Planned Parenthood Channelled Margaret Atwood At Their Protest Yesterday And Powerful Is An Understatement
If you've ever read Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale, then you'll recognise the red floor-length capes and white 'wings'.
The 1985 dystopian novel inspired Planned Parenthood's most recent protest, which took place at Capitol Hill in Washington D.C. In partnership with organisation Move On, the march was in opposition of the Senate GOP's latest healthcare bill, which could potentially see devastating funding cuts to healthcare centres across the US that offers abortion services and other forms of birth control.
Fern Whyland, communications director at Planned Parenthood told The Hill: 'It would be the worst bill for women in generations and decimate women's healthcare. It's a healthcare bill with no healthcare.'
For those who haven't read the book - or seen the new series on Hulu (US) or Channel 4 (UK) - women are kept in captivity and impregnated against their will, with the red and white uniform worn to indicate their role within society.
Volunteer for Planned Parenthood and handmaiden for the day, Elena Lipsiea, also spoke to The Hill, adding: “Dressing up as a handmaid gives a clear message to our administration and the Senate about how seriously we take their decisions and how radically it can affect our lives.”
Similar protests took part in other states including Ohio and Texas. The most concerning part is that at this rate, Trump's America may slowly start to resemble Atwood's Gilead.