I’ve seen some of these creators on TikTok posting anti-contraceptive content… It IS disturbing. It certainly seems like a new trend aimed at filling young girls’ minds with disinformation — making them question birth control, their ‘roles’, etc.. We need more young, FEMINIST, pro-choice girls to counter them with facts, and a giant middle finger. Just like the Right fed the manosphere with misogynistic ‘bro’ culture, I fear they are now working on the women.Conservatives are much better at this type of manipulation - it swayed the election. So many young men felt they were in ‘crisis’ - because TikTok told them they were. That they were ‘owed’ women. That women were doing better, taking their jobs. Fuck that. Those men are now solidly team Trump, and it will be hard to change their minds :( And we need to continue to use the term ‘forced birth.’ Always. Because that’s what it is, and it makes people think.
More from Vermont on Act 20 from Planned Parenthood of Northern New England: S. 28 (Now Act 20) An act relating to access to certain legally protected health care services
Senate Health and Welfare Committee
Jessica Barquist, Vice President of Public Affairs
February 13, 2025
Planned Parenthood of Northern New England provides comprehensive reproductive and sexual health care to more than 16,000 people in Vermont at seven health centers located in Burlington, Williston, St. Johnsbury, Barre, White River Junction, Rutland, and Brattleboro and virtually through our telehealth program. People turn to us for affordable, high-quality care including wellness exams, birth control, sexually transmitted infections testing and treatment, cancer screenings, abortion care, vasectomies, as well as a variety of limited primary care services. PPNNE sees everyone who comes to us regardless of their ability to pay, and 54% of our patients have low incomes (defined as less than twice the Federal Poverty level). Last fiscal year, we provided $1.3M in free and discounted care to our communities in Vermont, a significant increase from 802,000 in FY23.
As a mission-driven health care provider, we believe in a future where everyone—no matter where they live or how much they earn—can access affordable, high-quality sexual and reproductive health care in their own communities. All people deserve comprehensive reproductive health care, including abortion and gender-affirming care, free from shame, stigma, and intimidation. Yet, we know that powerful barriers—stigma, harassment, and fear of prosecution—continue to stand in the way. That is why the state of Vermont must continue to take bold steps to protect privacy, safeguard access, and ensure that no one is forced to choose between their health and their safety.
The fall of Roe has had devastating and far-reaching consequences, disproportionately harming people who have always faced systemic barriers to care — communities of color, the LGBTQIA+ community, undocumented immigrants, young people, those living in rural communities, people with disabilities, and people with low incomes. These communities, and all of us, deserve a future where essential health care is accessible without fear, without shame, and without political interference.
Vermont, thanks to the bold and innovative work of this committee, was one of the very first in the nation to safeguard abortion and gender-affirming care. These
protections are now more essential than ever. As attacks on reproductive and gender-affirming health care escalate across the country, Vermont stands as a beacon of hope—offering care, dignity, and safety to those forced to travel from states that criminalize these services.
This bill is a crucial next step in ensuring that providers can continue delivering essential care without fear of legal threats or political interference, which is why PPNNE/PPVTAF strongly support this legislation By strengthening protections, Vermont reaffirms its commitment to health care access, bodily autonomy, and the fundamental right of all people to make their own medical decisions.
Section 3: Updates to Professional Standards
While we whole-heartedly support the intent of this section, we have concerns about the language on Pg 10 line 7 (D) failing to review and approve information about treatment or health care services that are provided using or relying upon the licensee’s name or license prior to communication of the information to users or potential users of the treatment or services;
The wording is unclear—it's ambiguous whether it refers to information given to users or potential users, health care services provided to users, or services offered specifically by the entity or in general. I think ideally, we would want to say that licensed provider needs to review all the medical/health related information that is being given to users, so we would suggest language more in line with:
(D) failing to review and approve medical information provided by the entity or other information provided by the entity relating to medical treatment or health care services
Ideally this section would make it clear providers are responsible for all of the information provided to users about health care services, whether or not the entity provides those services.
Sections 3 & 5: Establishing a patient relationship via adaptive questionnaire
This section is critical for expanding access in the state and we fully support it as written. Medication abortion is highly safe, and the questionnaire uses best medical practices to effectively screen out individuals who may not be suitable candidates.
While we believe it is included in the scope of “termination of a pregnancy”, it may be worth specifying miscarriage management as well, so the language in sec 3, page 11 line 19 and section 5 page 17 line 10 would read:
to terminate an individual’s pregnancy or for the treatment of a miscarriage.
Section 8: Confidentiality of Prescriber Information
This section is critically important to reproductive and gender affirming care providers in this state, including PPNNE’s health care providers.
