Planned Parenthood of Northern New England (PPNNE), which received $2.75 million in taxpayer funds in 2012, is under fire after posting a video online that promotes bondage and sado-masochism (BDSM) to teens.
CNSNews.com is reporting that the video features Laci Green, 22, a so-called “sex educator” who hosts what PPNNE calls an online “social education project” called “A Naked Notion“.
“A Naked Notion is a brand new project dedicated to frank, open conversations about sexuality,” says the PPNNE webpage for the program.
One of those open conversations is about bondage and sadomasochism which Green praises as an activity that “creates trust.”
“Today, I want to talk about what BDSM is, what it isn’t, and some of the rules that come with it,” Green says. “People sometimes think that those who practice BDSM are emotionally scarred or were once abused—not true, it’s a total myth.”
She goes on to say that “People across the spectrum with various backgrounds participate in BDSM. The pain-is-exhilaration concept is not only old as dirt, it’s pretty common outside the bedroom.”
Green claims BDSM is not abuse and that it has “rules, limits and boundaries that are respected by all parties.”
She adds: “With no further knowledge, it’s easy to conflate BDSM with abuse. But BDSM and abuse are actually very different. BDSM is about a consensual power exchange. Abuse is not. BDSM is negotiated and agreed upon before anything happens. Abuse is not. BDSM has rules, limits and boundaries that are respected by all parties. Abuse does not. BDSM relies upon and creates trust.”
In PPNNE’s 2012 annual report, president Meagan Gallagher boasted about the number of young people who are tuning into A Naked Notion.
“We continued to grow our online presence, and launched an innovative social education project called ‘A Naked Notion’,” wrote Gallagher. “The numbers show that young people took notice–PPNNE’s ‘A Naked Notion’ YouTube channel has been viewed more than a million times!”
The site’s “For Teens” page claims that they are “dedicated to protecting the sexual health of teens by providing accurate information, opportunities to explore and establish beliefs and attitudes, and the skills to communicate their needs. . . . For teens who are sexually involved, Planned Parenthood is committed to providing resources for safeguarding their emotional and physical health,” it says.
Even more appalling is that unsuspecting taxpayers are funding this project. PPNNE reports that it received $2.75 million in federal, state and local funding in 2012, which accounted for 15 percent of its total operating budget.
CNSNews.com tried several times to speak to Meagan Gallagher and PPNNE’s medical director, Dr. Donna Burkett, to ask why the group thought it was appropriate for a tax-funded organization to promote bondage and sadomasochism to teenagers.
When they finally received a reply, it was from a staff member from their Burlington, Vermont headquarters who said: “We are currently not commenting or talking to you. At this point, I am going to disconnect” before hanging up the phone.
CNS proceeded to call members of the New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont congressional delegations to see what they thought about taxpayers funding videos that promote BDSM to teens. Only New Hampshire Republican Kelly Ayotte responded with a statement saying the video, “which is clearly targeted at a younger audience, is inappropriate and troubling. She believes taxpayers shouldn’t be directly or indirectly funding activity like this.”
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