Susan G. Komen for the Cure defunds Planned Parenthood

[AOII Angel]

Susan G. Komen's decision to defund Planned Parenthood has left many upset leaving thousands of messages on their FB page declaring that they will no longer support this charity.

This story discusses the PR attempts to clean up their FB page after the announcement. http://jezebel.com/5881277/susan-g-k...nnedparenthood

I encourage you to also look at the video link at the bottom of the page for an upcoming movie discussing the corporatization of breast cancer. I actually had a breast cancer patient tell me this recently. "I'm not a pink ribbon."

I've had issue with SGK for a while now. I support the American Cancer Society's Breast Cancer walk and am now a donor to PP thanks to this news. I have actually read mammograms referred from PP just like I would for patients referred from any other physician. They're a normal provider. This is a shame.

[OneHeartOneWay]

Wow. I have been somewhat anti-Susan G (as in, just personally deciding not to donate, get caught up in the hoopla, etc) since I saw on here and fb a while back about how they sue other philanthropy events doing "for the cure" activities. But after watching that youtube clip, I *really* want to watch the documentary (and then I'm sure the Susan G damage control piece that will follow) to know even more about the way the money has overtaken the philanthropy. Kind of disgusting, really.

[AOII Angel]

Originally Posted by OneHeartOneWay

Wow. I have been somewhat anti-Susan G (as in, just personally deciding not to donate, get caught up in the hoopla, etc) since I saw on here and fb a while back about how they sue other philanthropy events doing "for the cure" activities. But after watching that youtube clip, I *really* want to watch the documentary (and then I'm sure the Susan G damage control piece that will follow) to know even more about the way the money has overtaken the philanthropy. Kind of disgusting, really.

That has been my problem with them, as well. Left a bad taste in my mouth, but I don't bad mouth them to others. This, however, is too much. Putting politics over the well being of low income women is too much for me to stomach.

[IrishLake]

What a shame, on both counts. It's a shame that politics got involved with a charity, and it's a shame people will stop donating to SGK as a result.

At least there are alternatives, like American Cancer Society and The Stephanie Spielman Fund.

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Originally Posted by IrishLake

What a shame, on both counts. It's a shame that politics got involved with a charity, and it's a shame people will stop donating to SGK as a result.

At least there are alternatives, like American Cancer Society and The Stephanie Spielman Fund.

You can certainly donate directly to Planned Parenthood.

[KSig RC]

In college, I worked summers in a research lab helping with gene therapy cancer research ... maybe half our time was spent doing grant proposals for breast cancer research, even though our lab's work would be much more useful for other forms of cancer (generally, less treatable/less easily targeted, albeit rarer, forms).

The corporatization of (specifically breast) cancer has created borderline monoliths, and they control the money, and thus help direct research. It's actually kind of awkward, having a corporate oligarchy for something like cancer research ... and while breast cancer obviously isn't completely solved, treatments are much more successful than many other cancers (even common ones).

It's not hyperbole to think that the actions of certain groups have pushed aside research attempts for other cancers. It's the cash reality.

[kddani]

Is Susan G. Komen still one of ZTA's national philanthropies? If so, I can imagine that there's an internal debate going on in ZTA about that relationship.

[HQWest]

Both groups have their political turmoil brewing here. I can understand why people are withdrawing their money from SGKnow, but I can also understand why SGK made such a decision about Planned Parenthood. While I know about some of the really good things that Planned Parenthood has helped with in terms of access to health care and public health, I was recently accidentally at a big Planned Parenthood meeting because they were meeting in the same hotel I had some other business in. On the one hand, they were talking about encouraging and promoting health awareness, they were also training students about political activism (sort of a la the Occupy movement or the less friendly versions of the Tea Party), and they were promoting some causes that I was not comfortable with at all.

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Originally Posted by HQWest

they were promoting some causes that I was not comfortable with at all.

such as?

[HQWest]

Originally Posted by DeltaBetaBaby

such as?

What just didn't seem right was some of the things they had about recruiting high school kids into working for their programs in particular in urban communities and how to go about raising money. I can't find any of the names of the seminars or the agenda online right now, but there was more to it than a public health awareness program or passing out condoms and Aids awareness literature to students. They had high school students who were there as an award for a high school program that were then invited to attend seminars on how to raise money for planned parenthood or help support political campaigns.

[agzg]

Originally Posted by KSig RC

In college, I worked summers in a research lab helping with gene therapy cancer research ... maybe half our time was spent doing grant proposals for breast cancer research, even though our lab's work would be much more useful for other forms of cancer (generally, less treatable/less easily targeted, albeit rarer, forms).

The corporatization of (specifically breast) cancer has created borderline monoliths, and they control the money, and thus help direct research. It's actually kind of awkward, having a corporate oligarchy for something like cancer research ... and while breast cancer obviously isn't completely solved, treatments are much more successful than many other cancers (even common ones).

It's not hyperbole to think that the actions of certain groups have pushed aside research attempts for other cancers. It's the cash reality.

Seriously. My grandmother died of breast cancer, and my mom died of a ribbonless cancer, and I'm quite sure that neither of them would be in super impressed with SGK on this one. The pinkwashing and sexualization of breastcancer has been horrendous.

SGK still refuses to acknowledge that BPA has been linked with cancers - BPA that are used in the making of their pink goods.

[als463]

I wasn't too impressed with SGK when my mother signed up to do their walk in Philadelphia. Apparently she had to raise $2,500 to even be a part of it. When she didn't raise the entire amount and she was about $500 short, SGK told her that she would have "make up the difference" out of her pocket since she had already signed on to particpate. Really? This woman just helped raise over $1,500 and that wasn't "good enough" to participate? After that, when people ask me to do a SGK walk, I turn the other way. No way would I EVER do a walk for SGK if that is how they conduct business. I'd rather just donate the amount I can and call it a day.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by kddani

Is Susan G. Komen still one of ZTA's national philanthropies? If so, I can imagine that there's an internal debate going on in ZTA about that relationship.

They have a partnership with them with race for the cure, but if I recall correctly, we had a discussion on here that their philanthropy is no longer SGK specifically but breast cancer research generically.

And so much word on the "pinkwashing." Talk about the lowest form of human involvement.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by HQWest

What just didn't seem right was some of the things they had about recruiting high school kids into working for their programs in particular in urban communities and how to go about raising money. I can't find any of the names of the seminars or the agenda online right now, but there was more to it than a public health awareness program or passing out condoms and Aids awareness literature to students. They had high school students who were there as an award for a high school program that were then invited to attend seminars on how to raise money for planned parenthood or help support political campaigns.

Planned Parenthood NEVER set out to be political. Others have made it so. They're only doing what they need to do to defend themselves from obliteration.

[AnchorAlum]

Originally Posted by IrishLake

What a shame, on both counts. It's a shame that politics got involved with a charity, and it's a shame people will stop donating to SGK as a result.

At least there are alternatives, like American Cancer Society and The Stephanie Spielman Fund.

Agree 100%. I have been a fan of SGK for over 20 years and will continue to be one.