As one Vermont PPNNE provider shared, “I am an abortion provider and a clinician who prescribes gender-affirming medications daily. Abortion and gender-affirming care are life-saving health care for many of our community members. I do this work because I am called to do so, however I practice knowing this makes me a target. The reality is we live in a world where abortion providers have been murdered, their partners and children are threatened, and the risk of violence entering and exiting the clinic is something we weigh each and every time we step through the doors. We are seeing increasing legal challenges to this care that is ratified and protected in the Vermont constitution; we have decided as a state that access to this care is a right. We are seeing states where abortion or gender-affirming care is illegal, reaching across their borders to prosecute providers.
As a clinician, who wants to continue to provide abortions and gender-affirming health care for our community, I implore the Vermont Legislature to remove our personal identities from these life-saving medications including abortion prescriptions and gender-affirming prescriptions. This will help protect the providers from becoming targets of personal violence and also help prevent the attempted criminalization from other states. This body has a responsibility to shield the health care providers in Vermont from increasing attacks on this safe, legal, and vital care. Thank you.”
We applaud the committee for including gender affirming care in this provision. PPNNE agrees that this protection is critical in today’s climate where trans rights and health care are under scrutiny and attack.
One concern that may arise and complicate this section is that the federal government has the ability to reclassify drugs. For example, testosterone is classified as a schedule III-controlled substance. All controlled substances are documented, in the state’s prescription drug monitoring system. We would like to suggest that this provision could be expanded and enhanced to also protect patient confidentiality by
prohibiting the recording of abortion or gender-affirming care data in the prescription drug database.
Language for this section could include:
Medications specifically prescribed for reproductive health care services and gender-affirming health care services shall be excluded from the electronic monitoring program unless reporting of such is determined by the department to be necessary to protect the public health.
Vermont shall not collect, maintain, or use individually identifiable data on gender-affirming health care services provided in Vermont and shall not disclose, or disseminate disaggregated data or individually identifiable surveillance data on gender-affirming health care services.
Thank you for your continued efforts to protect Vermonter’s access to legally protected health care and for the thoughtful ways you ensure Vermont’s health care providers are protected for providing this essential, legally protected health care.
I call BS on ADF claiming victory in its "right-grievance" First Amendment lawsuit on behalf of "pregnancy crisis centers" against Vermont for enacting Act 20. Here is how one of my Vermont State Senators responded when I challenged them on it:
Hi Jean,
Thank you for writing.
I did vote yes because the bill takes significant steps to further protect reproductive healthcare, and to protect medical providers who provide reproductive healthcare to people who come to Vermont from other states.
I'm very confused by the newsletter and the news article you forwarded, I also think they are incorrect statements about what the actual law does. Planned Parenthood came out in strong support of the bill (see attached document) and the sponsors of the bill are strong pro-choice supporters. As I read the actual language, it appears to broaden the scope of who can be sanctioned for deceptive practices, which is likely why the VT Hospital Association opposed that section (see attached document). I've also attached the bill if you'd like to read it.
I have also CC'ed Senator Harrison so she can be aware of this issue.
Earle-Sears, who is Virginia’s current lieutenant governor, said that women who have sex “already made a choice.” She insisted on a podcast—just days after Roe was overturned—that “we need to make our choices before we’re pregnant, not, you know, after.”
The idea that consent to sex is consent to pregnancy is common in anti-abortion extremism. In fact, I wrote a whole column about it:
End Quote
More to the point, enthusiasm for sex is not consent to pregnancy. Furthermore, enthusiasm for sex is necessary for pregnancy if she wants to be pregnant. But its hard for women to be enthusiastic for sex, if they risk their own lives if they get pregnant, even if they want to be pregnant. So if anyone wants to encourage parenthood, they have to reassure couples that nobody will bother them if she feels like she needs to get an abortion.
I get it. Alas, fear does not put those fires out. And it shouldn't. Pausing for sex is a dangerous business for our ancestors, leaving us with powerful instincts that resist fear. They are just making people miserable, which they confuse with discipline.
Our country has a high degree of reproductive science illiteracy and the media definitely isn't helping. Emergency contraception and abortion pills get lumped together all the time. And I think there are a lot of people who actually believes that pregnancy is established DURING sex so that anything done after the sexual act constitutes abortion. The US desperately needs medically accurate comprehensive sex education in the schools. In my perfect world lawmakers would have to pass a basic economics, law, science and biology literacy test before taking office.
I was a religious anti-abortion activist in the 1970's. One of the reasons I left was that, after a lot of reading I realized the leadership was lying to us. They have no problem committing the "sin" of lying for the "greater good" of forcing women and girls to stay pregnant and give birth even if it kills them.
