Komen Drops Support of Planned Parenthood

by Emily Ramshaw
January 31, 2012
44 Comments

The Dallas-based breast cancer prevention group Susan G. Komen for the Cure has halted its financial support of Planned Parenthood, yet another blow to the family planning organization that provides abortions in some of its clinics.

Planned Parenthood alleges that Komen — which was founded in 1982 by Nancy Goodman Brinker, a former U.S. ambassador to Hungary under George W. Bush, to honor her deceased sister — succumbed to rising political pressure.

"Our greatest desire is for Komen to reconsider this policy and recommit to the partnership on which so many women count," Cecile Richards, president of the Planned Parenthood Federation ...

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Comments (44)

January 31, 2012 @ 5:19 p.m.

Shannon Greely via Texas Tribune on Facebook

wrong!!! I for one will never buy anything with their logo on it ever again!!!
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January 31, 2012 @ 5:20 p.m.

Tom Walker via Texas Tribune on Facebook

Hooray for Komen!!!
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January 31, 2012 @ 5:21 p.m.

Lee Dunkelberg via Texas Tribune on Facebook

Cowards . . . greedy, craven cowards
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January 31, 2012 @ 5:26 p.m.

Bruce Davis via Texas Tribune on Facebook

This will end my long time support and donations to the Komen Foundation unless they reconsider this policy driven by religious policy.
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January 31, 2012 @ 5:28 p.m.

Deirdre Cooper via Texas Tribune on Facebook

Great news! Now maybe they can fund organizations who actually provide mammograms! Planned Parenthood does not provide ANY mammograms at all.
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January 31, 2012 @ 5:30 p.m.

Mike Openshaw via Texas Tribune on Facebook

Their support for Planned Parenthood, when brought to light, cost them a LOT of big dollars. If you are a supporter of Planned Parenthood who actually donated to them, there is nothing stopping you from shifting your donation to Planned Parenthood. However, it is VERY obvious which had the most money behind them.
People- and organizations- have a right to chose who and what they support. The fact that organizations have to essentially try to hide their support for Planned Parenthood says a lot, does it not?
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January 31, 2012 @ 5:35 p.m.

Gregg Welpe via Texas Tribune on Facebook

This is a blow to women's healthcare, especially for the prevention of breast cancer screenings to the poor and uninsured. Planned Parenthood provides a safety net to thousands of women in need. Abortion services are not the only aspect of Planned Parenthood, but yet is the sole reason for the multitude of attacks on this organization. Komen is making a terrible mistake and is in effect blocking women's access to breast cancer screenings!!! WWJD???
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January 31, 2012 @ 5:37 p.m.

Luisa Inez Newton via Texas Tribune on Facebook

I won't give a dime nor support the Susan B. Komen organization unless they support Planned Parenthood.
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January 31, 2012 @ 5:40 p.m.

Cee Sonche via Texas Tribune on Facebook

Dumbleburge loosen your bow tie. You need oxygen to that goofy brain of yours. Hooray for Komen!
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January 31, 2012 @ 5:57 p.m.

Deirdre Cooper via Texas Tribune on Facebook

Luisa, if your goal is breast cancer prevention, why would you not fund SGK now? Now they can give grants to organizations who have mammogram machines! You do know that no Planned Parenthood in Texas even owns a mammogram machine at all, right?
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January 31, 2012 @ 6:06 p.m.

Drew Nilsen via Texas Tribune on Facebook

To me, it's not about Planned Parenthood. It's that Susan G. Komen is a bad, ineffective organization that poorly allocates its funding, to the detriment of breast cancer research. People's contributions could be much-better spent, unless you think another pink ribbon and a 12 year old girl with and "I heart boobies" T-shirt will somehow fix cancer.
The Susan G. Komen Foundation is one of those nonprofit organizations that has become more about enriching itself and patting itself on the back with big media "awareness" campaigns (like pink shoelaces and ribbons on NFL players -- as if lack of "awareness" was the biggest impediment to curing breast cancer) than about actually putting money into the cause it was ostensibly created to address. It's the epitome of advocacy organizations that have outgrown their usefulness and become too rich and corrupt to accomplish anything. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/16/business/in-the-breast-cancer-fight-the-pinking-of-america.html?pagewanted=all and http://www.slate.com/articles/double_x/doublex/2010/10/sink_pink.html
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January 31, 2012 @ 7:20 p.m.

Autumn Williams Keiser via Texas Tribune on Facebook

@Drew - agree, agree, agree and did so long before this most recent sell out to the anti-woman establishment. I hope the backlash knocks some sense into their Board of Directors.
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January 31, 2012 @ 7:21 p.m.

Patrick M McLeod via Texas Tribune on Facebook

Dark day for Komen. Anyone cheering this needs to take a close look at what Komen money funded in Planned Parenthood and then be deeply ashamed of yourselves.
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January 31, 2012 @ 7:31 p.m.

