National Institute For Reproductive Health Names 'Champions Of Choice'

New York City NY

06 May, 2022

1:33 PM

Description

Press release from Statement PR: May 6, 2022 The National Institute for Reproductive Health (NIRH) and NIRH Action Fund honored actress/comedian/director/producer Amy Schumer, Emmy-nominated actress/comedian Cecily Strong and President/CEO of Desert Star Family Planning Dr. DeShawn Taylor at their annual Champions of Choice awards on Wednesday, April 27, 2022, at Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York City. Known as one of New York City's premiere reproductive rights events, the luncheon was co-chaired by board members Dr. Cailin Fiss, Dr. Elizabeth Comen and filmmaker Dawn Porter with media personality Aisha C. Mills serving as emcee. Over 500 people were in attendance including prominent leaders in philanthropy, business, and politics. NIRH President Andrea Miller kicked off the afternoon program which included honoree presentations and acceptance speeches followed by video messages from Honorary Chairs Amy Brenneman and Kate Walsh who have been previously honored at this event. New York Governor Kathy Hochul was in attendance and gave a rousing speech with a message to anyone who needs to travel to New York State for abortion care as other states ban access: "Welcome to New York. Quote Taylor Swift! We will welcome you. We will take care of you." Cecily Strong accepted the Champions of Choice award with a speech that recounted her abortion experience earlier in life, and how she is now breaking through the stigma surrounding abortion that kept her silent for many years: "If we got to take the conversation back at the very least we'd see how many of us there are and maybe we'd feel less alone and then less powerless. Because as we all know, right now, we absolutely cannot be powerless." Amy Schumer accepted her Champions of Choice award with a pledge to donate $10,000 to the National Institute for Reproductive Health. And Dr. DeShawn Taylor spoke about how she is inspired by the principles of the reproductive justice movement, and that when she decided to provide abortion care to all who need it in the politically hostile state of Arizona, "I knew that was saying 'yes' to a calling. My practice is my ministry. It is a combination of my spirituality and deep regard for justice." Champions of Choice was co-chaired by board members Dr. Cailin Fiss, Dr. Elizabeth Comen and filmmaker Dawn Porter. Other Honorary Chairs included Alysia Reiner (actress, producer), Merrin Dungey (actress, producer), Bonnie Fuller (CEO/editor of Hollywood Life), Lysa Heslov (director/producer), Lara Marcon (philanthropist), Nancy Silverman (philanthropist) and Lola C. West (financial advisor, change-maker). The National Institute for Reproductive Health (NIRH) and the National Institute for Reproductive Health Action Fund (NIRH Action Fund) are advocacy groups that fight for just and equitable access to reproductive health care and build political power for reproductive freedom. NIRH and its Action Fund launch campaigns, change policy, and elect candidates, all by working hand-in-hand with reproductive health, rights, and justice organizations in states and cities across the country. What makes NIRH unique is their approach of going on the offense to pass laws to ensure people get the care they need, while putting protections in place to counter efforts to further erode access to abortion, contraception, and maternal health care. NIRH's approach to advocacy, policy, and politics strives to center the people who are most impacted by barriers to care, historically underserved, and often under-represented -- Black women and Black communities, Indigenous and other communities of color, low-income people, young people, and immigrants. In past years, NIRH has honored important policymakers including Representative Ayanna Pressley, United States Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, NYS Senator & Majority leader Andrea Stewart Cousins, NYS Assembly member & Speaker Carl E. Hastie, and former Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg; those in popular culture and the media who have made it a priority to speak out on these issues, including Joanna Coles, Whoopi Goldberg, Kate Walsh, Lizz Winstead, and Martha Plimpton; and courageous independent abortion providers such as Kwajelyn Jackson and Amy Hagstrom Miller. For more information, please visit www.nirhealth.org. This press release was produced by Statement PR. The views expressed here are the author's own.