I was a clinic escort in the 1980s in Kentucky. I learned first hand from the "rescuers" and the CPC "staff" how much lying and manipulation were their go-to tactics
Well, here we both are in 2025. Sure looks like some things never change!
"Sometimes I can't believe people like this exist."
Yeah. That's the problem. Most people on our side can't. So we end up not knowing what we're fighting. Name the enemy. They're religious fanatics. There are tens of millions of these mfers in this country. The house is full of fucking termites. Read Andra Watkins.
They form (a big) part of the larger population of racists in this country. America absolutely hates women, but it's often also incidental to the racism, which is the founding principle of our country (remember we were built on two genocides).
The 'cultural panic' is because the country is getting too brown. The plan is:
1. Deport all noncitizen brown people (and some citizens too)
2. Incarcerate rest of brown people.
3. Force White women to have lots of babies.
This pretty much explains everything. It really is that simple, despite what anybody else tries to tell you. And yes, it's sickening.
There is absolutely nothing winsome about Earle-Sears. She might have the least appropriate name I've ever seen. Hopefully my fellow Virginia voters will do the right thing and help me consign her to a dumpster.
As an aside, someone elsewhere called her Temu Barbie, which might be my new favorite nickname.
Like none. They are all like teens and young adults who are still quite vulnerable to brainwashing especially if they grew up being told what to think. I have mentored young women for decades and when you empower them they don’t give that power up easily. It’s the biggest gift I have given them. This lives and futures are in their own hands any anyone who tries to take that from you must be resisted. That, and always have your own bank account and credit cards. Watching them go kick ass in the world is their gift to me.
"Since When is Emergency Contraception 'Controversial?"
When it prevents a female from baking rapists' sperm to term, of course.
BS on ADFLegal what really happened in Vermont with Act 20:
https://vtdigger.org/2025/06/05/anti-abortion-advocates-drop-federal-lawsuit-against-vermont-after-lawmakers-nix-language-targeting-crisis-pregnancy-centers/
I’ve seen some of these creators on TikTok posting anti-contraceptive content… It IS disturbing. It certainly seems like a new trend aimed at filling young girls’ minds with disinformation — making them question birth control, their ‘roles’, etc.. We need more young, FEMINIST, pro-choice girls to counter them with facts, and a giant middle finger. Just like the Right fed the manosphere with misogynistic ‘bro’ culture, I fear they are now working on the women.Conservatives are much better at this type of manipulation - it swayed the election. So many young men felt they were in ‘crisis’ - because TikTok told them they were. That they were ‘owed’ women. That women were doing better, taking their jobs. Fuck that. Those men are now solidly team Trump, and it will be hard to change their minds :( And we need to continue to use the term ‘forced birth.’ Always. Because that’s what it is, and it makes people think.
Congratulations Grace!
More from Vermont on Act 20 from Planned Parenthood of Northern New England: S. 28 (Now Act 20) An act relating to access to certain legally protected health care services
Senate Health and Welfare Committee
Jessica Barquist, Vice President of Public Affairs
February 13, 2025
Planned Parenthood of Northern New England provides comprehensive reproductive and sexual health care to more than 16,000 people in Vermont at seven health centers located in Burlington, Williston, St. Johnsbury, Barre, White River Junction, Rutland, and Brattleboro and virtually through our telehealth program. People turn to us for affordable, high-quality care including wellness exams, birth control, sexually transmitted infections testing and treatment, cancer screenings, abortion care, vasectomies, as well as a variety of limited primary care services. PPNNE sees everyone who comes to us regardless of their ability to pay, and 54% of our patients have low incomes (defined as less than twice the Federal Poverty level). Last fiscal year, we provided $1.3M in free and discounted care to our communities in Vermont, a significant increase from 802,000 in FY23.
As a mission-driven health care provider, we believe in a future where everyone—no matter where they live or how much they earn—can access affordable, high-quality sexual and reproductive health care in their own communities. All people deserve comprehensive reproductive health care, including abortion and gender-affirming care, free from shame, stigma, and intimidation. Yet, we know that powerful barriers—stigma, harassment, and fear of prosecution—continue to stand in the way. That is why the state of Vermont must continue to take bold steps to protect privacy, safeguard access, and ensure that no one is forced to choose between their health and their safety.
The fall of Roe has had devastating and far-reaching consequences, disproportionately harming people who have always faced systemic barriers to care — communities of color, the LGBTQIA+ community, undocumented immigrants, young people, those living in rural communities, people with disabilities, and people with low incomes. These communities, and all of us, deserve a future where essential health care is accessible without fear, without shame, and without political interference.
