Taquiena Boston, Director of Multicultural Growth and Witness for the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA), has issued a statement in response to the U.S. House of Representatives' vote to cut funding to Planned Parenthood and Title X:

The UUA joins the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, the Religious Institute, and the Religious Action Center in supporting Planned Parenthood and other reproductive justice organizations that provide critical services to women, men, and families who otherwise could not afford quality health care and services.

The vote by the U.S. House of Representatives would cut funding not only to Planned Parenthood but to Title X, which provides support for many family planning programs and reproductive health care centers.

The House's decision disproportionately affects low-income women by threatening their access to affordable health care provided by organizations like Planned Parenthood, including contraception and pre-natal care. This also impacts young women and families who rely on the plethora of services available at Planned Parenthood such as sexual health education and reproductive options counseling. By denying funding, our government is denying many low-income women, including teens and young women, the right to access services that promote their well-being.

As Unitarian Universalists, we are called by our principles to affirm and promote justice, equality, and compassion, especially for those in our communities who are voiceless and vulnerable. In the midst of questions about our nation’s budget and allocation of resources, we are called as people of faith and good will to let our leaders know that addressing our current financial crisis should not come at the expense of the most vulnerable among us.

The bill to cut funding for Planned Parenthood and Title X now moves to the U.S. Senate for a vote. Let us use our voices to contact our Senators; let us ask, encourage, and demand that they say no to cutting funding to Planned Parenthood and Title X. It is vital that they lift up the well-being of all women and families.

The UUA is a faith community of more than 1,000 self-governing congregations that bring to the world a vision of religious freedom, tolerance, and social justice. Unitarian Universalism is a theologically diverse, non-creedal religion in which members support one another in the search for truth and meaning.

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