After nearly 30 years, Pennsylvania's new governor plans to end a contract with an organization that distributes funds to anti-abortion counseling centers.

Pennsylvania plans to end on Dec. 31 its longstanding contract with the nonprofit Real Alternatives, the first organization in the nation to secure significant state and federal subsidies to support anti-abortion counseling centers. Under the program, Real Alternatives distributed the state and federal funds to dozens of Pennsylvania centers, including Catholic Charities, anti-abortion counseling centers and maternity homes, which provide support and housing for pregnant women.

Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro said in a statement his administration would not “continue that pattern” of subsidizing the organization, saying he was steadfast in defending abortion access.

Tens of millions of taxpayer dollars across the U.S. have been sent to such organizations, which are typically religiously affiliated. Since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the right to abortion last year, Republican-led states have sent more tax dollars to what are sometimes called “crisis pregnancy centers,” while Democratic-leaning states apply more scrutiny to them.

  • DarthBueller@lemmy.world
    15·
    1 year ago

    These organizations exist to actively deny women the ability to choose by (1) not making it crystal clear that they do not provide abortion services, (2) surreptitiously eating up the time a woman is legally allowed to get an abortion. They are designed to fool unsophisticated women into NOT HAVING A CHOICE, and purposefully increasing the emotional toll of the decision to have an abortion. Fuck them all. EDIT: I’m an attorney. When I use the word “unsophisticated” in this context, I mean “unfamiliar with the phenomenon of religious organizations pretending to be pregnancy centers, that are designed to run out the clock from having an abortion.” If you’ve got limited time to make a decision, and you make an appointment with one of these places saying you need an abortion, they will tell you to come in, and will not volunteer that they don’t offer abortions. It is well documented that women have run out of time to have an abortion because of these asshats. But go ahead, fuckface, be a disingenuous shill.

    • dhork@lemmy.worldEnglish
      114·
      1 year ago

      You don’t find that attitude to be just a bit insulting to women? Like they don’t know what abortion is, and need it properly mansplained to them?

      There are women who find themselves unexpectedly pregnant, and decide out of their own free will to keep their baby, in spite of the huge financial burden. That’s a choice, that’s just as valid as the choice to have an abortion. If these places can help, why not let them?

      If we’re going to respect women’s choices, we need to respect all of them, and not dismiss women who choose to keep their pregnancy as “unsophisticated”.

        • dhork@lemmy.worldEnglish
          111·
          1 year ago

          No, what I see here is a bunch of people thinking these places deprive pregnant women of their free will once they walk into the place, or something. I think women, in general, are smart enough to realize what these places offer, and what they can and can’t get there.

          I keep asking, if a woman wants to have a child, and these people want help, why not let them help? And all I get are response questioning their motives.

          Yes, many of these places do it for religious reasons. The same places may also run soup kitchens. Would you tell a hungry person to not accept free food because they might get preached at?

          I have no problem with these places existing, as long as women still have access to everything else they need for health care, including abortions, in the area.