th and will feature feminist activists, leaders, elected officials, artists and performers from all over the Western United States!

Topics to be addressed include: global women's rights, women in leadership, rape kit backlogs, femicide, health care reform, violence against women, marriage equality, immigration, trafficking, sweatshops, anti-abortion extremism, exposing fake clinics, and more!

RESERVE YOUR SPOT NOW!

Want to come but not sure how you'll afford it? Check with your academic department, faculty, student activities office and student government NOW for funding that may be available! Also check out our fundraising tips. Cost shouldn't be a barrier to attend this amazing event, so if you need help, give the West Coast Campus Team a ring at 866-471-3652 (toll-free).

We've also got discount group hotel rates reserved right by the conference. Check out our Hotels Info page for details.

Questions, comments or concerns? Contact Allie and Jacqueline, West Coast Campus Team, at amcdonald@feminist.org or jsun@feminist.org or call us at 866-471-3652.

RESERVE YOUR SPOT TODAY!

Save the Date for the Western Regional Feminist Campus Leadership Conference!

Mark your calendars! The Western Regional Feminist Campus Leadership Conference will be held on November 6 & 7, 2009 at Santa Monica College in Los Angeles, California.

Feminists from campuses across the Western United States will converge to discuss women’s rights and equality issues, and to formulate a plan of action.

We’ll address feminist topics including exposing fake clinics, Afghan women’s rights, rape kit backlogs, femicide, anti-choice extremism, marriage equality, health care reform, immigration, global reproductive rights, birth control access and much more.

Don’t miss this exciting opportunity to network with dynamic speakers and student leaders and fight to improve the lives of women worldwide!

Early Bird Registration will open soon, for the low cost of $15 for individuals, or $12 for each person in a group of 5 or more.

To reserve your spot TODAY, email Allie at amcdonald@feminist.org or Jacqueline at jsun@feminist.org and include your NAME, ADDRESS, EMAIL ADDRESS, PHONE NUMBER, SCHOOL, AND EXPECTED GRAD DATE.

If you plan on flying in for the conference, LAX is the closest with airport, while Bob Hope Airport in Burbank is the second closest.

Group hotel rates are available at the Travelodge Pico Blvd. Santa Monica. To reserve your room today, call: 310.450.5766 and ask for the "Feminist Majority Foundation" special rate!

We hope you can make it! Website and Facebook event are soon to come!

For Equality,

Allie, Jacqueline and duVergne
The West Coast Campus Team

Exposing Fake Clinics Action Series! Step 1: Are fake clinics targeting your campus?

Fake clinics, often referred to as "Crisis Pregnancy Centers" (CPCs), pose as comprehensive women's health clinics and lure young women into their centers with offers of "free" pregnancy tests and "counseling".

But, beware! These fake clinics propel false information about abortion and birth control and use fear and shame tactics to deter women from choosing abortion as an option. Their most common claims include, "abortion causes breast cancer", "abortion causes infertility" and "abortion causes mental illness and suicide". The studies CPCs use to back up these claims are a thing of the past...too bad CPCs aren't!

What makes them even worse? They specifically target young women on college campuses, or what they deem the "at-risk for abortion" population. They run their deceptive ads on campus bulletin boards and bus stops, in campus newspapers and on Facebook. Additionally, a 2008 survey found that nearly HALF of all responding campus health centers at 4-year colleges and universities refer students facing unintended pregnancies to CPCs.

So what can you do??

Find out if there is a CPC near your campus! Visit www.optionline.org or www.lifecall.org and punch in your zip code (note: these are anti-choice websites with directories of CPCs).

Find out if CPCs are advertising on or around your campus! Check the newspaper, bulletin boards, bus stops, etc. Do they table on campus? Talk to the newspaper editor, student government, student activities, or whoever has the power to stop this, and tell them these fake clinics endanger women's health!

Lastly, find out if your campus health center is referring students to CPCs. If they are, work with the health center director to get them to stop. If you have a hard time, garner support from other progressive student groups, the women's center, multicultural center, women's issues representative in the student body, or student senators.

Check out the FMF's Campaign to Expose Fake Clinics for more information and check out Jacqueline's recent post for more action ideas and information about the "Don't Get Tricked, Get Treated" Week of Action taking place Oct. 25 - 31!

Stay tuned for more to come in the Exposing Fake Clinics Action Series!

Just say no to ab-only education

As you've probably heard, Gen X and Gen Y slackers will be the death of newspapers. And rightfully so. Jon Stewart and The Onion are entertaining, trustworthy news sources. Linda Greenhouse? Not so much.

So when I read The Onion's coverage of the failure of abstinence-only lunch programs, high school memories came rushing back to me.

