Media Advisory for Thursday, January 25, 2018
PHILADELPHIA — Newly-organized workers at the Mazzoni Center are joining Planned Parenthood Southeastern PA, Make the Road, other SEIU Healthcare PA members, and local legislators for a series of statewide rallies in protest of the Trump administration’s recently announced decision to establish a “Conscience and Religious Freedom Division” within the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Mazzoni Center workers will hold their rally on Thursday, Jan. 25, at 5pm on the street in front of the Mazzoni Center at 1348 Bainbridge Street in Philadelphia.
This decision is consistent with the Trump administration’s other actions that focus on denying people access to care, rather than enforcing their rights to be free from discrimination in health care. Ironically, the administration seeks to use the government office whose mission is to protect against discrimination to allow providers to discriminate against their patients for a variety of reasons, including their gender identity; sexual orientation; or because they decide to access to a safe, legal abortion.
Rallies will be held in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Harrisburg on Thursday, January 25.
WHAT: Rallies in protest of the Trump administration’s decision to allow healthcare providers to discriminate based on their personal beliefs.
WHO: Mazzoni Center workers, Planned Parenthood Southeastern PA, SEIU Healthcare PA, Make the Road, key stakeholders, community partners and state Rep. Brian Sims.
WHEN: Thursday, January 25 at 5pm.
WHERE: In front of the Mazzoni Center, 1348 Bainbridge St., Philadelphia, PA
These rallies will lift up the voices of the marginalized communities that will suffer untold and irreparable harm from this decision to allow healthcare providers to deny them essential and potentially lifesaving care based on those providers’ personal beliefs. We believe that all people are entitled to access to healthcare and will continue to fight any and all discriminatory attempts to deny this fundamental right to marginalized communities.
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Media Contacts:
James Myers, SEIU Healthcare; james.myers@seiuhcpa.org; (215) 479-2213
Lindsey Mauldin, Planned Parenthood Pennsylvania Advocates; lindsey.mauldin@pppamail.org; (717) 234-3024
Ashleigh Strange, Make the Road; strange.ashleigh@gmail.com; (484) 635-6650