Pro-choice event celebrates Roe v. Wade

Red "Celebrate Roe" stickers stuck to every sweater and jacket in the small crowd that linked arms Monday in front of Planned Parenthood, 421 S. College Ave.\nThe 28th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision has inspired both sides in the debate to take to the streets of Bloomington. About 100 pro-life advocates carried signs admonishing abortion around the Monroe County Courthouse Sunday. \nIn commemoration of the same anniversary, Planned Parenthood of Greater Indiana in Bloomington held its first annual Hug-a-Clinic. Muncie and Lafayette Planned Parenthood clinics also held Hug-a-Clinic events Monday.\nParticipants included Planned Parenthood volunteers, members of the local National Organization of Women chapter, Campus for Choice and other interested students and citizens. \nTwo policemen stationed themselves in front of the clinic in case of any problems, but the event went peacefully.\nKelly McBride, Planned Parenthood community specialist who described the organization as "active, not reactive," led the event. The participants signed a large thank-you card to the Planned Parenthood staff. After presenting the card, the advocates stood outside and linked arms in effort to hug the building.\nUrsina Hastings-Heinz of Harmony School brought part of her 7th and 8th grade classes. McBride taught the students sex education. Hastings-Heinz's class has been debating several issues recently, one of them abortion. \nKatie Liell-Kok, a 12-year-old in the class, said she was debating the pro-choice side. She said her class was mostly pro-choice, so they did not get to pick which side of the debate they had to defend. The group hugging the clinic consisted mostly of students from Harmony.\n"Roe v. Wade means choice," said Nora Leill, Katie's mother. "You don't have to choose an abortion."\nPlanned Parenthood is often the target of pro-life protests against abortion, but the clinic-huggers said there is much more to the facility than just abortions. \n"Less than 5 percent of what we do is abortion," McBride said.\nEducation and health care are main functions of the clinic, McBride said.\n"I've been coming here since the '70s, and I've never had an abortion. Now I'm coming for menopause advice," said Katy Kelly, a Bloomington resident.\nOthers said they feel Planned Parenthood is often inaccurately stigmatized.\n"It's the abortion issue that always gets talked about," said Tonia Matthew, a member of NOW and long-time Planned Parenthood supporter who has defended clinics in the past. "I write to my legislature."\nMatthew said she agrees Planned Parenthood should offer women the choice to have abortions, noting it is also "here for planning parenthood." \n"It's just a really, really important organization," she said. \nMcBride said the Bloomington Planned Parenthood serves about 5,000 patients a year, most of whom are 18 to 24 years old. \n"We do see a lot of students," she said.