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 During the Month of April

The FMF's “Don’t Be Fooled By Fake Clinics” Day of Action is TOMORROW! But between spring break and spring fever, it's alright if you don't have an action planned - you can take action any time during the month of April!

With $250 million being funneled back into failed abstinence-only programs, we're sure to see MILLIONS of OUR TAX DOLLARS going to fuel fake clinics' false information and deceptive advertising.

It is crucial that you help get the word out about fake clinics near your campus. You can teach students the truth about the quacks at Crisis Pregnancy Centers by:

- Getting the word out with educational “Don’t Be Fooled” Facts, candy and condoms
- 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!

Photo courtesy of flikr.com

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!

National "Don't Be Fooled by Fake Clinics" Week of Action is Coming Up!

Hey feminists! It's time to start mobilizing. It's just one week until our, "Don't Be Fooled by Fake Clinics" National Week of Action, taking place the week leading up to April Fool's Day (March 28th to April 1st). What is a fake clinic and why should we expose it, you ask? Crisis Pregnancy Centers (CPCs) are clinics that pose to be comprehensive women's health clinics. These "clinics" have an agenda to dissuade women from their options and restrict people from gaining access to contraceptives, abortions, and abortion referrals. This week of action leading up to April Fools Day is a way to raise awareness about deceptive clinics and promote action in your community. If your club/organization hasn't started organizing for next week, here are a few things to consider before planning events and actions:

• Read through our Action Kit to get started.
• Go to your campus health center, and see what health/women's clinics your school refers people to. Does your school promote CPCs?
• If there are fake clinics on your school's referral list, pressure them to pull misleading ads or post disclaimers about what services a clinic provides (and does not provide).
• Post educational flyers in your area to tell people what CPCs are (see our example here).
• Organize a SPEAK OUT and have students share their stories and opinions about CPCs. Your voice is powerful!
• Organize a photo campaign to and post your pictures on social media sites.
• Get in contact with your local school newspaper to advertise your action plans and cover what your club is doing.
• Circulate this petition to stop deceptive advertising and federal funding of fake women's health clinics.
• Host a screening of Let's Talk About Sex about sex education in the U.S.
• Host a screening of 12th & Delaware and use our videos as a starting point for discussion.

These are a few tips to help you get started before "Don't Be Fooled by Fake Clinics" week. If you need more action ideas, check out this link. Be sure to let us know what your club is up to by sending pictures and your action plans to campusteam@feminist.org!

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.

NYC Passes Bill to Regulate Crisis Pregnancy Centers!

As part of a new national trend, states are attempting to expose the deception of Crisis Pregnancy Centers (CPCs) and New York has taken the lead and passed a historic city ordinance (Bill 371) that will regulate fake clinics in being truthful on what types of services they do and do not provide. This news is a bright spot during these current chaotic times where women's access to comprehensive reproductive health services are being put on the chopping block.

It is shocking that CPCs overwhelm and outnumber comprehensive women's health clinics with a 3,500 CPCs listed nationwide. The New York City council stated that, "The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urges that comprehensive prenatal care begin as soon as a woman decides to become pregnant. Similar to prenatal care, delayed access to abortion and emergency contraception poses a threat to public health. Delay in accessing abortion or emergency contraception creates increased health risks and financial burdens, and may eliminate a womens ability to obtain these services altogether, severely limiting her reproductive health options". The bill regulates CPCs by requiring them to:

• Disclose to a client that the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene encourages women to consult with a licensed medical provider.
• Disclose if there is no licensed medical provider on staff.
• Disclose if it does or does not provide referrals for abortion, emergency contraception, or prenatal care.
• Post disclosures at the entrance and waiting room (in both English and Spanish).
• Disclosures are required to be given over the phone.

New York is not the first state to pressure CPCs to provide honest and comprehensive health care, Maryland and Texas have passed similar bills to regulate CPCs. The state of Washington has also tried to pass a similar bill, the "Limited Service Pregnancy Center Accountability Act".

As people all over the country fight for reproductive rights and access to comprehensive women's health clinics, there is a presence of deceptive "clinics" that offer limited resources to those in need. Access to family planning and basic medical care has become a dire task with the presence of fake clinics. Crisis Pregnancy Center's (CPCs) are clinics that pose to be clinics under names like "Pregnancy Aid", "Open Door", and "Pregnancy Counseling Center". CPCs target young, poor, and minority women who have limited resources to family planning and contraceptives. These clinics use misleading advertisements to delay, persuade, and intimidate women from receiving the health care they need. Many of these clinics are affiliated with anti-choice organizations and do not perform abortions or give referrals to clinics that do. What's even more ridiculous is the fact that many of these "clinics" do not have staff that are medically trained-lacking licensed doctors, nurses, and nurse practitioners.

