ON SECOND THOUGHT

Planned Parenthood Removes Tweet Calling for ‘Disney Princess Who’s Had an Abortion’

A Pennsylvania branch says it was trying to stress the importance of “telling stories that challenge stigma.”

A Planned Parenthood branch in Pennsylvania under fire for tweeting about the need for a Disney princess who’s had an abortion deleted the post late Tuesday and acknowledged that it was inappropriate. The initial tweet called for a new generation of Disney princesses, including one who’s “had an abortion,” one “who’s an undocumented immigrant,” one “who’s pro-choice,” and one “who’s trans.” But it sparked outrage among pro-life groups, prompting the organization to delete it hours later. Melissa Reed, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Keystone, said the tweet was aimed at using pop culture references to spark “meaningful conversations about sexual and reproductive health issues and policies, including abortion.” The organization wanted to stress the importance of “telling stories that challenge stigma and championing stories that too often don’t get told,” she said. But she admitted the “seriousness of the point” the group was attempting to make was not appropriate for the Disney subject matter.