WomanCare Clinics and Planned Parenthood Collection

Women’s Museum of California Library & Archives

WomanCare Clinics & Planned Parenthood Collection

1980 - late 1990s

 

Collection Overview

Title: WomanCare Clinics & Planned Parenthood Collection

Accession Number: AC-021

Prepared by: Erin Dickins

Head Archivist: Julia Friedman

Date Acquired: Unknown

Date Processed: August 14, 2018

Location: Women’s Museum of California San Diego, CA

Language: Collection material is in English

Extent: 9 boxes

 

Administrative Information

Access Restrictions: Open to research

Use Restrictions: None

 

Historical Note

After the landmark Roe v. Wade case legalized abortion, Planned Parenthood was one of the key organizations that paved the landscape for the reproductive justice movement during the 1970s and 1980s. Established in 1916, Planned Parenthood was founded to provide women with access to safe health centers and family planning support systems. As more regulations regarding abortion legislation emerged, womancare and feminist health centers faced backlash from anti-choice organizations. Religious and conservative groups attacked womancare clinics and frequently organized demonstrations, rallies, and bombings. Most notably, Planned Parenthood provided women with safe birth control, sex education, and healthcare services. Moreover, Planned Parenthood, pro-choice groups, and Feminist Women’s Health Centers formed much of the foundation for the pro-choice reproductive justice movement during the 1970s. Abortions could be performed outside hospitals as more outpatient facilities expanded throughout the U.S. In San Diego, both pro-choice and anti-choice groups led picket campaigns outside Planned Parenthood and womancare clinics as the Roe v. Wade decision escalated to the national stage.

 

Brief History of Feminist and Reproductive Rights Organizations:

Founded in 1971 by Carol Downer[1] and Lorraine Rothman, the FWHC was a coalition that promoted the idea that women should become independent from doctors. The FWHC was created out of a need to combat the “insidious takeover of childbirth by profit-oriented physicians and...wide-spread technological intervention in the normal birth process.”[2] At these health centers, women performed their own self-exams, raised awareness of gynecological services through workshops, and established abortion referral services.[3] During the 1970s, feminist and pro-choice groups began to assemble into collectives as more outpatient facilities developed. Moreover, these feminist collectives raised awareness of reproductive justice movement.

Likewise, organizations such as Planned Parenthood shaped the landscape of the feminist health movement. Feminist health centers and Planned Parenthood facilities provided women with over the counter pregnancy tests, contraception, donor insemination, and birth control services.[4] These organizations were instrumental in granting women more control over their reproductive rights and making healthcare more accessible for low-income women.

 In California, Planned Parenthood and womancare clinic facilities located in the San Diego and Riverside Counties became major sites for protests, pickets, and demonstrations. In response to the Roe v. Wade decision, both pro-choice and anti-choice organizations fought back against the political reproductive rights debate during 1970s and 1980s. Throughout this period, protesters became frequent sights outside outpatient abortion clinics and womancare facilities. Pro-choice collectives such as the Coalition for Reproductive Choice in San Diego and feminist rights groups including the National Organization for Women (NOW) ran “picket pledge” campaigns. Volunteers would often act as escorts for potential clients trying to enter womancare facilities.

Operation Rescue, a major anti-choice organization founded in 1986 in Wichita, Kansas rapidly expanded into subgroups throughout the U.S. to lobby for anti-abortion legislation.[5] After leader Troy Newman established a new branch in California, Operation Rescue West was later renamed to Operation Rescue. Most notably, Operation Rescue was known for holding intensive “rescue campaigns” outside womancare clinics, which resulted in hundreds of criminal charges for trespassing and harassment.[6]  They frequently organized rallies, blockades, and sit-ins outside womancare clinics. Operation Rescue members employed a variety of tactics against clinic staff and clients: they organized prayer vigils, conducted sidewalk counselling, and blocked clinic entrances.[7] Many of these groups were run by conservative, anti-gay, and right-wing extremist coalitions.  At these demonstrations, protesters carried graphic signs, harassed clients, and organized a series of campaigns such as the “Holy Week of Rescue” in 1990, “Summer of Mercy” in 1991 and “Turn the Hearts” in 1992. Through these demonstrations, Operation Rescue gained national attention from their extremist tactics.

