Quinn or lose
Dear Editor,
I am extremely disappointed in the statement of the Illinois bishops regarding Gov. Pat Quinn's decision to present an award at the upcoming Personal PAC event.
Quinn will be presenting an award to a rape victim who had the courage to share her story in order to help other women with similar stories. Quinn is a true champion for women in Illinois and should be commended, not denounced for his efforts in protecting women's health care.
Furthermore, the statement denounces Planned Parenthood, an organization dedicated to providing quality health care services to thousands of women and men—many of whom have no other access to health care—across the state every year.
At Planned Parenthood of Illinois, our services include life-saving cancer screenings, breast health care, contraceptive services, sexually transmitted disease prevention and treatment, men's health services and much more. More than 90 percent of the services we provide are preventive health care services that help women, families and communities stay healthy.
We also provide abortion services because we believe women deserve access to a full range of reproductive health care services so that each woman can decide what is best for her and her family.
Every day, Planned Parenthood works to prevent unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease by providing women and men with education and access to preventive health care. Instead of denouncing Quinn for standing up for women, the bishops should join his efforts to encourage health policies that improve the health care of women across the state.
Sincerely,
Carole Brite, President and CEO
Planned Parenthood of Illinois
Confronting the conference
To the editor,
The Catholic Conference of Illinois has taken issue with Gov. Quinn attending Personal PAC's Nov. 17 annual luncheon for the purpose of saying a few kind words about a woman who survived being raped and is now showing tremendous courage by speaking out publicly on behalf of all rape victims and their families. In its public statement, the Catholic Conference states "Our hearts go out to any victim of rape, one of the most personally violent crimes against women." I find this statement curious at best in light of the facts.
Several years ago, the Illinois General Assembly was working on a law requiring hospitals to offer information about emergency contraceptives to rape victims who were brought to emergency rooms, often accompanied by police officers who responded to the crime, following a sexual assault. Emergency contraception is a double dose of the birth control pill taken immediately after an assault that would prevent a rape victim from getting pregnant by the man who raped her.
The Catholic Conference of Illinois worked overtime lobbying legislators and preaching from the pulpit against this bill in order to ensure that it did not become law in Illinois. Despite its all-out effort the defeat this legislation, it was eventually approved. To say that your heart goes out to a rape victim and then attempt to deny her information about avoiding getting pregnant by the man who raped her seems rather cruel and heartless to me.
Terry Cosgrove
President & CEO
Personal PAC
A matter of Dignity
To the editor,
Thank you for the wonderful article highlighting Jim Bussen and his service to the Chicago LGBT community (in the Oct. 12 issue of Windy City Times). Jim's stewardship of Dignity nationwide was invaluable during a time of great crisis when Dignity chapters across the country were faced with an untenable choice: either remain in the good graces of the hierarchical church by rejecting Dignity's mission to affirm and celebrate our sexuality as a gift from God, or chart a course that would allow Dignity to retain its integrity and to fully develop its role of calling the Catholic Church to be just and inclusive.
We are grateful for Jim's vision, faith and, yes, even his anger and righteousness. Jim forged a place for people of faith within the LGBT community, but he also forged a place for LGBT people within the progressive Catholic movement. Today, DignityUSA and LGBT people are integral parts of organizations that seek the creation of a truly just and inclusive Catholic Church.
This article comes at a poignant time in Dignity/Chicago's history. This year, the chapter celebrates its 40th anniversary. Thousands have attended Dignity/Chicago's weekly Sunday Mass (more than 2,080 liturgies and counting).
This past year, Dignity/Chicago invited its first female priests to join the chapter's ministry team—a decision not without some controversy, but solidly in line with the chapter's justice ministry.
There are many to whom we owe much gratitude. The energy and spirit of Jim and others continue to drive our ministry and to ensure that LGBT Catholics, straight Catholics, women and men continue to have a faith community that celebrates their sexuality, gender and spirituality as loving, life-giving and life-affirming.
Sincerely,
Chris Pett, president of Dignity/Chicago
