The documentary
Pink Ribbons, Inc., based on the
highly regarded book of the same name, is coming out at exactly the right time to help reframe our understanding of just what the Susan G. Komen Foundation exists to do. It's not just that they're right-wing in the anti-Planned Parenthood sense. They also represent a deeply corporate approach to breast cancer that is just not the right way to combat the disease. As
emptywheel writes, in the same vein:
But now that everyone has become aware of Komen’s sleaziness, it’s time to look at what they–and the cancer industry–do more generally. They fund efforts to diagnose and find a cure but–as this excellent diary describes–they work against things like prevention. They also tend to push back against research that shows we’ve been over-diagnosing and over-treating breast cancer. (I know such studies are controversial, but as someone who learned only after my treatment that European countries would have treated my case very differently, for a fraction of the cost and invasiveness, but with statistically equivalent outcomes, I take them seriously.)
Corporate sponsorship brings a lot of money to breast cancer research—but funding from pharmaceutical companies isn't going to steer us away from thinking the answer to breast cancer lies in expensive pharmaceuticals. Funding from make-up and food companies isn't going to address the use of carcinogens in everyday products. And regardless of their stance toward Planned Parenthood, that's exactly the approach Komen takes.
Donate to Planned Parenthood so they can continue providing actual care to women who need it.