On a balmy Tuesday evening at the southernmost tip of Manhattan, guests ascended the gilded staircase of Cipriani to celebrate the PPGNY Annual Spring Into Action Gala. Among the group were Patricia Arquette and Megan Thee Stallion—both being honored for their unflinching advocacy of women’s rights.
The night began with a cocktail hour underneath purple lights, where guests mingled between the indoor and outdoor balcony spaces. While to the street passerby, it may have looked like any party, inside, all signs pointed to the PPGNY mission. Cocktail napkins were printed with wrapped phrasing in bold uppercase letters, reading “GENDER AFFIRMING HEALTHCARE BIRTH CONTROL ABORTION CARE WELLNESS EXAMS.” In the restrooms, glass vases were filled with barrier contraceptives available to guests.
Guests wore their activism on their sleeves—or rather, their purses and accessories. Handbags were adorned with phrases like “My Body, My Vote,” and “#Resist.” Necklaces draped around necks read “CHOICE,” and dangling earrings engraved with “1973” symbolized the year the United States Supreme Court legalized abortion in Roe v. Wade.
Curb Your Enthusiasm’s Susie Essman kicked off the dinner, bringing levity and laughter to an otherwise emotional evening, stating, “I’m pro-choice, although as a postmenopausal woman, now it’s no choice!”
Afterward, PPGNY CEO Wendy Stark highlighted a new feature of the nonprofit: a virtual health center acting as a safe space for patients to see a healthcare provider without having to leave their own safe space. “We are strong, we are here, and we are never backing down,” she exclaims.
Upon receiving the Champion of Change Award, Patricia Arquette reflected on her personal connections to Planned Parenthood, beginning as an employee and educator there at the age of 15.
“I loved that work so much that I really didn’t know if I wanted to go into acting or being a midwife,” she earnestly stated. Using her platform to tirelessly advocate for equal rights and bodily autonomy, she stated. “Every abortion has a story, and many of them are sad stories, but it’s no one’s business. No one should have to qualify why they are choosing to have an abortion.”
Megan Thee Stallion then took the stage with her characteristic spunk to accept the Catalyst of Change Award: “I just wanna kick this off by saying, my body my business, and I do what I wanna do with it!” She cried self-proclaimed, proud, happy tears, stating, “I know I was placed on this earth to be more than just a musician, and I have a bigger purpose to use my voice to speak out against injustice. Soon, it will be two years since the Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to abortion. It feels like women have to fight harder than ever to make their own choices regarding their own bodies, families, and futures.”