 

Summary of the Collection

The WomanCare Clinics & Planned Parenthood Collection contains 9 boxes of material related to anti-abortion and pro-choice activist efforts from 1986 to 1997. This collection primarily documents pickets, rallies, and demonstrations near Sixth Avenue Medical Center/Clinic, Balboa Park, and 5th Avenue Building.[8] The majority of the collection consists of photos, but also includes other various materials (film roll negatives, slides, abortion related pamphlets, feminist reading lists, scrapbooks with photos and newspaper clippings, and documents with legal and security information). A large part of the collection was perhaps acquired from police security records and Planned Parenthood in Riverside and San Diego. These resources are important records that portray the development of the feminist health movement in California from the 1970s to the late 1990s.

 

Container List: Box and Folder Materials

Box 1

Series 1: Pickets near 6th Ave. Medical Center/Clinic and Planned Parenthood

Series 1: Box 1: Folder 1: Anti-abortion pickets, 1/89

Series 1: Box 1: Folder 2: Anti-abortion protests, 1/89 - 2/89

Series 1: Box 1: Folder 3: Operation Rescue and anti-abortion rallies, 3/89 - 4/89

Series 1: Box 1: Folder 4: Anti-abortion and Pro-choice pickets on Sixth Ave./Medical Center, 4/89 (1)

Series 1: Box 1: Folder 5: Pro-choice pickets, 4/89 (2)

Series 1: Box 1: Folder 6: Anti-abortion pickets, 5/89 - 6/89

Series 1: Box 1: Folder 7: Anti-abortion picketers, 10/86 - 12/86

Series 1: Box 1: Folder 8: Children Survivor’s March and Anti-abortion pickets, 1990

Series 1: Box 1: Folder 9: Anti-abortion and Roe v. Wade Opposition pickets, “1991 - 1996”

Series 1: Box 1: Folder 10: Pro-life and Operation Rescue pickets near clinics, 1994

Series 1: Box 1: Folder 11: Bombed/burned abortion clinic, dates unknown

Series 1: Box 1: Folder 12: Anti-abortion picket slides, dates unknown

Box 2 

Series 1: Box 2: Folder 1: Anti-abortion pickets and NOW meeting, 1/91 - 3/91

Series 1: Box 2: Folder 2: Anti-abortion pickets and NOW Pro-choice demonstration, 3/91 – 7/91

Series 1: Box 2: Folder 3: Anti-abortion pickets, 8/16/91

Series 1: Box 2: Folder 4: Anti-abortion and Operation Rescue pickets, 8/17/91

Series 1: Box 2: Folder 5: Operation Rescue and pickets, 8/19 - 8/21/91

Series 1: Box 2: Folder 6: Anti-abortion picketers handing out leaflets, 8/21 - 8/22/91

Series 1: Box 2: Folder 7: Anti-abortion picketers praying near Balboa Park, 8/16 - 8/22/91

Series 1: Box 2: Folder 8: Pickets outside 6th Ave. Medical Center,  8/22 - 8/23/91

Series 1: Box 2: Folder 9:  Pro-choice and Womancare pickets, 8/23 - 8/24/91

Series 1: Box 2: Folder 10: Pro-choice demonstration at 6th Ave. Medical Center, 8/24/91

Series 1: Box 2: Folder 11: Pro-choice demonstration at 6th Ave. Medical Center, 8/24/91

Series 1: Box 2: Folder 12: Pro-choice demonstration, 8/91 -11/91

Series 1: Box 2: Folder 13: Anti-abortion demonstration 11/91 - 3/92

Series 1: Box 2: Folder 14: Protest against National Abortion Federation Convention, 3/92 - 5/92

Series 1: Box 2: Folder 15: Anti-abortion pickets negatives and slides, 5/92 - 7/92

Series 1: Box 2: Folder 16: Anti-abortion pickets, 5/92 - 6/92[9]

Series 1: Box 2: Folder 17: “Turn the Hearts” anti-abortion demonstration, 6/92 - 7/92

 

Box 3

Series 1: Box 3: Folder 1: Anti-abortion pickets near Womancare clinics, 4/89 - 9/89

