In honor of Cecile Richards' birthday today, we wanted to highlight her encouraging strength and impact on the battle for reproductive justice. As you may already know, Richards has been the President of Planned Parenthood Federation of America since 2006 as well as the President of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund. We had the privilege of meeting her to give her an original Uterish t-shirt in the spring of 2016! Alex, Greta and I look to Richards as a leader for feminists fighting for the right to their bodies.
Richards comes from a line of powerful women, the most prominent being her mother, Texan Governor Ann Richards (D-TX). Richards helped her mother campaign for Roe vs. Wade in Texas in the 70s. Thus, from a young age, Richards was politically active, with the understanding that silence always takes the side of the oppressor. Years later, she had kids of her own while managing her role as the head of Planned Parenthood, one of the most relevant and crucial grassroots organizations in the world. Richards’ grace at balancing family life and the pressure of her role is a significant reason for our admiration.
Richards represents a huge inspiration for Uterish. She is a powerful voice advocating for body autonomy and particularly the depoliticization of the female body. Because of her, I’m motivated to work towards body autonomy every day. Because of her, I see our cis-hetero-patriarchy as a hurdle at the mercy of unstoppable feminist resistance. Because of her, I am more aware of microaggressions and how they fuel a system built on sexism, racism, classism, etc. Because of her, I am empowered to never give up.
Richards dedicates her platform to helping people understand Planned Parenthood as fundamental, affordable healthcare for millions of Americans. She puts the health of women and the most marginalized first.
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So, thank you, Cecile Richards, for your fearless determination to give millions a voice and access to the healthcare they deserve. Happy Birthday!