Abstinence-only lunches were an integral part of my moral, spiritual, and gastrointestinal upbringing. I knew that if I wanted to snag a husband, I would have to count calories. It wasn't easy, and I was often tempted by the lure of cheap, convenient Easy Mac.

But I persevered. I chose margarine and red meat, because my teacher said butter and eggs didn't work anyway.

Some of my friends got into trouble. They ate in the back row of movie theaters. They ate in their cars, and on unsupervised class trips. And you know what happened to them?

NOTHING. Big, fat, nothing.

---

[For more on abstinence-only curricula, check out FMF's toolkit here.]

Photo credit: pwbaker on Flickr

Feminists Descend Upon Los Angeles!

Out here in the FMF's Los Angeles office we campus organizers and summer interns have a schedule jam-packed with campus visits. Yes, that is right, we are a roving band of feminists making the rounds all over southern California campuses; boom box, stickers and neon yellow flyers in hand. From Santa Barbara, to San Diego, to Riverside, we are spreading the feminist love and doing some serious grassroots organizing.

Last week, 11 of us spent a day at Pasadena City College, helping the newly formed PCC Feminist Club boost membership, raise awareness about feminist issues, and gain support for their big launch in the fall. Over 35 people attended the first general meeting and everyone is amped to start exposing their local fake clinic and volunteer as clinic escorts.

Yesterday, we organized at East Los Angeles College, where former FMF intern, Jessica, is working hard to establish a group. The enthusiasm and support from faculty and students alike was amazing and while summer school is winding down, we can't wait for fall semester and the big recruitment drive that is planned!

Monday and Tuesday we're off to UC Santa Barbara and Santa Barbara City College. Both campuses are practically on the beach and if that's where the students are hanging out, you know, we may just have to head on down there! (Just kidding....or am I?)

Wish us luck and we'll be sure to keep you posted on the creative feminist ideas we come across in our travels!

Crisis of Deception: Fake Clinics Spread Misinformation on the Federal Dime

Katherine Spillar, Executive Vice President of Feminist Majority Foundation and Executive Editor of Ms. Magazine, has published a blog post on RHRealityCheck, a leading reproductive health and rights blog.

The posting, titled, "Crisis of Deception: Fake Clinics Spread Misinformation on the Federal Dime" is accompanied by a hard-hitting video, exposing what really goes on behind fake clinics' doors.

As the blog reads, "The flagrant deceit documented in the video accompanying this article will shock most people – regardless of their political persuasion."



Please read the blog, watch the video, tweet it and post it on your facebook pages! Anything you can do to get the word out!

We are at an absolutely crucial point: next week, the House Appropriations Labor Health and Human Services Committee will be considering whether to keep funding failed abstinence-only education programs and bogus crisis pregnancy centers, or whether to re-direct our tax dollars to scientifically-proven, evidence-based comprehensive sexual health education programs and services, as President Obama's proposed budget calls for.

Take action and make sure your voice is heard now!

RH Reality Check Features Campaign to Expose Fake Clinics and FMF'er Myra Duran!

RH Reality Check, a leading reproductive health information site, is featuring an article and video on FMF's Campaign to Expose Fake Clinics!

Myra Duran, a former FMF West Coast intern and leader of the UCLA Bruin Feminists for Equality student group (an FMF affiliate) tells her story about a recent visit to a Los Angeles-based Crisis Pregnancy Center and what she and the Bruin Feminists have decided to do about these bogus "clinics".

Check it out! To start exposing fake clinics near your campus, contact your FMF Campus Organizer!

National Crisis Pregnancy Center Protest Day!

Today is FMF's National Crisis Pregnancy Center Protest Day!

Take action and join hundreds of students across the country to educate your campus and community about these fake clinics.

Legitimate health clinics give women comprehensive information about their full range of options when faced with an unplanned pregnancy, including information about contraception and abortion. CPCs are not staffed by medical professionals, and they do not give women medically-accurate facts about abortion and family planning.

This is a travesty. Women deserve real medical and prenatal care, not coercive, misleading health information. Furthermore, CPCs target vulnerable women, particularly low-income women and women of color. They target college-age women, advertising on campus and establishing offices near colleges.

To make things worse, crisis pregnancy centers receive million of dollars in state and federal funding. This money would be much better spent on legitimate medical clinics that make women's health a priority, particularly during this recession.

There's a lot of work to be done, but you can help women in your community. Contact your elected officials to ensure they know CPCs aren't real clinics, and spread the word on and off-campus! For more ways to get involved, check out our recently-updated materials for the Campaign to Expose Fake Clinics: http://www.feministcampus.org/act/cpc/default.asp

We'd love to hear about the work you do around this critical issue. Drop us a line and share photos at campusteam@feminist.org! If you have any questions, contact the DC office at 1-866-444-FMLA, or the LA office at 1-866-471-FMLA.

Good luck, and keep working for women's health and equality!