The Feminist Majority Foundation has been a part of a large movement to stop CPCs from providing false and misleading information. Our Choices Campus Leadership Program has organized and mobilized with students all over the country to expose fake clinics and promote truth in advertising. This is a victory and stride towards reproductive rights.

If you want to expose fake clinics and give people access to comprehensive health care, please join the Campaign to Expose Fake Clinics and get involved in FMF's National "Don't Be Fooled by Fake Clinics" Week of Action happening the week leading up to April Fool's Day from March 28th- April 1st!

Some other ideas to take action on exposing CPCs:

• Make CPC exposure a priority in your campus feminist club.
• Talk to student government about promoting truth in advertising on campus.
• Go to the health center at your school to see what kinds of clinics they refer and find out if CPCs are on that list.
• Check out our action kit to find videos, petitions, flyers, and other great resources!
• Sign the petition to Stop funding for Fake Clinics and Abstinence-Only Education! Stop Deceptive Advertising Practices!

Most importantly, educate yourself on the issue and make sure that those around you know that the presence of these fake clinics pose serious risks and should not be relied on as primary healthcare. The best thing you can do as an activist is to be VOCAL on the issue and don't be afraid to get LOUD about it!

photo credit to: www.flickr.com/mysticchildz

Don't be Fooled by Fake Clinics Action Series: Photo Campaign

The National Day of Action to Expose Fake Clinics is quickly approaching! On April 1st, "Don't be Fooled by CPCs." What do YOU have planned?

An idea we have for you is to have a photo campaign!

Rally students together! Meet people who want to be involved when you are petitioning for CPCs. Come up with a prompt question that you want to ask everyone. Here are a few suggestions:

1. What do you expect from a women's health clinic?
2.What do you think about CPCs?
3.What services would you like to receive if you were faced with an unintended pregnancy?

Get people to write their answers on a piece of paper and have them tape it to a speech bubble that you've pre-made.

Take their picture!

These photos can be put into a slideshow, or a facebook or flickr album and share it with all of your supporters. Or you can print them out and create a photo collage or feminist quilt that can be displayed on campus or when you are tabling. Or you can also send them to your elected officials urging them to do something about the deceptive advertising practices of CPCs!

Check out the photo blog we at the West Coast office made!

What do you expect from your women's health clinic?

Create a Free Slideshow

Please share your submissions with us! Email them to campusteam@feminist.org.

What more great action ideas? Check out our "Don't be Fooled by CPCs" action series on this blog!

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.

Rally in Solidarity on April 7th for Title X

This is a guest post from Chloe Kessinger, Project and Design Coordinator with the Center for Gender Equity at Pacific University in Forest Grove, OR. She writes about the actions her school is taking on April 7th against Title X cuts and invites other groups to do the same. They are planning a die-in to symbolize the the unacceptable number of preventable pregnancy related complications that occur every minute of every day and to highlight the importance of family planning funding. This is a great example of an action you too organize on your campus to participate in our Don’t Be Fooled by Fake Clinics Week of Action and show solidarity with the National Day of Action for Title X on April 7th as well as participating in our Birth Control Access Campaign

The elimination of Title X will cut funding not only for 900 Planned Parenthood clinics in the country, but also 4,500 other family planning clinics that utilize Title X funding to serve low-income women and men in their communities.

On April 7th there is going to be a rally in Washington D.C. to stand against the proposed elimination of Title X, but many students cannot afford to fly out and join the fight, so the Center for Gender Equity at Pacific University intends to bring the fight to local students.

On April 7th the Center for Gender Equity (CGE) will be gathering students in the University Center at Pacific University to 'drop dead' between the hours of 12 and 1 pm. This demonstration is

to raise awareness for the need of Title X funding through representing the statistic of one woman in the world dies every 60 seconds from a preventable pregnancy related complication. One student will be 'dropping dead' every 60 seconds so at the end of the hour the University Center will be full of 'dead' bodies.’ If Title X funding is taken away, and Planned Parenthood and independent women’s health clinics serving low-income women are stripped of federal funding for family planning, many more women will face these unnecessary complications.

We will also be tabling with pamphlets of information on Planned Parenthood and the value of all family planning clinics, as well as having laptops open to the website where students can sign a petition in support of Planned Parenthood. We will be encouraging people to wear pink in solidarity with Planned Parenthood.

According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, "The Title X Family Planning program was enacted in 1970 as Title X of the Public Health Service Act. Title X is the only federal grant program dedicated solely to providing individuals with comprehensive family planning and related preventive health services. The Title X program is designed to provide access to contraceptive services, supplies and information to all who want and need them. By law, priority is given to persons from low-income families."

Last month, the House voted to completely eliminate the 40 year-old Title X Program.

