BRATTLEBORO — I'm writing to invite everyone in on a little ongoing ritual that feminists in our community have been engaging in.
Each Tuesday, or whenever a group of people show up at Pliny Park in Brattleboro to protest Planned Parenthood, we make extra donations to the organization. Then we spread the word on social media about what we're doing and why, so that more people get motivated to do the same.
It's such a positive thing to do in the face of misogyny and a disappointing display of fake Christianity.
If you're interested in joining in on this ritual and would like some ideas, some of us are donating $1 or $5 for each person in the group each time they show up.
Also, some of us have been donating under the title “Thomas Aquinas College,” just so the staff at Planned Parenthood can have a little chuckle while they tally up the donations.
For the first time ever, I have set up an ongoing monthly donation to Planned Parenthood. It comes straight out of my checking account. So that I could afford to give more, I canceled my Netflix account and other small subscriptions.
I know how valuable this health center is in my community and all across New England. It offers such a wide range of affordable health care, including cancer screenings and mental health referrals on top of well-person visits and birth control consultations.
I hope that sharing about this ongoing ritual inspires you to participate. I hope you can also remind others that every single time someone expresses an opposition to abortion, it is an act of misogyny and oppression.