9 Comments

Would A Real Superhero Make You Choose?

Tuesday, June 26, 2012 by Emerald Pellot

We’re pretty sure Wonder Woman is pro-choice |

Marvel Comics and Susan G. Komen for the Cure have teamed up to raise money for breast cancer awareness this October. Eight Marvel comics will get pink costume makeovers to show their support. We think it’s an awesome idea to reach out to a completely different audience. There’s just one problem . . . Komen and Planned Parenthood have had a pretty crappy history this year. One that makes us think Komen just isn’t so super.

If you haven’t been following recent politics, there has been a ton of controversy surrounding Planned Parenthood because they provide abortions as part of the comprehensive reproductive health services they offer to women around the country and the world. Politicians who want to take away women’s rights see Planned Parenthood as an easy target.

Back in February, the Susan G. Komen foundation followed those nasty politician’s lead when they pulled funding from Planned Parenthood. And um, people noticed. Pulling funding from Planned Parenthood not only reduces their ability to provide abortions to women who need and want them, but it also reduces their ability to perform life-saving breast cancer screenings to low-income women. Way to go, Komen. And the super sucky thing is that Komen was a huge source of funding, so the funding they cut could lead to a lot of women’s lives being lost.

If Komen was truly concerned about prevention and awareness, if they were real superheroes, why give into all of the political drama and cut funding? And Marvel Comics, what gives? There are plenty of other breast cancer advocates out there like Avon and Estee Lauder. Why team up with one that’s anti-abortion? You’re never gonna get Wonder Woman to ditch DC and come over to Marvel this way!

Not only has Komen played a pivotal role in further stigmatizing the women who choose to have an abortion, they’ve made it even harder for women to get breast exams. Many women don’t have health insurance and Planned Parenthood is a great, inexpensive alternative. Komen is willing to put a halt on cancer prevention because they can’t accept that women want control over their own bodies and lives? They’re willing to (in a certain sense) sacrifice the lives of women by denying them preventative health care? After all, the key to treating cancer effectively is detecting it early. No breast exams means no early detection.

Either you want women to have a cure for cancer or you want women to be able to have abortions? That’s not what we meant by the right to choose. Any reasonable person would want women to have both.

Personally, I’d like to support a cure (and awesome comics), but I hate having this conflict of interest where I feel like If I try to fight breast cancer, I’ve got to be anti-choice, too. It’s so wrong, and definitely not something a super hero would stand for.

What do you think about this? Do you support Planned Parenthood? Let us know in the comments!

And don’t forget to Follow Us On Twitter

Next check out Science: It’s A Girl Thing! HUH?

Posted in: News & Reviews
Tags: , , , , ,
  • Katie-Beth

    I agree with Katherine. This article could have been worded in a different way that would have made the point just as well and possibly better without being so condescending towards those with other views. Gurl’s articles lately have been very harsh. I support you gurls standing up for what you beleive in, I have since I joined back in 2003, but some of the articles lately have just been a little ridiculous and kind of offensive. The sad part is, I believe a lot of the articles have really good and valuable points that gurls should read, but they come of sounding so blown out of proportion and severe that the actual value of them becomes degraded. I miss the old gurl that supported gurls and gurls’ beliefs regardless of differences instead of just trashing large groups of people and gurls who have different beliefs. Gurls should be encouraged to question why and what they stand for, but they shouldn’t be trashed for it in articles from a site that was designed to help empower them.

  • Katherine

    Emerald Pellot, excuse me for saying this, but this statement, “Either you want women to have a cure for cancer or you want women to be able to have abortions? That’s not what we meant by the right to choose. Any reasonable person would want women to have both,” is not correct. Not every “reasonable person” is pro choice! I’m living proof! If you or your editor or whoever actually looks at these, please do something about it. I was actually kinda offended, because now, according to that statement, I am both a bad person and an unreasonable person.

    On a different note, I support the exams planned parenthood gives, but obviously not the abortions.

    • Emerald Pellot

      I never said being anti-abortion made you a bad person, I do however believe it makes you an unreasonable one. To me, no matter what you believe in, being a reasonable person means that you are inclusive. Being pro-choice allows you to have your own personal beliefs and it allows others to hold their own personal beliefs–that’s why it’s called “pro-choice” and not “pro-abortion.” Being a reasonable person means you know the difference between personal beliefs and social injustice. It means separating “I” from “Us”. What’s good for you isn’t what’s good for everyone. Being pro-choice allows all views to be legal and acceptable–so it is logically the reasonable choice.

      • Katherine

        Thank you for clarifying. What I mean by it saying that I was a bad person, was that by the way the phrase was worded, other people may see others who do not support abortion as bad people. If you had worded it to show that it was your opinion would have greatly helped. For example, “In my opinion, …” Thank you again for clarifying, and taking the time to respond.

  • Emma

    I feel so sad for the people who have cancer.

  • Chantelle

    I heard that Komen reversed that Disition after much complaining from many groups.

  • Kathleen

    Pretty sure super heroes want to save lives, not destroy them.

    • N.

      Yep, the superheroes want to save the lives of women suffering from breast cancer who may not get the treatment they need because anti-choice movements are taking funding from Planned Parenthood.

  • Sierra

    I have always supported Planned Parenthood, but I think it’s horrible that they are cutting funds! Do they not know how important it is to women everywhere that they are protected and have care when needed?