A wide range of liberal artists donated their talents for a project to benefit Planned Parenthood, the organization that performed 323,999 abortions in 2014-15, according to its latest annual report, and received $553.7 million in federal health care grants and reimbursements in the year that ended June 30, 2015.
The project, with high-profile contributors like John Legend and Lady Gaga, resulted in a box set of records dubbed “7 inches for Planned Parenthood.”
“The A-side of an upcoming 7-inch record plays a Bon Iver song,” PBS NewsHour reported in a preview of the project. “Flip the record over, and it’s a self-recording of Dr. Willie Parker, an abortion provider in the Deep South, talking about how he faces daily jeers from protesters.”
“Grab a second album, and listen to comedian Zach Galifianakis, and a song featuring musicians John Legend and St. Vincent,” PBS NewsHour reported.
The Kickstarter project The Creative Independent put together the box set because “lawmakers with extreme views are working hard to shut down Planned Parenthood” and “7-inches for Planned Parenthood is a response to this threat,” according to its Facebook page.
“We wanted to make something that felt useful and actually was useful, not just another thing adding noise,” Brandon Stosuy, editor in chief at The Creative Independent, said.
“In the months since November’s election, many other artists, record labels and streaming platforms have worked to raise money for progressive organizations, including the ACLU, Southern Poverty Law Center and the Trevor Project,” PBS NewsHour reported.
The Creative Independent’s Facebook page states:
Lawmakers with extreme views are working hard to shut down Planned Parenthood. If they succeed, millions of Americans will lose access to basic health services, including STD testing and treatment, birth control, and life-saving cancer screenings.
7-inches for Planned Parenthood is a response to this threat. This curated series of 7-inch vinyl records is being made by a group of people who believe that access to health care is a public good that should be fiercely protected. Do we know there’s a joke in the name? We do. We hope the title evokes the rich history of 7-inch vinyl records as a medium for protest music and resistance.
Planned Parenthood, in fact, only provides basic breast examinations and has to refer patients elsewhere for mammograms and other cancer screenings.
“In late March, Vice President Mike Pence cast a tie-breaking vote in the Senate to allow states to withhold federal funding from Planned Parenthood and other family planning organizations,” PBS NewsHour reported.
Comedian Zach Galifianakis joined the musicians taking part in the project, which also included Sharon Van Etten, the Foo Fighters and Mary J. Bliger.
Roberto Lange, who performs as the electro-pop artist Helado Negro, told PBS NewsHour participating in the fundraiser let him “stand up for what he believes.”
“Music and performance – that’s a form of resistance for me,” Lange said.
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