Today, GLAAD responded to longtime reproductive rights and progressive leader Cecile Richards’ passing. Richards, a native Texan, is remembered best for her leadership on abortion and women’s rights, as she spent a decade leading Planned Parenthood. Richards went on to found Supermajority, which mobilized women voters. In November, President Joe Biden honored Richards with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
In 2020, Richards joined GLAAD President & CEO Sarah Kate Ellis on Instagram to discuss intersections between LGBTQ rights and abortion rights. Today, GLAAD uplifted this clip from their conversation, spotlighting Richards’ unwavering support for transgender people and their healthcare:
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At the 2024 Democratic National Convention, Richards spoke about our collective responsibility to uphold abortion rights and bodily autonomy: “One day, our children and grandchildren may ask us, ‘When it was all on the line, what did you do?’ And the only acceptable answer is, everything we could.”
“For Cecile, the only kind of feminism was intersectional feminism, and it’s now up to us all to honor her life by fighting for all marginalized people and healthcare access with the same unwavering bravery she upheld every day,” said Ellis. “As the longtime leader of Planned Parenthood, her vision for LGBTQ healthcare and advocacy was constant and inspiring.”