Planned Parenthood

Sex marks the spot: Planned Parenthood hosts its first Get Yourself Tested trivia night

In what U.S. state is it illegal for a man to have sex with a fish? If you want to know the answer -- and are looking for something both fun and educational to do Thursday night -- Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains has you covered. It's hosting a sex-trivia night at Hamburger Mary's Club M a ... More >>

Aborted fetus photos: Should protestors be allowed to display them where kids might see?

Should abortion protestors be allowed to wave signs featuring "gruesome images" in places where children might see them? That's the question two Colorado anti-abortion advocates and the Chicago-based Thomas More Society, a national pro-life law firm, want the U.S. Supreme Court to answer. "Children ... More >>

Some members of Congress are wackier than others

See also: Slide show: The 10 weirdest members of Congress

Fetal homicide bill defeated by Democrats not a Trojan horse for personhood, sponsor says

Update: As we reported yesterday, a fetal homicide bill sponsored by Republican Representative Janak Joshi was defeated along party lines, with Democrats saying they plan to bring forward a measure that accomplishes similar goals without being a "Trojan horse" for personhood; see our original covera ... More >>

Election night 2012: The best red, white and boo watching parties

Want to watch the 2012 election results as they come in but don't want to sit at home alone, screaming at the television? Or maybe you just want to celebrate an end to political campaign ads (until next election). Whatever your reason or affiliation, there's an election-watching event for you tonigh ... More >>

Photos: Barack Obama's Aurora rally makes final push for "real change"

At the end of a busy day that included stops in four different states, Barack Obama touched down in Colorado late last night for his final pre-election rally in this key swing state, where he pushed the message of "real change" -- just one day after Mitt Romney used the very same phrase in his last ... More >>

16th Street Mall's 30th birthday not exactly celebrated by the New York Times

Every party has a pooper, and in the case of the 16th Street Mall's thirtieth anniversary party, that would be the New York Times, which published an article on Tuesday's celebration -- both online and in print -- that some boosters think made the event look a lot like Mayberry, BFD.

Photos: Race for the Cure Denver's attendance down, but not the enthusiasm

When the Susan G. Komen For the Cure Foundation ended its partnership with Planned Parenthood earlier this year, the result was a firestorm of criticism about politicizing Race for the Cure, an event that's about ending the scourge of breast cancer, not competing ideologies. The decision was reverse ... More >>

Red or blue, all eyes are on Colorado this election

Blue State v. Red State: Which Colorado do you live in?

Colorado is a key swing state in the upcoming presidential election, with polls suggesting a toss-up between Mitt Romney and Barack Obama. And no wonder, since Colorado is a purple state, with nearly equal numbers of Democrats, Republicans and independents. Still, parts of Colorado are definitely D ... More >>

Ryan Call, GOP chairman, on women's issues and Todd Akin: Democrats are desperate

In this week's feature, "Purple Haze," we outline how the close fight for Colorado's nine electoral votes could determine the next president of the United States. And a key part of that battle, nationally and in Colorado, involves the women's vote. Here's more from our interview with state GOP Cha ... More >>

Gazette's Wayne Laugesen on why he thinks Planned Parenthood covers up statutory rape

Update: This weekend, Colorado Springs Gazette editorial page editor Wayne Laugesen published a scathing piece in which he argued that Planned Parenthood was likely worse than Penn State when it came to covering up sexual assaults on children; our previous coverage is below. Laugesen explains the ti ... More >>

Video: Rachel Maddow says Colorado road map key to Obama victory

When Colorado Senator Michael Bennet defeated Republican challenger Ken Buck in the 2010 U.S. Senate race, observers were surprised -- but they also saw in Bennet's approach a potential template that might be applied elsewhere. Last night, MSNBC's Rachel Maddow outlined the concept, pointing out in ... More >>

The copyright standoff: Technology pits bad rules vs. no rules

Photos: Eva Longoria, Valerie Jarrett come to Colorado to promote Obama 2012

If you're a woman, you would be totally friggin' insane to vote for Mitt Romney. That was the theme of most speeches at the official launch of Obama-campaign-sponsored Women Vote 2012 Summit Tour, which took place in Wheat Ridge yesterday afternoon with celebrity support from actress Eva Longoria.

#WMS 2012 recap: Broadways

Every year, for the Westword Music Showcase, we enlist our army of Backbeat wordsmiths to host various stages, and, in addition to their emcee obligations, we ask them to pull double duty (or triple-duty in some cases) and also write up the acts that appear on their individual stages. Brad Lopez hos ... More >>

Top ten recent politicians to excuse stupid comments with "I misspoke"

Earlier, we reported about Representative Mike Coffman's excuse for a comment he made suggesting that Barack Obama may not have been born in the U.S.: "I misspoke." By making this claim, Coffman is in good company: It's become a favorite of politicians who say something dumb or inaccurate but want t ... More >>

Personhood Amendment petition drive launches with event at Planned Parenthood

At 2 p.m. today, the Colorado Personhood Coalition will hold a press conference at a very pointed location -- a local Planned Parenthood office -- to tout the beginning of a petition drive for the latest version of a Personhood resolution. And campaign reps including Kristi Burton Brown, the face of ... More >>

Diana DeGette gives Mitt Romney an earful about pledge to get rid of Planned Parenthood

Denver blog posts are made of all-natural ingredients. Colorado Pols shares Diana DeGette's response to Mitt Romney's negative comments about Planned Parenthood. No, they can't be considered an endorsement. Mile High Mamas' Catherine considers the "kid blender." No, it's not a horrific new kitchen ... More >>

Rally to Protect Women's Health takes on fetal murder bill, personhood initiative

Pro-choice activists, legislators, physicians and faith leaders gathered on the west steps of the Capitol Monday in a "Rally to Protect Women's Health." The event was a spin-off of Pro-Choice Lobby Day, as well as a response to local and federal fetal personhood proposals.

