June 20th, 2020
Within 48 hours of publishing our open letter, 325 current and former employees and 500 outside supporters signed-on in support of saving PPGNY by removing Laura McQuade. Over 800 people support her immediate resignation and yet last night the PPGNY Board stated they “fully support” her.
We are not surprised, this is exactly how white supremacy ultimately functions–to protect itself, no matter the cost.
The statement is a slap in the face to all staff who are tired of being gaslit and ignored. It is clear the Board and Laura McQuade have no intention of uprooting or dismantling white supremacy in the organization. “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” is simply the academic version of “thoughts and prayers” and we will not be mollified by empty gestures. The presence of non-white people in leadership does not provide absolution.
Glaringly absent from their response, which was mostly a copy and paste from the PPGNY “Equity Action Plan”, is any acknowledgement of financial mismanagement or verbal abuse by Laura McQuade. Does the Board want us to go into further detail and reveal documentation of these allegations?
Our demands are clear: immediately remove McQuade and those who continue to defend her toxic leadership.
From the overwhelming emails, tweets, and DMs we’ve received, we know we are not alone in this fight. It is time for a reckoning at Planned Parenthood. We will not give up. We are organized, we are unified, we are growing, and we are just getting started.
Save PPGNY 