Don’t Get It Twisted: Clinic Workers Are Heroes

(Originally published on Amplify)

There’s a lot of handwringing going on out there about the Lila Rose/LiveAction supposed expose videos of Planned Parenthood clinic workers, committing the shocking act of providing medical care.

Sure, these journalists activists far right publicity junkies with a stated agenda of going to any lengths to close down Planned Parenthood caught one woman committing the awful crime of saying some things. She’s been fired.

But now they continue to issue breathless press releases about videos which, frankly, are boring.  Like, hey, did you ever want to see a person’s routine medical consultation about birth control and STI prevention options?  Did you want to see some ladies in scrubs matter-of-factly and with professional reserve stating the law, including declining some requests because the law bans them? How about some mentions of pamphlets, and the reading of same? Then by all means, watch these videos.

Watch them: and know that these workers walked right out of that room into a supervisor’s office to tell that supervisor that a weird shady pimp was just here asking questions about minors, and that those supervisors reported it up the ladder, and that Planned Parenthood reported it to the attorney general. No one here took child prostitution lightly — except Lila Rose and LiveAction, of course.

Far-right columnists have expressed shock: one pearl-clutcher said:

[They provide information and care] even to sex workers. The picture that seems to be becoming clear in these videos — and we see it again this morning, also in Virginia, in three separate clinics: A Planned Parenthood worker provides confidential information to whomever walks into one of its clinics.

Ummyeah. That is exactly  what the hell they do.  That is in fact WHAT THE LAW REQUIRES THEM TO DO. I urge you to read Jodi Jacobson’s epic blog discussing the legal issues immediately.

Then ask yourself: In my own job, do I give care to women and men from every walk of life? In my own job, do I provide on-site, potentially lifesaving care? Do I directly protect women’s well-being, autonomy and health? Does my work provide women an alternative to gruesome and deadly back-alley alternatives?

Do I do my job, which involves providing legal and lifesaving services, under near-daily condemnation from the highest-ranked church and government officials?

Does my own job require me to deal with a hostile crowd screaming terrible epithets at me, and calling me a murderer?

Have people been murdered because they did my job?

Know that every Planned Parenthood or other reproductive health clinic worker is answering yes to all of those questions. They truly are the thin blue-scrubs line between millions of people and unwanted pregnancy/deadly disease. Yes, “whomever walks into one of its clinics.” Yes, so-called “illegals.” Yes, sex workers.

Abortion clinic workers are heroes. Abortion providers are heroes.

These videos aren’t anything.  They’re not groundbreaking, they’re not shocking. If you’re against abortion, you probably find these discussions of how to obtain an abortion upsetting. If you’re not, then you will probably find them to be profoundly underwhelming. Either way, they contribute nothing to the dialogue and make no steps toward a solution to our nation’s division over the issue of abortion.

Lila Rose will probably do a bunch of interviews and sit around checking her YouTube views today. Meanwhile, at 820 Planned Parenthood health centers, the doors will open as usual.

Just another day providing vital care to the nation’s most vulnerable.

Disclaimer: This post was written by a Feministing Community user and does not necessarily reflect the views of any Feministing columnist, editor, or executive director.

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