Los Angeles – Planned Parenthood Los Angeles (PPLA) released the following statement from president and CEO Sue Dunlap in response to the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) decision to eliminate the federal constitutional right to abortion.
“Make no mistake: Planned Parenthood Los Angeles health centers remain open, abortion is still legal in Los Angeles and California, and we will continue to fight to ensure everyone has access to care in Los Angeles, no matter what.” – Sue Dunlap, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Los Angeles.
The consequences of this devastating decision will fall largely on people who already face the greatest barriers to health care due to this country’s legacy of racism and discrimination, including Black, Latino, and Indigenous communities, people with low incomes, LGBTQ+ people, immigrants, and people living in rural areas.
In preparation for this ruling, PPLA has been working with the state of California, Los Angeles County and the cities of Los Angeles, Long Beach, and West Hollywood to prepare for this decision and the impacts it will have on Planned Parenthood health centers across California. In January, Governor Gavin Newsom declared California a Haven State for abortion access and following that announcement the County Board of Supervisors declared Los Angeles County a Haven County for access to abortion and reproductive health care. This momentum continued as cities such as Long Beach, Los Angeles, and West Hollywood signaled their strong support for access to safe and legal abortion and began preparing for the increase of patients who may seek care here due to hostile bans in their home state.
The court’s decision goes against the will of American people, 80% of whom support legal abortion. Even with today’s decision, abortion is still legal in many parts of the country. People who need care should go to https://www.plannedparenthood.org/planned-parenthood-los-angeles or call 1-800-576-5544.