Kay Wilkinson via Texas Tribune on Facebook

Yes! I hope that Komen does reconsider this shocking decision. The Goal and the mission must be focused on Breast Cancer Screening for all women.
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January 31, 2012 @ 7:35 p.m.

Luis Vela Guevara via Texas Tribune on Facebook

Very disappointed in this crappy decision. Well the Komen folks won't be getting any more of my support.
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January 31, 2012 @ 7:45 p.m.

Philip Welsh via Texas Tribune on Facebook

Guilty until proven innocent. The SGKftC should be ashamed and certainly will not get any support from me in the meantime.
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January 31, 2012 @ 8:16 p.m.

Kathy Kilmer Moak via Texas Tribune on Facebook

I second Philip's statement.
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January 31, 2012 @ 8:26 p.m.

Autumn Williams Keiser via Texas Tribune on Facebook

@Dierdre I'm not sure what your point is about mammograms and mammogram machines. Most Ob/Gyn clinics don't perform mammograms nor do they have mammography machines in house. AND, you don't just walk into a mammography office and ask for a mammogram. You have to have a doctor's referral. Qualified doctors and clinicians at Planned Parenthood provide important, life-saving initial examinations, screenings and other tests to determine whether a diagnostic mammogram is necessary - just like at my Ob/Gyn office, only they do it for LOW INCOME WOMEN AND FAMILIES WHO DON'T HAVE OTHER OPTIONS (not even these "magical" pretend options you're recommending we now donate to instead). The result is that those women simply won't get screened. Period. Super pro-life.
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January 31, 2012 @ 8:31 p.m.

Chris Bazan via Texas Tribune on Facebook

Republican politics killing common sense practices once again...sad day for america
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January 31, 2012 @ 9:13 p.m.

John Franks via Texas Tribune on Facebook

Having a "pro life" VP for Public Relations was and is incredibly stupid. http://jezebel.com/5881057/susan-g-komen-foundation-bows-to-pro+life-bullying-stops-contributing-to-planned-parenthood
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January 31, 2012 @ 9:49 p.m.

Rachel McClellan Bohannon via Texas Tribune on Facebook

Halting funds to an organization accused of fraud is perfectly legitimate. Consider the alternative: If Komen continued to fund Planned Parenthood through the investigation, and then discovered that Planned Parenthood really did misuse federal funds, then the public would be outraged that Komen supported a dishonest organization. Komen has made the best decision in response to a less than ideal situation.
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January 31, 2012 @ 10:18 p.m.

Bill Conley via Texas Tribune on Facebook

In the internet age, being "accused of fraud" means little more than nothing, doesn't it? Is there any substantial smoke and fire, or is that primarily a lot of politically-motivated hot air? On the internet, I can say that you kick puppies and hate apple pie; as far as some are concerned, that's enough to think it's so. "Perfectly legitimate," right?
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January 31, 2012 @ 10:56 p.m.

David O

Now that the Komen foundation has bowed to right-wing political pressure to withdraw grants to Planned Parenthood, maybe it is time to withhold donations to the foundation. The foundation evidently thinks responding to political pressure is more important than supporting the breast screening activities that Planned Parenthood provided.
January 31, 2012 @ 11:52 p.m.

Ian Crawford via Texas Tribune on Facebook

Weird stance, weird timing in an election cycle.
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February 1, 2012 @ 2:36 a.m.

Leigh Williams via Texas Tribune on Facebook

It's true that Planned Parenthood doesn't do mammograms. THEY PAY FOR THEM. Some of you people suck at telling the truth, you know that?

http://mediamatters.org/research/201103310031
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February 1, 2012 @ 8:18 a.m.

Kim Batchelor via Texas Tribune on Facebook

Rachel, your comments are naive. One politically motivated politician is making assertions that are not proven. Is this how you think democracy works?
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February 1, 2012 @ 8:19 a.m.

Kim Batchelor via Texas Tribune on Facebook

Oh, I see, Rachel's with Texas Right to "Life" (narrowly defined). That explains the comment.
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February 1, 2012 @ 8:53 a.m.

Tim Hurst via Texas Tribune on Facebook

Horrible how a small but well funded ultra right wing group can hurt the health and well being of millions of women. Koman should be ashamed
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February 1, 2012 @ 9:33 a.m.

JC DemocratofTejas

Losers. Too bad the right-wing Susan G. Komen Foundation is simply a write-off for the Brinkers/Hunts who have no clue that Planned Parenthood's percentage of national abortions is so minimal as to astound anyone who pulls funding. I was surprised Komen caved, but then again the Republican national attention appears to be on women and their reproduction. As the senator (somewhere) requested, but was shot down...why not have gender equality, and have men undergo a rectal exam prior to receiving an Rx for Viagra. Oh yeah. It's the he-man woman haters club for sure. Ewwww. LOSERS
February 1, 2012 @ 9:57 a.m.