Series 1: Box 3: Folder 2: Operation Rescue rallies 6/89 -7/89

Series 1: Box 3: Folder 3: Operation Rescue rallies and Children Survivor’s March 8/89 - 9/89

Series 1: Box 3: Folder 4: Operation Rescue pickets and rallies 10/89 - 11/89

Series 1: Box 4: Folder 5: Operation Rescue picket 12/89 - 1/90

Series 1: Box 4: Folder 6: Operation Rescue Scipione’s Children Survivor’s March, 3/17, 4/10/90

Series 1: Box 4: Folder 7: Operation Rescue rallies, 7/90 - 10/90

 

Box 4:

Series 1: Box 4: Folder 1: Pro-choice rallies, Planned Parenthood, woman care clinics, 1/86 - 8/96

Series 1: Box 4: Folder 2: TJ. Tubal Clinic opening (1 film roll), 1980-97?

 

Series 2: Womancare and Planned Parenthood Staff Parties and Events

Series 2: Box 4: Folder 3: Anniversary, holiday, and dinner parties, 5/87 - 8/90

Series 2: Box 4: Folder 4: Planned Parenthood Fundraisers and Benefits, 1980s - 1995

Series 2: Box 4: Folder 5: Fundraisers 1990

Series 2: Box 4: Folder 6: Board of Directors meeting, 4/90

Series 2: Box 4: Folder 7: Winterscape 1994 benefit and staff offices

Series 2: Box 4: Folder 8: Planned Parenthood? Marriott event, 5/97

Series 2: Box 4: Folder 9: Women care clinic open house, 2/97

Series 2: Box 4: Folder 10: Winterscape 1996 - 1997

Series 2: Box 4: Folder 11: Beach, Halloween, anniversary, farewell parties, 1990 - 1997

Series 2: Box 4: Folder 12: MLK Parade 1997, Activist/feminist parades

Series 2: Box 4: Folder 13: Womancare clinic parties, fundraisers, holidays 1990 - 1995

Series 2: Box 4: Folder 14: Womancare interior photos and farewell party, 1988 - 1990

Series 2: Box 4: Folder 15: Womancare staff, 1993 - 1997

Box 5

Series 3: Anti-abortion pickets and rallies

Series 3: Box 5: Folder 1: Anti-abortion pickets near Womancare clinics 1/95 - 7/96

Series 3: Box 5: Folder 2: RNC anti-abortion and NOW Pro-choice rally and speaking event 8/96

Series 3: Box 5: Folder 3: Anti-abortion/pro-choice rallies, 3/97 - 5/97

Series 3: Box 5: Folder 4: Anti-abortion/pro-life pickets and 2 slide box collections of women nursing, 7/96

 

Box 6

Series 3: Box 6: Folder 1: Anti-abortion opposition demonstration and protester vehicles 11/85

Series 3: Box 6: Folder 2: Anti-abortion Bible Missionary Fellowship (BMF) pickets 1/86 - 6/86

Series 3: Box 6: Folder 3: Anti-abortion, BMF picket 7/86 - 9/86[10]

Series 3: Box 6: Folder 4: Anti-abortion pickets 1/87 - 3/87

Series 3: Box 6: Folder 5: Anti-abortion picket 4/87

Series 3: Box 6: Folder 6: Anti-abortion pickets 5/87 - 12/87

Series 3: Box 6: Folder 7: Anti-abortion pickets and speakers, 1/88 - 4/88

 

Box 7

Series 4: Womancare Clinic Archives, 1985 - 1988

Series 4: Box 7: Folder 1: Opposition demonstration (Anti-abortion demonstration and protestor’s vehicles 11/85

Series 4: Box 7: Folder 2: Anti-abortion pickets, 10/88

Series 4: Box 7: Folder 3: Anti-abortion pickets, 8/88 - 9/88

Series 4: Box 7: Folder 4: Anti-abortion pickets, 6/88 - 7/88

Series 4: Box 7: Folder 5: Anti-abortion pickets 10/88 - 11/88

Series 4: Box 7: Folder 6: Anti-abortion pickets 12/88

 

