At least 50 Kentuckians rallied outside Planned Parenthood in Louisville on Saturday, chanting “Defund! Defund!” The demonstration happened in conjunction with more than 200 other rallies nationwide.
Dawn Heuglin, president of the board for Louisville Right to Life, said the purpose of the weekend’s demonstration was to share truth.
“We know abortion is not healthcare,” Heuglin said. “That is the biggest message we need to get out is that abortion is not healthcare, and our taxpayer money should not be going to take the lives of innocent human beings.”
A local priest led prayer, Angela Minter of Sisters for Life spoke and then demonstrators did a Jericho walk – lapping the Planned Parenthood facility seven times while praying and bearing signs that said “DEFUND PLANNED PARENTHOOD NOW!”
“The whole idea is that [through] public presence we hope to get people thinking and questioning and educating themselves so that they are knowledgeable on the topic,” Heuglin said.
She urged Kentuckians to reach out to their elected representatives about passing the federal budget reconciliation bill, which cleared the Senate with a tiebreaking vote from Vice President JD Vance on Tuesday.
Heuglin said there’s concern tied up in that win since Congress reduced the defunding period for Planned Parenthood from 10 years to one year.
“We’re disappointed in that,” she said. “Hopeful that things will change and it will remain after the one year. It’s a win. It’s a victory…but also a little disappointing.”
A demonstrator displays a sign at Saturday’s rally to defund Planned Parenthood in Louisville. (Facebook photo)
Kentucky’s two Planned Parenthood affiliates in Louisville and Lexington do not provide abortions under the state’s pro-life laws, but Heuglin said the legal status of abortion doesn’t mean the issue no longer touches the bluegrass state. Or that Planned Parenthood no longer exerts influence when it comes to electively ending pregnancies in Kentucky.
“We are still seeing the abortion pill, mifepristone, come across state lines. We don’t have a good accounting for that because it’s illegal,” Heuglin noted. “We know that Planned Parenthood is still referring people to abortion clinics out of state.”
On their website, the Louisville Planned Parenthood clinic provides resource information for women seeking abortions, including links to telehealth abortion providers like Plan C, the National Network of Abortion Funds and a form to locate abortion services at nearby Planned Parenthood affiliates where abortion is legal.
“It’s a scary thing because people think that abortion is no longer an issue because it’s no longer legal in our state, except for the health of the mother, but that’s really not an accurate view,” Heuglin said.
(Photo: Pro-life Kentuckians gather in Louisville to demand Planned Parenthood be defunded, courtesy of Kentucky Today)
By Tessa Redmond, Kentucky Today
