The resolution, supported by city council members Dorothy Granger, Susan Sandberg and Tim Mayer, cited Planned Parenthood’s STD tests and treatments, well woman exams and family planning services as reasons why the organization should be supported by the City of Bloomington.
According to the resolution, Bloomington’s Healthcare Clinic provided more than 4,400 STD tests and treatments in 2014, as well as 890 breast exams and 224 cervical cancer screenings.
Beth Headrick, Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky’s director of communications, said she hoped the resolution would provide “more in-depth support” for the organization.
“So much of what we do is preventive in nature,” Headrick said. “We want the communities to know that we provide these services and that we serve a number of people across our state.”
The comments from Bloomington residents detailed experiences with Planned Parenthood argued morality or brought up recent news stories about Planned Parenthood as a whole.
During the council meeting, District 3 council member Martin Spechler addressed rumors that Planned Parenthood sold the remains of aborted fetuses, did not conform to cleanliness standards and promotes abortion to pregnant clients.
Those Planned Parenthood clinics that do allow tissue donation have been reviewed and comply legally and ethically, Stauffer said.
Heather Blair, a professor in the IU Department of Religious Studies, held a “93 percent of Planned Parenthood’s services are preventive” sign.
“I think it’s important to get the facts out,” Blair said. “I think the debate on Planned Parenthood has been ... taken over by abortion discourse — and that’s an issue, but it’s not the only issue.”
Alexis Siefker, 15, said she came to “stand up for the rights of the unborn.”
Siefker, whose mother helped organize the pro-life presence at City Hall, carved a jack’o’lantern into an embryo shape and set it near the steps.
“I’m hoping (people) see the community really doesn’t support Planned Parenthood,” she said. “Babies are human beings and they deserve the rights that we have, including the right to life.”
Sandra Freund, a retired music teacher who was demonstrating her support for Planned Parenthood, said young people needed to get involved in the battle for women’s healthcare.
“The crazy thing is, I thought this battle was over and had been won,” Freund said. “But it was not.”
Freund said she’d supported pro-choice legislation since she became able to vote.
“It’s very disturbing that the average age of the (pro-choice) people here would be 55,” Freund said. “This is not our battle — get the young people involved.”
A classmate died from an illegal abortion when Freud was in 10th grade.
Even Spechler, who is pro-life, voted for the resolution.
“Our attitude toward sex and marriage is wrong,” he said. “(But) we must, I think, deal as public officials with the world as it is.”
