Women’s Health Advocates Celebrate Roe Anniversary; Honor Local Leader and Trailblazer Shirley Gordon

ALBANY, NY (01/18/2008)(readMedia)-- Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood will hold its annual celebration of the historic Roe v. Wade decision on January 22, 2008 at the Fort Orange Club in downtown Albany. Advocates for women’s health from around the Capital Region, as well as local and state legislators, are expected to turn out to hear UHPP Board Chair, Rabbi Don Cashman, review the challenges and expectations for what will be a critical year for reproductive health and rights. Many will also attend specifically to applaud Shirley Gordon, this year’s recipient of the Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood’s Advocate for Choice Award.

According to UHPP President/CEO, Patricia McGeown, 2008 is a most appropriate year to remember and pay tribute to the work of Gordon, who was the founding director of Family Planning Advocates of New York State. “Shirley had—and still has--an incredible amount of energy and determination, combined with a solid knowledge of health care needs and institutions in the State of New York. With that energy and expertise, she built the state’s most powerful pro-choice grassroots network, reaching into every election district. She brought together Planned Parenthood affiliates, other family planning providers and over 100 civic, labor, health and human service agencies dedicated to promoting access to the full range of reproductive health services for women and adolescents. And she established an intensive, year round, Albany-based advocacy program targeting New York’s policymakers at every level of government.”

That network and movement remains powerful today, and has helped make New York one of the most progressive states in areas of access to reproductive health care services and protection of reproductive rights. But, according to McGeown, important cornerstones in the foundation have been under great pressure and are showing signs of weakness or failure.

“Federal and state financial pressures have been squeezing family planning providers dry,” McGeown explained. “We must see increases in family planning funding or patient services will suffer resulting in higher rates of unintended pregnancy, abortion and sexually transmitted infections. We must also work with our new Governor to shore up the right to make personal, private decisions about childbearing without government interference. This means passing the Reproductive Rights and Privacy Protection Act.

With the inspiration of leaders like Shirley Gordon, and the participation of hundreds of thousands of activists across the state, we will restore these cornerstones and strengthen our foundation, so that New York continues to be a leader in providing compassionate, affordable health care to women and families.”

Each year Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood presents the Advocate for Choice award to an individual who has made an exceptional contribution to the preservation of reproductive rights. Past award recipients have included Senator Neil Breslin, Assemblyman Ron Canestrari, former Senator Minority Leader and now Lieutenant Governor, David A. Paterson, the Albany Medical College chapter of Medical Students for Choice and Democratic Party organizer and leader, Denise King.

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Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood is a non-profit organization serving Albany, Columbia, Greene and Rensselaer Counties. It administers four health centers in downtown Albany, Latham, Troy and Hudson and provides medical services to over 10,000 men and women each year. The organization is know as a leading expert is sex education and provides hundreds of educational programs each year to thousands of youth and professionals. UHPP is also a strong advocate for legislation supporting reproductive health and choice.