Box 8

Series 5: Womancare Clinic Archives, 1992-1994

Series 5: Box 8: Folder 1: Anti-abortion protest,  1/92 - 11/94

Series 5: Box 8: Folder 2: Anti-abortion picket, 3/93 - 9/94

Series 5: Box 8: Folder 3: Anti-abortion protests, 1/93

Series 5: Box 8: Folder 4: Anti-abortion picket, 7/92 - 1/93

Series 5: Box 8: Folder 5: Anti-abortion pickets and RNC rally, 7/84 - 8/89

 

Box 9

Series 6: Scrapbooks/Binders of Anti-abortion picketing and Security Info

Series 6: Box 9: Binder 1: “Photos and descriptions of protesters by Planned Parenthood and Womancare clinics (I)”

Series 6: Box 9: Binder 2: “Photos and descriptions of protestors near Planned Parenthood and Womancare clinics (II)”

Series 6: Box 9: Binder 3: Anti-activity photos and security info

 

Series 7: Women’s Health Center Staff Parties and Events

Series 7: Box 9: Folder 1: Baby Pictures: Baby pictures sent to Woman Care Clinic 1990s

Series 7: Box 9: Folder 2: Women’s Health Center Staff Pictures 1990: 4/27 - 9/6/90

Series 7: Box 9: Folder 3: Women’s Health Center Staff Pictures 1991: 10/30 - 9/28/91

Series 7: Box 9: Folder 4: Women’s Health Center Staff Pictures 1992: 5/29 - 10/30/92

Series 7: Box 9: Folder 5: Womancare anniversary fundraiser

Series 7: Box 9: Folder 6: Women's Health Center Staff Pictures and parties 1989: 2/15/89

Series 7: Box 9: Folder 7: Women’s Health Center Pictures: one dated 9/22/93

Series 7: Box 9: Folder 8: Women’s Health Center Pictures: Staff pictures, parties, speaker events

Series 7: Box 9: Folder 9: Black and white photos: Womancare Clinic table w/pamphlets events, office

Series 7: Box 9: Folder 10: Women’s Health Center Film negatives

 

Series 8: FWHC Correspondence, Documents, and Feminist Literature

Series 8: Box 9: Folder 11: Bibliographies and reading lists of Feminist, Women’s studies, and Women’s Liberation books, 1970s - 1980s

Series 8: Box 9: Folder (no label): Feminist Women’s Health Center Correspondence and Resources, 1970 - 1971 *note on folder (“Material were found that document a transition from Feminist women’s health center to Woman care clinic to Planned parenthood…”); contains pro-choice and abortion related pamphlets, legal documents, funding proposals”)

 

Scope and Contents of Materials

Series 1: Pickets near 6th Ave. Medical Center/Clinic and Planned Parenthood

Series 1: Box 1:

Series 1 contains 12 folders with envelopes of photos and film negatives anti-abortion and Operation Rescue rallies/pickets/demonstrations near Sixth Avenue Medical Center. As an abortion facility, this location was often the site of many pro-life sit ins and demonstrations.[11] The majority of photos highlight pro-life pickets and Operation Rescue, a “religious right-wing extremist group” against abortion and reproductive choice.[12] This includes demonstrations such as the Children Survivor’s March and regular picketing near clinics. Also included are undated photos of a burned down abortion/womancare clinic.

 

Series 1: Box 2: 

Contains 17 folders of photos and film negatives of abortion rallies from 1991 to 1992. In response to the reproductive rights movement, activist groups such as the National Organization for Women (NOW) and Operation Rescue frequently organized opposition protests and speaking events. This includes Operation Rescue’s “Turn the Hearts” anti-abortion rally in the 1990s and various other pro-choice demonstrations. 

 

Series 1: Box 3:

Box 3 contains photos of anti-abortion pickets from 1989 to 1990. Pro-life protest leaders George and Eileen Scipione scheduled regular pickets outside clinics to conduct sidewalk counselling and recruit volunteers. Sidewalk counsellors attempted to intercept clients on their way into the abortion clinic. The Scipiones also operated an anti-abortion counselling center, called the Center for Unplanned Pregnancy, which used deceptive ads “designed to lure women into the clinic where they are hit with a barrage of anti-abortion propaganda.”[13]

 

Series 2: Womancare and Planned Parenthood Staff Parties and Events

Series 2: Box 4:

Box 4 contains photos of Womancare clinic and Planned Parenthood parties, events, and fundraisers from 1986 to 1997. There are also photos of pro-choice rallies, meetings, and open house events. This includes the Violence against Women Act Committee Provider’s Meeting, the International Family Planning meeting, Tubal Clinic opening, Women’s choice clinic anniversaries, holiday parties, Winterscape Fundraisers, and Womancare Board of Directors meetings. This material contains photos of womancare staff members and office clinic space.

