Laguens, Dawn. “Planned Parenthood and the Next Generation of Feminist Activists.” Feminist Studies, 2013, 187–91. http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/p/pod/dod-idx/planned-parenthood-and-the-next-generation-of-feminist.pdf?c=fs;idno=0499697.0039.110.
Annotation
In this article, the Executive Vice President and CEO of Planned Parenthood argues that the increasing attacks on women’s health in the U.S. have resulted in a generation of young activists who are more ethnically and generationally diverse than ever before, and that this trend can be seen clearly at Planned Parenthood chapters and clinics across the country. Contrary to popular rhetoric, which conceives of feminism as “yesterday’s fight,” the author argues that young people are increasingly active in advocating for safe and legal abortion.
Citing results of national polls, American news sources, Planned Parenthood’s research, and anecdotal evidence, the author argues that despite conflicting headlines, most young people believe abortion should be legal. She says that one reason for the confusion is that our existing terminology, i.e. “pro-choice,” and “pro-life,” is inadequate to describe the complexity of opinions surrounding abortion, and therefore young people shy away from claiming any label at all. She concludes that we must therefore reject such labels and have a conversation that is more “empathetic,” in order to continue advocating for safe and legal abortion, access to birth control, and less policies governing women’s bodies. She calls on her reader to start a new conversation that engages with youth and meets people “where they are.”