Vermont, thanks to the bold and innovative work of this committee, was one of the very first in the nation to safeguard abortion and gender-affirming care. These
protections are now more essential than ever. As attacks on reproductive and gender-affirming health care escalate across the country, Vermont stands as a beacon of hope—offering care, dignity, and safety to those forced to travel from states that criminalize these services.
This bill is a crucial next step in ensuring that providers can continue delivering essential care without fear of legal threats or political interference, which is why PPNNE/PPVTAF strongly support this legislation By strengthening protections, Vermont reaffirms its commitment to health care access, bodily autonomy, and the fundamental right of all people to make their own medical decisions.
Section 3: Updates to Professional Standards
While we whole-heartedly support the intent of this section, we have concerns about the language on Pg 10 line 7 (D) failing to review and approve information about treatment or health care services that are provided using or relying upon the licensee’s name or license prior to communication of the information to users or potential users of the treatment or services;
The wording is unclear—it's ambiguous whether it refers to information given to users or potential users, health care services provided to users, or services offered specifically by the entity or in general. I think ideally, we would want to say that licensed provider needs to review all the medical/health related information that is being given to users, so we would suggest language more in line with:
(D) failing to review and approve medical information provided by the entity or other information provided by the entity relating to medical treatment or health care services
Ideally this section would make it clear providers are responsible for all of the information provided to users about health care services, whether or not the entity provides those services.
Sections 3 & 5: Establishing a patient relationship via adaptive questionnaire
This section is critical for expanding access in the state and we fully support it as written. Medication abortion is highly safe, and the questionnaire uses best medical practices to effectively screen out individuals who may not be suitable candidates.
While we believe it is included in the scope of “termination of a pregnancy”, it may be worth specifying miscarriage management as well, so the language in sec 3, page 11 line 19 and section 5 page 17 line 10 would read:
to terminate an individual’s pregnancy or for the treatment of a miscarriage.
Section 8: Confidentiality of Prescriber Information
This section is critically important to reproductive and gender affirming care providers in this state, including PPNNE’s health care providers.
As one Vermont PPNNE provider shared, “I am an abortion provider and a clinician who prescribes gender-affirming medications daily. Abortion and gender-affirming care are life-saving health care for many of our community members. I do this work because I am called to do so, however I practice knowing this makes me a target. The reality is we live in a world where abortion providers have been murdered, their partners and children are threatened, and the risk of violence entering and exiting the clinic is something we weigh each and every time we step through the doors. We are seeing increasing legal challenges to this care that is ratified and protected in the Vermont constitution; we have decided as a state that access to this care is a right. We are seeing states where abortion or gender-affirming care is illegal, reaching across their borders to prosecute providers.
As a clinician, who wants to continue to provide abortions and gender-affirming health care for our community, I implore the Vermont Legislature to remove our personal identities from these life-saving medications including abortion prescriptions and gender-affirming prescriptions. This will help protect the providers from becoming targets of personal violence and also help prevent the attempted criminalization from other states. This body has a responsibility to shield the health care providers in Vermont from increasing attacks on this safe, legal, and vital care. Thank you.”
We applaud the committee for including gender affirming care in this provision. PPNNE agrees that this protection is critical in today’s climate where trans rights and health care are under scrutiny and attack.
One concern that may arise and complicate this section is that the federal government has the ability to reclassify drugs. For example, testosterone is classified as a schedule III-controlled substance. All controlled substances are documented, in the state’s prescription drug monitoring system. We would like to suggest that this provision could be expanded and enhanced to also protect patient confidentiality by
prohibiting the recording of abortion or gender-affirming care data in the prescription drug database.
Language for this section could include:
Medications specifically prescribed for reproductive health care services and gender-affirming health care services shall be excluded from the electronic monitoring program unless reporting of such is determined by the department to be necessary to protect the public health.
Vermont shall not collect, maintain, or use individually identifiable data on gender-affirming health care services provided in Vermont and shall not disclose, or disseminate disaggregated data or individually identifiable surveillance data on gender-affirming health care services.
Thank you for your continued efforts to protect Vermonter’s access to legally protected health care and for the thoughtful ways you ensure Vermont’s health care providers are protected for providing this essential, legally protected health care.
I call BS on ADF claiming victory in its "right-grievance" First Amendment lawsuit on behalf of "pregnancy crisis centers" against Vermont for enacting Act 20. Here is how one of my Vermont State Senators responded when I challenged them on it:
Hi Jean,
Thank you for writing.
I did vote yes because the bill takes significant steps to further protect reproductive healthcare, and to protect medical providers who provide reproductive healthcare to people who come to Vermont from other states.
