Interview with Handmaid's Tale protester

Elena is one of the "Handmaid's Tale" protesters.  She talked to us about why she opposes the healthcare bill.

Transcript

00:00I'm president of a group called Planned Parenthood Generation Action and I've also been a patient

00:13at Planned Parenthood.

00:14So we dressed up and did a silent creative protest in order to protest the health care

00:19bill.

00:20It feels far too real.

00:35We're not taken from our homes or being forced to give birth.

00:39But the fact that access to reproductive health rights, to our birth control, that coverage

00:44could be taken away if these bills go through, there's threats against abortion access, all

00:48these things directly relate and feel very relevant.

00:54The most striking reaction we've got has been the negativity from politicians or legislators

01:01that they've been hesitant to interact with us just because it looks badly or they're

01:07uninterested.

01:08But overall the public support has been really phenomenal and I think that shows just how

01:13much in alignment we are as a nation, as a citizenry.

01:20Defunding Planned Parenthood would be devastating.

01:23I don't think folks realize just how much work they do in terms of supporting health

01:27care across the country.

01:29So taking that away would mean that thousands of people would be without access and then

01:34those people would have to access it through other providers who couldn't handle that amount

01:38of new patients.

01:41I rely on Planned Parenthood because it's affordable, it has easy access.

01:45As a student it's really important that I have a provider that I feel comfortable with

01:49and safe with.

01:50Feeling encouraged by the fact that the vote was delayed, that's definitely what we were

01:54aiming for and we're continuing to push it back until it's no longer a possibility.

01:58It's really important we keep up the protests and keep fighting back until our rights and

02:05our health care are 100% secured.

02:08We're still heading in a direction that's unknown.