Greg Brophy may choose to lay low on Pro-Choice Lobby Day

Timing is everything in politics, and in birth control -- especially in the bad old days of the rhythm method, which it seems like some pols would like to return us to. In honor of Pro-Choice Lobby Day at the Colorado Legislature today, state senator Greg Brophy should choose to keep a low profile.

Pro-Choice Lobby Day pits activists against personhood measure and more

Today, approximately a hundred advocates of women's health took to the Capitol as part of Pro-Choice Lobby Day. The event, held in Denver annually for more than a decade, brought the Protect Families Protect Choice Coalition together with Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains to train supporters ... More >>

Abstinence pays off for Joneen Mackenzie and the Center for Relationship Education

​The February 26 Denver Post featured a lengthy article on Joneen Mackenzie and how she became a crusader for abstinence education -- a crusade she leads through her Center for Relationship Education, which is funded by a pair of grants, including one approved by the Colorado Board of Educatio ... More >>

Wanna keep track of your Catholic Lenten guilt? There's an app for that.

I'm hardly Catholic anymore. Still, I wear the idea of my Catholicism as a romanticized badge of honor, taking pleasure in the idea that I once was a part of something truly controversial -- and it wasn't even by choice. In fact, I'm only now able to write about being Catholic in the past tense be ... More >>

Komen Denver affiliate rejects ban on Planned Parenthood grants

Race for the Cure.​For many years, the regional Planned Parenthood headquarters was Westword's neighbor, and we had a front-row seat for the picketers who harassed employees of an organization that does so much more than providing abortion services.

Kenneth Scott, abortion protester: Injunction rejected, attorney calls it precedent-setting

Update: Yesterday, the Justice Department's request for a preliminary injunction against abortion protester Kenneth Scott, federally charged with violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, aka the FACE Act, was rejected. Scott's legal team considers the ruling a major victory that's po ... More >>

Kenneth Scott, abortion protester, adds national lawyers to defense team in clinic-blocking case

Kenneth and Jo Scott.​ Kenneth Scott, abortion protester extraordinaire, recently added more firepower to his legal defense: He is now being represented by the Thomas More Society, a national pro-life law firm. In June, Scott and his wife, Jo, were served with a civil complaint by the U.S. Jus ... More >>

Five ways to observe World AIDS Day

​ Update: Make that four ways: We've just received this notice from Planned Parenthood's Monica McCafferty. Due to unpredictable and incremental weather and road conditions, we are canceling this evening's candlelight vigil at the Capitol in honor of World AIDS Day. We will reschedule the ev ... More >>

Personhood Amendment reboot Q&A with Kristi Burton Brown, face of original 2008 campaign

Kristi Burton Brown.​The so-called Personhood Amendment, which holds that the term "person" applies to humans from their biological starting point, failed in Colorado in 2008 and 2010 -- but last week, organizers filed new language with the goal of putting the measure on the 2012 ballot. What ... More >>

Jo Scott, abortion zealot, permanently enjoined from using threat of force at clinic protests

Jo Scott.​Jo Scott is the truest of believers when it comes the fight against abortion rights -- so much so that she's repeatedly violated both state and federal laws designed to protect clinic visitors. But the level of harassment will presumably be modified now that a settlement with the Jus ... More >>

Planned Parenthood target of GOP vendetta, says Diana DeGette

Diana DeGette.​These Denver blog posts never drive drunk. Colorado Independent's Ashley Lopez on Diana DeGette pushing back on what she sees as a Republican vendetta against Planned Parenthood. DenverUrbanism's Dan Malouff on brainstorming a better RTD livery. Mile High Hockey's David Drisc ... More >>

Reader: If everyone who had a kinky desire stood up, it would be a revelation for many

Abstinence-only funding was refused, but that didn't stop a state school-board member

Stephanie Tanny, Denver native, on her speech at the Campus Progress National Conference

Campus Progress​As we reported yesterday, Denver native Stephanie Tanny won a speaking spot at the Campus Progress National Conference in Washington, D.C. yesterday. The speech "went really well," says the 2010 Colorado State University graduate. "I messed up a little bit, but I don't think anyon ... More >>

Gay stuff we found (and almost bought) at PrideFest 2011

Why yes, that is a rainbow chainmail dress. ​There was lots of stuff to do this weekend in and around PrideFest (see our awesome people slide show and parade coverage of the leather contingent), but we took to shopping for all of the gay wares our little hearts desired. Here's the deal with PrideF ... More >>

Jo Scott, abortion protester, hit with federal charges after allegedly shoving man at clinic

Jo Scott.​In April, Jo Scott -- one of the central figures in our 2008 feature "Planned Parenthood's Scheme to Bust Abortion Protesters" -- was convicted of violating the state's bubble law, which bans anti-abortion picketers from coming within eight feet of anyone in a hundred-foot radius of ... More >>