I'm very confused by the newsletter and the news article you forwarded, I also think they are incorrect statements about what the actual law does. Planned Parenthood came out in strong support of the bill (see attached document) and the sponsors of the bill are strong pro-choice supporters. As I read the actual language, it appears to broaden the scope of who can be sanctioned for deceptive practices, which is likely why the VT Hospital Association opposed that section (see attached document). I've also attached the bill if you'd like to read it.
I have also CC'ed Senator Harrison so she can be aware of this issue.
Sen. Nader Hashim
Quote:
Earle-Sears, who is Virginia’s current lieutenant governor, said that women who have sex “already made a choice.” She insisted on a podcast—just days after Roe was overturned—that “we need to make our choices before we’re pregnant, not, you know, after.”
The idea that consent to sex is consent to pregnancy is common in anti-abortion extremism. In fact, I wrote a whole column about it:
End Quote
More to the point, enthusiasm for sex is not consent to pregnancy. Furthermore, enthusiasm for sex is necessary for pregnancy if she wants to be pregnant. But its hard for women to be enthusiastic for sex, if they risk their own lives if they get pregnant, even if they want to be pregnant. So if anyone wants to encourage parenthood, they have to reassure couples that nobody will bother them if she feels like she needs to get an abortion.
A lot of the antis are very sex negative. They think too much nookie is going on.
So, what better way to cut down on all the nookie than by making women fear pregnancy by making abortion and contraception harder to get.
After all, it's what worked in the past. Right?
I get it. Alas, fear does not put those fires out. And it shouldn't. Pausing for sex is a dangerous business for our ancestors, leaving us with powerful instincts that resist fear. They are just making people miserable, which they confuse with discipline.
Our country has a high degree of reproductive science illiteracy and the media definitely isn't helping. Emergency contraception and abortion pills get lumped together all the time. And I think there are a lot of people who actually believes that pregnancy is established DURING sex so that anything done after the sexual act constitutes abortion. The US desperately needs medically accurate comprehensive sex education in the schools. In my perfect world lawmakers would have to pass a basic economics, law, science and biology literacy test before taking office.
The Project 2025 people don't even want kids learning about the menstrual cycle in heath class.
It's a whole lot easier to control people when you keep them ignorant.
The voiceover is no longer available to me. Anyone know why?
💛💛 you all are the best
Thanks Grace!
Congratulations on your new role, Grace!
I was a religious anti-abortion activist in the 1970's. One of the reasons I left was that, after a lot of reading I realized the leadership was lying to us. They have no problem committing the "sin" of lying for the "greater good" of forcing women and girls to stay pregnant and give birth even if it kills them.
I was a clinic escort in the 1980s in Kentucky. I learned first hand from the "rescuers" and the CPC "staff" how much lying and manipulation were their go-to tactics
Well, here we both are in 2025. Sure looks like some things never change!
Congratulations on getting out of there! I’m sure it wasn’t easy.
I second that emotion!
"Sometimes I can't believe people like this exist."
Yeah. That's the problem. Most people on our side can't. So we end up not knowing what we're fighting. Name the enemy. They're religious fanatics. There are tens of millions of these mfers in this country. The house is full of fucking termites. Read Andra Watkins.
They form (a big) part of the larger population of racists in this country. America absolutely hates women, but it's often also incidental to the racism, which is the founding principle of our country (remember we were built on two genocides).
The 'cultural panic' is because the country is getting too brown. The plan is:
1. Deport all noncitizen brown people (and some citizens too)
2. Incarcerate rest of brown people.
3. Force White women to have lots of babies.
This pretty much explains everything. It really is that simple, despite what anybody else tries to tell you. And yes, it's sickening.
🎯
Unfortunately too many folks are in shock still…This disaster was a freight train coming from miles away. They don’t call them KKKristers for nothing.
There is absolutely nothing winsome about Earle-Sears. She might have the least appropriate name I've ever seen. Hopefully my fellow Virginia voters will do the right thing and help me consign her to a dumpster.
As an aside, someone elsewhere called her Temu Barbie, which might be my new favorite nickname.
I wonder how many of these TikTok influencers have children, or multiple children.
Like none. They are all like teens and young adults who are still quite vulnerable to brainwashing especially if they grew up being told what to think. I have mentored young women for decades and when you empower them they don’t give that power up easily. It’s the biggest gift I have given them. This lives and futures are in their own hands any anyone who tries to take that from you must be resisted. That, and always have your own bank account and credit cards. Watching them go kick ass in the world is their gift to me.
Probably all are forced birthers "cause "bitches be lying."