Congressional Republicans are trying their best to defund Planned Parenthood, but the organization isn't going down without a fight. Planned Parenthood has declared Sept. 29 "Pink Out Day," and the organization is offering free STD testing at clinics across the United States. The STD testing services are available in 28 cities on Tuesday, and Planned Parenthood expects millions of people to support the event. If you stand with Planned Parenthood but don't live in one of the selected cities (or you don't need STD testing), you can still show your support for "National Pink Out Day" on Facebook and Twitter by changing your social media profiles.
Planned Parenthood has encouraged supporters to show they stand with Planned Parenthood by wearing pink on Tuesday and by "pinking out" their Facebook and Twitter profile photos. The profile photo change can be as simple as uploading an image of yourself wearing pink or adding a pink filter on top of your existing profile photo.
The easiest way to "pink out" your profile, though, is by adding Planned Parenthood's Twibbon, which includes a pink filter and a #StandwithPP speech bubble, onto your profile photo. The handy Twibbon button connects to both Facebook and Twitter accounts so all you have to do is log in here.
If you really want to support Planned Parenthood's cause, you can also use the Twibbon to "pink out" your Facebook cover image, in addition to your profile picture. The Twibbon app will add a pink filter and a speech bubble reading "I Stand with Planned Parenthood" to your Facebook cover. The site also allows you to tweet and create Facebook posts promoting your new image, using the hashtags #PinkOut and #StandwithPP. If you're in Salt Lake City, Utah, or Concord, New Hampshire, you can also support "Pink Out Day" efforts by participating in a march on Utah's State Capitol and an evening vigil in Concord. Check out the full list of "Pink Out Day" rallies and events across the country to see if there's anything in your area on Tuesday.
It's no coincidence that Planned Parenthood chose Tuesday as "National Pink Out Day." The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform is holding a hearing on Tuesday about the allegations that Planned Parenthood is selling the tissues of aborted fetuses for medical research. House Republicans wanted the committee to investigate videos, released by the Center for Medical Progress, that allegedly depicted Planned Parenthood employees discussing the aborted fetuses' medical use, arguing that Planned Parenthood is acting illegally by selling the fetuses. Planned Parenthood, for its part, maintains that the videos have been altered by anti-abortion supporters, and that it does not make money from working with medical researchers.
Cecile Richards, Planned Parenthood's president, testified before the committee on Tuesday morning, defending the organization's participation in fetal tissue research. "While our involvement with fetal tissue research is a small component of Planned Parenthood, it offers the potential of lifesaving research," Richards said Tuesday. "We stand behind our affiliates that contribute to these efforts to discover medical breakthroughs."