Lisa Webb

Nancy Brinker should be ashamed of herself
for falling prey to the right wing conspiracy
about cancelling funding for Planned Parenthood!
We have all given for years to Komen...no more...all
donations need to go to Planned Parenthood now.
Planned Parenthood is a staple in our society just like
PBS and other entities that provide an intellectual
balance of information. If you look at what groups are being
targeted thru a well planned negative marketing
campaign by the right wing conservatives you
will see that all forms of educational insight and
services and "free thinking" are trying to be
controlled. This has got to stop! This is "The
United States of America", not the divided states of America!
Komen has just lost my support and my family support. We
have several family members who have had breast
cancer and we all gathered to walk in your
walks to raise money for Komen and women
around our great country. No more Nancy!
will immediately see what is going on here. This is
February 1, 2012 @ 1:17 p.m.

Tiffany Sparks

"U.S. Rep. Cliff Stearns, a Florida Republican, has launched an inquiry"

Any representative can launch an inquiry, it doesn't indicate guilt!!!!
February 1, 2012 @ 1:31 p.m.

Benjamin Collins via Texas Tribune on Facebook

Good for Komen, and I hope more follow suit. It would be a great day to see PP disappear into the ash heap of history, exposed as racist, eugenicist, infanticidal and anti-woman.
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February 1, 2012 @ 2:15 p.m.

Elizabeth Pearsall Lippincott via Texas Tribune on Facebook

I donated to Planned Parenthood in honor of Karen Handel, so she'll get a note about my donation. You can do the same at : https://secure.ppaction.org/site/SPageServer?pagename=pp_ppol_Nondirected_OneTimeGift. Click on Honorary Giving. Oh, and her address for the acknowledgement card is: Karen Handel
Susan G. Komen Foundation
P.O. Box 650309
Dallas, TX 75265-0309
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February 1, 2012 @ 2:29 p.m.

Jim Arnold

I will never support Komen again.
February 1, 2012 @ 5:41 p.m.

Tiffany Sparks-Bramlett via Texas Tribune on Facebook

That is such a fantastic idea. I just made my donation in honor of "Never Getting My Money Susan G. Komen"
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February 1, 2012 @ 7:06 p.m.

Rafael Rodriguez via Texas Tribune on Facebook

Make your donation to Planned Parenthood and do it as an "honorary gift", requesting that a card be sent to: Karen Handel Senior VP of Fail c/o Susan G. Komen Foundation P.O. Box 650309 Dallas, TX 75265- Even if you could only give a $5 plus postage, funds would go where they were needed and a much more valuable message would be sent directly to the idiots at Komen.
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February 1, 2012 @ 8:39 p.m.

Navy One

If one can read this " Planned Parenthood also takes the position that laws requiring parental notification before an abortion is performed on a minor are unconstitutional on privacy grounds" and STILL support Planned Parenthood they are either uninformed or cruel. To promote a 12yr going across state lines without the parents knowing is just insane.
February 1, 2012 @ 8:44 p.m.

Kevin Carney via Texas Tribune on Facebook

If one can read this " Planned Parenthood also takes the position that laws requiring parental notification before an abortion is performed on a minor are unconstitutional on privacy grounds" and STILL support Planned Parenthood they are either uninformed or cruel. To promote a 12yr going across state lines without the parents knowing is just insane. H/T NavyOne
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February 1, 2012 @ 8:48 p.m.

Beth Meyer Kirkpatrick via Texas Tribune on Facebook

Well said, Kevin! I have never donated time or money to Susan G. Komen once I found out about their sinister partership with the abortion factories. Now that they have come to their senses and cut their ties with that horrible anti-woman, anti-family, anti-child organization, I look forward to being a full participant in their cause! Way to go, S.G.K. Well done!
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February 1, 2012 @ 9:16 p.m.

Kevin Carney via Texas Tribune on Facebook

Beth Meyer Kirkpatrick, Agreed!
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February 1, 2012 @ 9:40 p.m.

Edie Clark via Texas Tribune on Facebook

Under American Cancer Society guidelines, mammograms are not recommended for women under 40- What Planned Parenthood provides are free breast cancer screenings for millions of women who lack health insurance. Shame on Komen for playing politics with women's lives and cutting funding to Planned Parenthood.
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February 2, 2012 @ 10:44 a.m.

lewis ramsey

It was a most cowardly rationale for ending its support of Planned Parenthood. It seems to me that what those of us who oppose this action, should call for an investigation of whether Komen should maintain its tax exempt status because it has become a wing of the right wing Republican political party. I suggest that a U.S. Senate committee look into this. And while they are investigating this, I call upon Komen to request that they be ineligible to received donations until this matter is put to rest.
February 2, 2012 @ 7:12 p.m.

Anya Khan

I sent my first donation in a long time to Komen. it is a happy day
February 2, 2012 @ 7:15 p.m.

Jim Arnold

Earlier today I sent a donation today to Planned Parenthood that will be doubled by Bloomberg. I serious doubt that I will ever give any money again to Komen, but then they don't need it. They have the right wingnuts to support them.