 

Series 3: Anti-abortion pickets and rallies

Series 3: Box 5:

Box 5 contains 29 photo envelopes of abortion rallies and protests from 1995 to 1997. Many of these photos depict demonstrations, pickets, arrests, and opposition rallies with police involvement. These protests feature picketers and patient escort teams. This includes organized protests against the Republican National Convention (RNC) and NOW. Womancare in San Diego trained volunteer escorts to “assist clients in getting to and from their appointments.”[14]Also included are 2 slide box collections focused on women breastfeeding, one titled “Breastfeeding - Family Experience.”

 

Series 3: Box 6:

Box 6 contains 7 folders of photos and film roll negatives from 1985 to 1988. The photos feature organized anti-abortion protest by Operation Rescue and various other religious groups. These photos take place outside Sixth Avenue Medical Clinic. In this series, many of the picketers are handing of leaflets, carrying graphic signs, and organizing speaker events.

The Bible Missionary Fellowship (BMF) Church scheduled regular pickets near womancare clinics. Known as an extreme right-wing religious group, the BMF faced several criminal charges including “slander, conspiracy and interference with a business, trespass, assault, and battery.”[15]

 

Series 4: Womancare Clinic Archives, 1985-1988

Series 4: Box 7

Box 7 contains 5 folders of picketing activity near Sixth Avenue Medical Clinic and Balboa Park in 1988. The photos show organized protests by Operation Rescue and Womancare clinic supporters.

The photos portray BMF pickets near the Birth Control Institute building in San Diego. BMF church founder, Dorman Owens, organized protests near the Birth Control Institute (BCI).[16] In 1988, Owens’ group faced a series of criminal charges and arrests for allegedly trying to bomb a family planning abortion clinic.[17] There are several duplicate photos in this collection.

 

Series 5: Womancare Clinic Archives, 1992-1994

Series 5: Box 8

This collection of opposition rallies feature speaker events, arrests, and media coverage events. These resources provide information about picketing related to abortion rights and pro-choice movements. The demonstrations include: “Turn the Hearts” picket, 1993 March for Life (Roe v. Wade 20th Anniversary protest), press conferences, and Children Survivor’s March.

The large yellow packet titled, “Various Anti-activity photos” contains undated photos of picketing and demonstrations with several duplicates.

 

Series 6: Scrapbooks/Binders of Anti-abortion picketing and Security Info

Series 6: Box 9

Box 9 contains pro-choice and woman-care clinic documents dated from 1984 to 1990.

The white binder titled, “Anti-activity and security info” has pictures of anti-choice picketers and Operation Rescue volunteers from 8/17/91 - 8/24/91. The binder contains security info related to anti-choice picketing such as: police memos, license plate records, phone call records between Womancare members, and floor plan sketches of the clinic and picketing grounds.

Box 9 also contains 2 blue binders of picketing activity near Planned Parenthood from 1992 to 1994. The binder material broadly covers picketing related to abortion rights, pro-life activism, and clinic picketing. The 2 blue binders contain anti-choice rally pictures, newspaper clippings, and security records from 1991. Included are newspaper clippings and scans of articles related to pro-life activism, prayer campaigns, and Operation Rescue rallies. These articles are primarily published by pro-life organizations including the California Coalition for Life, Operation Rescue, and the Southern California Christian Times.

Series 7: Women’s Health Center Staff Parties and Events

Series 7: Box 9

Folders 1-10 and photo envelopes 12-36 feature womancare clinic staff, offices, parties, baby pictures sent to womancare clinics, and organized pro-choice pickets.

 

Series 8: FWHC Correspondence, Documents, and Feminist Literature

Series 8: Box 9

Folder 11 contains correspondence materials and publications related to the Feminist Women’s Health Center (FWHC). These resources provide a range of academic and non-academic material to introduce readers to topics ranging from: anthropology, art, black women, education employment, equal rights amendment, fiction, health care, history, humor, law, marriage, men, politics, religion, reproductive freedom, theory, and feminism. These bibliographies are meant to educate readers on the Women’s Liberation movement and provide a list of helpful resources that offer insight into feminism and women’s studies.

