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Abortion Agenda at Seaworld

Peek Behind the Scenes

By Ann Smith

Amy Denhart, director of public affairs for the local Planned Parenthood, addressed the San Diego chapter of the National Women's Political Caucus on Monday, May 21. About 15 people, including one male, gathered at Sea World's Shedd Auditorium to hear Denhart's talk, "How to Talk About Choice." Denhart, a former aide to Senator Barbara Boxer, was introduced by the women's caucus president Joy Wolf, a Sea World employee.

Denton began by stating that abortion is a "hurdle issue" that would figure heavily into her decision to vote for a candidate. She stated that "Abortion is a symptom of the failure of a plan" and said that the dividing line between pro-lifers and pro-aborts is really between those who believe life begins at conception and those who believe a woman should have control over her own body. "Really we're talking about controlling one's fertility."

Denhart advised audience members to "Have your own pro-choice position defined" and "Make prevention of unintended pregnancy part of your discussion" when engaging others in conversation about abortion. "I think there is an area of common ground in abortion, and that is prevention [of unwanted pregnancy], with reasonable people."

Citing statistics to support her assertion that "In the U.S. there is a pro-choice majority," she said, "If voters understand there is a threat to choice, they will be able to take action."

"Since 1994, the anti-choice side has been passing 'barrier legislation'" such as mandatory waiting periods, gag rule legislation, parental notification and consent statutes, bans on insurance coverage of abortion and contraception, attempts to ban partial-birth abortions, and abstinence-only sex education. "These all create barriers to safe and legal abortions." She expressed fear that "Roe v Wade will be overturned not all at once but by chipping away" at existing laws.

In advising "where to go from here," Denhart urged people to contact their elected officials. "Even [U.S. Rep Duke] Cunningham supports family planning, or so he says -- he just had to go with the anti-choice crowd on that."

"We need to work on Latinos and Catholics," said Denhart, by including their life experiences (for example, of Catholic Latinas) in family planning discussions. "I'm Catholic, technically," she admitted. She also advised attendees to "place reproductive freedom in the broader context of 'social justice'," a favorite mantra of modernist Catholics.

Denhart lamented a loophole that allows self-insured employers to escape mandatory insurance contraception coverage. She said that Planned Parenthood of Western Washington is currently litigating this and "If they are successful, we hope to parlay it into a federal sex discrimination suit making it illegal not to cover contraception."

Joy Wolf later added, "Sea World is self-insured with contraception coverage and is working on [offering] domestic partnership benefits with our parent company, Anheuser-Busch." Anheuser-Busch is a past sponsor of the annual Folsom Street Fair sadistic sex festival in San Francisco.

One audience member asked Denhart "What is the impact of RU486?" She answered, "Planned Parenthood started it one and a half months ago. It requires a backup physician. I wouldn't want it. Why would you go in to get a pill and bleed for two weeks?"

She said that Planned Parenthood has opened a new "express clinic" for birth control that does not require gynecological exams, two weeks prior to her talk, and is currently advertising it on "hip-hop radio stations" in the San Diego area.

Other pointers offered by Denhart in a handout included "DON'T be bullied by anti-abortion forces or their threats" and "DON'T attack the right of religious people to participate in politics but DO emphasize that it is wrong to use politics to impose a single religious viewpoint on everyone."

At the meeting, a brochure for the National Women's Political Caucus of California was distributed. Inside, it contained a photo of state assemblywoman Charlene Zettel with this quote: "I am very grateful for NWPC's critical support during my very difficult race. NWPC was right there for me with financial and volunteer support."

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