Yesterday, House Speaker Paul Ryan confirmed a major post-election fear: Republicans would seek to defund Planned Parenthood, as part of the GOP's larger plan to repeal Obamacare. While we hope "Mike Pence" continues to be as generous with "his" donations in the new year as "he" was right after the election, merch continues to be a successful money-raising mechanism for organizations like Planned Parenthood. We saw that with Google Ghost's Nasty Woman T-shirt. Now, this Stand With Planned Parenthood canvas tote bag from Power & Light Press is the latest item to raise a lot of money for a great cause.
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The New Mexico-based print shop introduced its $15 tote back in late December. Riffing on those classic disappointed tourist-type "...All I Got Was This T-Shirt" merch, it reads: "I Went To Planned Parenthood And All I Got Was A Breast Exam, A Pap Smear, Physical Exam, STD Testing And Treatment, Information And Counseling About My Sexual And Reproductive Health, Cancer Screenings, A Pregnancy Test, Prenatal Services, And Access To Affordable Birth Control," referencing all the medical services the organization offers female patients. The graphic is screenprinted onto the canvas bags by a woman-owned shop in Portland, Oregon, and all proceeds go to Planned Parenthood directly.
"Planned Parenthood is an essential resource for so many women, and it goes way beyond providing (crucial) access to safe and legal abortion for women in need," the brand wrote on its blog. "[It] also provides all of the above listed service, and in many parts of the country, it is the only healthcare available to women. It is in danger of being defunded, so if you support their mission to provide women with affordable healthcare and resources, please consider purchasing a tote or making a direct donation via their website."
The message clearly resonated: Within 48 hours, Power & Light Press says it raised and donated over $20,000, with more orders expected to be processed before the bags were set to ship in February. Never doubt the power of nasty women and their merch.
Early fans of the tote included some some of Hollywood's most influential stylists, Karla Welch (who works with Ruth Negga and Sarah Paulson) and Penny Lovell (who whips up the wardrobes of Taylor Schilling and Kristen Wig), according to the Hollywood Reporter. "The folks that want to repeal healthcare and defund #PP are folks who will NEVER have to rely on it," Welch captioned a shot of Power & Light Press' tote on Instagram. She encouraged folks to not sit still and watch affordable medical care just disappear: "Yell at the top of your lungs people, tweet at @realdonaldtrump, call congress," she continued. "Results happen when WE THE PEOPLE stand up."
Actress Olivia Wilde, another client of Welch's, reposted Power & Light Press' original Instagram announcing the product, which surely will give the message (and the bag itself) a solid boost. Lovel regrammed the brand's tote, too, describing it as "my new bag." Given these megawatt endorsements, we bet we'll see Power & Press' carryall perched on plenty of celebrities' shoulders in the near future.
We've reached out to Power & Press for comment and will update our story when we hear back.