The last folder contains pamphlets, book summaries, publications, and reports dated from the 1960s to 1970s. These materials are broadly related to pro-choice efforts, reproductive rights, Womancare, and feminism. Also included are brief excerpts and outlines of books such as Abortion in a Changing World Vol. 1-2, Abortion: Legal and Illegal, In Necessity and Sorrow, Mandatory Motherhood: The True Meaning of the Right to Life, and Abortion Rap. The correspondence materials include letters from the Feminist Women’s Health Center from 1979-1995. This includes general correspondence from Womancare proposing revisions on clinic regulations, articles in the San Diego Union newspaper, and a brief letter describing the Feminist Women’s Health Center mission. Also included are legal documents such as: a trial summary written by the Feminist Women’s Health Center; a study report of “Legalized Abortion and the Public Health Summary and Conclusions” by the Institute of Medicine, and a case summary of the Women Acting Together to Combat Harassment (WATCH) in 1977. These cases document the growth of feminist health collectives and the reproductive rights movement during the 1970s and 1980s.

 

 

[1] “A Brief History Of Women's Health Specialists,” Women’s Health Specialists Clinics  of California, https://www.womenshealthspecialists.org/about/our-history/

[2]  FWHC case summary article in Box 9: Folder 11, p. 2

[3] “History,” http://www.feministcenter.org/history/

[4] Newman, Amie, “Life Support for Feminist Health Care?” Rewire News, January 2, 2007, https://rewire.news/article/2007/01/02/life-support-for-feminist-health-care/

[5] Zapata, Jaymie. “Profiles on the Right: Operation Rescue,” Political Research Associates, September 30, 2018, https://www.politicalresearch.org/2013/09/30/profiles-on-the-right-operation-rescue/

[6] Serrano, Richard, “130 Abortion Foes Arrested as Sides in Controversy Clash in Poway,” Los Angeles Times, July 9, 1989, http://articles.latimes.com/1989-07-09/local/me-5276_1_operation-rescue

[7]Rivera, Carla, “San Diego Proponents Make Their Own Plans: Abortion Protests Mark Anniversary of Court Decision,” New York Times, January 23, 1986,  http://articles.latimes.com/1986-01-23/news/mn-27975_1_san-diego

[8] Rivera, Carla, “San Diego Proponents Make Their Own Plans”

[9] June 29, 1992 (Planned Parenthood v. Casey) decided

[10] BIRTH CONTROL INSTITUTE INC.., a California corporation et al., Plaintiffs and Appellants, v. BIBLE MISSIONARY FELLOWSHIP et al., Defendants and Respondents. D003225. Decided: July 29, 1986 https://caselaw.findlaw.com/ca-court-of-appeal/1845226.html

[11] “Family Planning Associates (FPA) - About Us,” FPA, http://www.fpawomenshealth.com/about-us/

[12] AC-037 Abortion Rights Organization Finding aid

[13] “Protesters Picket ‘Anti-Choice’ Clinic,” The UCSD Guardian , February 27, 1989, https://library.ucsd.edu/dc/object/bb80899023/_1.pdf

[14] Aker, Dee, “But Not During The Convention,” Chicago Tribune, August 11, 1996, http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1996-08-11/features/9608110382_1_gop-convention-republican-national-convention-san-diego

[15] Birth Control Institute Inc.., a California corporation et al., Plaintiffs and Appellants, v. Bible Missionary Fellowship et al., Defendants and Respondents, July 29, 1986, https://caselaw.findlaw.com/ca-court-of-appeal/1845226.html

[16]Birth Control Institute Inc.., a California corporation et al.

[17] Frammolino, Ralph and Serrano, Richard A.  “Church Members Take Their Beliefs Out to the Streets : Congregation in San Diego County Aggressively Battles Abortion, Gays,” Los Angeles Times, January 3, 1988, http://articles.latimes.com/1988-01-03/news/mn-32503_1_church-members

WomanCare Clinics and Planned Parenthood Collection