Joss Whedon has been a vocal supporter of Planned Parenthood in the past, and now the director is showing why.
On Wednesday, the director released a short video, entitled “UNLOCKED,” on his YouTube channel. The film follows three women at different points in their lives in an attempt to highlight “the vital role Planned Parenthood health centers play in the lives of millions of women in communities nationwide.”
One woman collapses at home. One can’t take a full ride to college because she’s pregnant. Another has to watch her friend deal with a sexually transmitted disease.
“If politicians succeed in shutting down Planned Parenthood, millions of people lose access to basic health services. STD testing, birth control, cancer screenings…how can these be at risk?” Whedon said in a statement to Entertainment Weekly. “‘UNLOCKED’ is about what a world without Planned Parenthood would look like, which is truly dire.”
Whedon’s piece rewinds to the exact moment that sparked these situations: when Planned Parenthood closed.
In a reverse reality, where the clinic is open, the women are able to change their future with a cancer screening, birth control and a peer educator program on safe sex. A girl goes to college, a mother lives to celebrate a birthday with her family, and a teenage girl is able to prevent her friend’s STD with a class on safe sex.
“UNLOCKED” asks: What world do you want?
“I’ve supported Planned Parenthood in the past, but until I worked with them closely on this, I didn’t understand how many services they — and for some, they alone — provide,” Whedon told Entertainment Weekly.
The House of Representative recently voted to pass a healthcare bill that would defund Planned Parenthood, which is a critical provider of women’s healthcare. As Whedon shows in his video, Planned Parenthood provides care in the form of general care, cancer screenings, contraception, and education. Most of the clinic’s controversy stems from abortion procedures, which only account for 3 percent of its services. According to CNN, the majority of services are in regards to birth control (about 34 percent) and treatment for STDs (about 42 percent).
Whedon’s video is just one of many celebrity calls of support to Planned Parenthood since the House vote. The Kardashians made headlines recently when the sisters visited a Los Angeles clinic, which was reportedly filmed for their reality series.
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