Note: I wrote this blog post for the Kentucky Family Association in Sept. 2022. After the organization had published it, we later found out that even more money was coming from Planned Parenthood to oppose the pro-life state constitutional amendment. I have removed some links that were originally in the article.
Protect Kentucky Access: Planned Parenthood's Coalition The pro-choice side of the political battle over the upcoming Constitutional Amendment vote has launched a well-organized, well-funded effort to defeat the pro-life initiative in Kentucky. The pro-choice side is led by Protect Kentucky Access, whose major backers are Planned Parenthood and the ACLU. All in all, the following groups are considered to be part of or allies of Protect Kentucky Access, based on their own website and based on social media connections and posts made on Facebook: LBGT Organizations:
Queer Kentucky
The Fairness Campaign
Richmond Pride
Politicians:
Craig Greenberg, candidate for Louisville mayor
Nima Kulkarni, State Representative in Louisville
Medical Organization:
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Kentucky
Legal Organization:
The ACLU of Kentucky
Additional Activist Organizations:
Hood to the Holler
Kentucky Health Justice Network
Kentucky Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice
Sexy Sex Ed
Sister Song
Kentucky Black Birth Workers Alliance
Kentucky Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice
Kentucky Health Justice Network
The pro-choice side through the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) seems to be using Unitarian Universalist churches such as the First Unitarian Church of Louisville, All Peoples Unitarian Universalist Congregation, and the Unitarian Universalist Church of Lexington to host their organizing events in favor of the pro-choice side on this state Constitutional amendment. Protect Kentucky Access has embraced slogans like, "Abortion is healthcare," "Stronger Together" (the slogan we remember from Hillary Clinton's 2016 Presidential election campaign), "Let's Defend Reproductive Freedom," and "Don't Let Politicians Restrict Your Freedom." They also claim to want to keep abortion "legal and safe" in Kentucky (dropping the "rare" part that used to be in that pro-choice slogan). The pro-choice side of the political battle wants to portray the fight as a battle for liberty for women in Kentucky to fight against the disease of (unwanted) pregnancy. What Protect Kentucky Access Has Been Doing: Protect Kentucky Access, like the Yes for Life campaign, has their own yard signs. The pro-choice side is canvassing in Louisville and Lexington. They've been trying to have a presence in Paducah and Owensboro. With Cinnamon Watts and Charlotte Goddard, they already have a presence in Hopkinsville. Protect Kentucky Access has been doing a virtual phone bank campaign where people are volunteering to make phone calls on behalf of the pro-choice side. They have been doing digital organizer training. They have been getting people to sign a pledge to vote no on Constitutional Amendment 2. Of course, signing that pledge then gets you into their email list and phone number so that Protect Kentucky Access (Planned Parenthood et al.) can remind you to vote No. Protect Kentucky Access has more than 1,000 followers on Facebook. That does not include the other followers of Planned Parenthood directly. Planned Parenthood has been preparing for this vote since at least October 2021, getting people involved through Facebook. The Protect Kentucky Access group has a presence on Instagram and Twitter also. Protect Kentucky Access has been doing abortion access rally events at various locations across the state, and on October 8th, they are expected to do another pro-choice rally.
Out-of-State Money: Follow the Money, a project of Open Secrets, says that Protect Kentucky Access has received at least $315,000 in donations from just Planned Parenthood of Washington State, Planned Parenthood Federation, and the ACLU alone to oppose the pro-life state constitutional amendment. $230,000 of that was from Planned Parenthood Great Northwest in Washington State, most or all of which given late 2021. Their campaign against the pro-life initiative has continued to raise even more money since then from various donors.
Additional Money Raised for Pro-Choice Side:
Akilah Hughes, a former resident of the Los Angeles, California area who later apparently moved to Kentucky, has already raised more than $9,000 on GoFundMe to support the pro-choice side.
Pro-Life Groups You Can Donate to Instead:
Candidate campaigns and ballot initiative campaigns cost a lot of money. In this ballot initiative campaign, the pro-life side expects to be greatly outspent by the pro-choice side. While we at the Kentucky Family Association can receive money for the pro-life endeavor, if you would like to support the pro-life side in this endeavor, you can also donate to at least two other different organizations.
The first organization, Kentucky Doctors for Life, is raising money to put radio ads on radio stations throughout Kentucky, with a focus on Louisville, rural southern Kentucky, and Owensboro. But if they get enough money, they may decide to put more ads on more stations. You can listen to their ad on their own website in the link we provided earlier in this paragraph. They accept donations via PayPal and donations by check at their mailing address:
Kentucky Doctors for Life
PO BOX 6418
Louisville, KY 40206-0418
The second organization, the Yes for Life Campaign, is raising money for various communications, bumper stickers, and a whole host of other items promoting the yes vote for the pro-life Constitutional Amendment. Organizations such as The Family Foundation, Kentucky Right to Life, and Sisters for Life are behind that effort. You can donate to their campaign through their website.
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