Current news on the situation is that the proposal of the House was rejected by the Senate and sent back to the house for revisions. No matter what the revisions are they will be UNACCEPTABLE to both the young women of this nation and all other people who seek help from family planning clinics. No cuts are acceptable to family planning. By cutting family planning in any way the young poor people of our nation will be made to suffer more then they already are. We need to stand up with all those protesting at the White House on April 7th to show our support for Title X funding and the Planned Parenthood Organization and all women’s health care providers.

The CGE would like to invite any and all other schools and student led organizations to participate on April 7th in some way. Wearing pink, and handing out information is a good way to start spreading the word on the vital importance of organizations like Planned Parenthood.

Don't be fooled by fake clinics!

Happy April Fool's Day! We hope you're busy executing all manner of devious pranks today.

Unfortunately, every day is April Fool's Day for crisis pregnancy centers. CPCs claim to assist women faced with unplanned pregnancies, but they are not legitimate health clinics staffed by licensed healthcare professionals.

Unlike comprehensive healthcare clinics, they give women medically inaccurate information and pressure them to carry unintended pregnancies to term. These fake clinics often pose as women's health clinics, but they do not provide abortion services or referrals, and they do not provide balanced information on family planning options like condoms or emergency contraception.

CPCs receive millions of dollars in state and federal funding. Our tax dollars would be better spent on clinics that present the full range of medical options for women who are pregnant.

If there are fake clinics near your campus or in your community, make sure your friends and classmates know these are not medical facilities. Work with your student health center to end referrals to CPCs.

Educate your elected officials so they know CPCs are not comprehensive healthcare providers but receive disproportionate amounts of public money. Keep working on and off campus to protect choice and promote women's health!

Will the New Year Bring New Changes?

Happy New Year ya'll!

2010 was a whirlwind of ups and downs! Downs that included the constant attack on reproductive rights, especially abortion, the failure to pass the DREAM Act and the increase in teen suicides amongst LGBTQ youth. With Arizona leading the way on passing the most unequivocally racist pieces of legislation of 2010 with the passage of Arizona’s “Show me Your Papers” law (SB 1070), and the total ban of Ethnic Studies—it makes it hard to recognize and revel in the ups 2010 brought. As dreary and dark as 2010 can be remembered to some, there were still some slight wins in our favor. The passage of the repeal of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ ended the long history of discrimination against LGBT military members; as well as the pleasant surprise of mainstream television network MTV airing a special called No Easy Decision that handled the topic of abortion and included medically accurate information about the procedure and the honest discussion about the basics and barriers some women face in accessing it, especially young women.

Hopefully 2011 will reap better days than 2010, but it is hard to say or assume anything with the recent midterm elections shifting the majority in the U.S. House to Republican control for the upcoming years. Now is the best time to get involved in your community and your campus by speaking up, organizing, mobilizing, and being heard on the issues that we cannot compromise!

Some key dates to remember that are an organizer’s dream:

January 22nd: 38th Anniversary of Roe V. Wade
February:
Black History Month & National Condom Month
March:
Women’s History Month
3/8: International Women’s Day
3/10: Abortion Provider Appreciation Day
3/12-14: 7th Annual National Young Feminist Leadership Conference in Washington DC
3/24: Back Up Your Birth Control Day
April:
Sexual Assault Awareness Month & National STI Awareness Month
3/28-4/1: “Don’t be Fooled by Fake Clinics” Week of Action
4/12: Equal Pay Day
4/15: LGBTQ National Day of Silence
4/22: Earth Day & Denim Day
May:
National Women’s Health Care Month
5/1: May Day
5/17: International Day Against Homophobia
June:
Pride Month

So, what are you waiting for? Let’s make an impact early this year and make 2011 a year full of “ups”!

photo courtesy of: Mark_66it on Flikr

Don’t Be Fooled by Fake Clinics Action Series: Proposing Truth in Advertising Policies on Campus

It is very important to establish "Truth in Advertising" policies on campus. The first questions are, does your health center refer students to CPCs and does your local CPC advertise on campus including in the newspaper? Propose that your Campus Health Center stop referring to CPCs. If they continue to do so,request placement of a disclaimer explaining that CPCs are limited-service facilities that do not offer services or referrals to abortions or birth control.

Do the same for advertisements on campus. If they advertise in the newspaper, talk to the editor get them to offer a disclaimer in the ads saying that CPCs do not offer services or referrals to abortion or birth control. Check out our "Establishing Truth in Advertising" Policies in our new CPC kit.

You should also talk to you Student Senate. Find a Pro-Choice member of the Student Government and ask to get a "Truth in Advertising" Resolution passed on campus! Check out the truth in advertising component in our CPC materials!

Photo courtesy of flickr.com/arimoore