Tag Archives: Planned Parenthood

Lin-Manuel Miranda & His “Hamilton” Musical Team Up with Prizeo for Fundraising Campaign to Support Abortion Access

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Lin-Manuel Miranda is taking a stand for women’s reproductive rights…

The 42-year-old Puerto Rican actor, rapper, songwriter, playwright and filmmaker and his Tony Award-winning Broadway musical Hamilton are teaming up with Prizeo on Ham4Choice, a fundraising campaign to support organizations providing abortion access and other reproductive health services.

Lin-Manuel Miranda“We are devastated by the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling eliminating the right to abortion which has been a right since 1973,” the production said in a statement. “In response, we are teaming up with organizations providing support, access and travel expenses to those seeking these services.”

The effort is part of the show’s larger Ham4Progress philanthropic platform, run by a collective of Hamilton cast members and staff.

Launched in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision in June, the show — which has its own constitutional connection — said funds raised through Ham4Choice will support the Abortion Support Network, ARC Southeast, Ciocia Basia, Deeds Not Words, Planned Parenthood, Profamilias Puerto Rico, The Brigid Alliance, The National Network of Abortion Fund and The Tuscan Abortion Support Collective.

“We’re stronger when we work together,” the statement, which urged fans to support reproductive access and reproductive choice, continued. “We can stand up for every person’s right to make decisions about their own body and their own lives.”

Ham4Choice asks fans to donate funds — as little as $10 — from Aug. 9 to Sept. 22, which will automatically enter them for a chance to win a special Hamilton package. The grand prize winner and a guest will be flown out to Hamilton‘s opening night in Hamburg, Germany, where the musical will be performed in German in its first non-English translation.

While there, they’ll meet Miranda at an exclusive pre-show reception and attend the post-show celebration before being flown out, along with tickets and hotel accommodations, where they’ll get to watch and meet the casts in London and New York. Signed memorabilia will be given to the winner to help commemorate the experience.

Each donation serves as a single entry, with no limit on the number of donations, which can be made at Ham4Choice.com. The fundraiser is just the latest Ham4Progress initiative, the collective focused on highlighting social justice causes, serving as a gathering place for discussion and acting as a platform for progress and organizations the group wants to support.

Miranda has worked with Prizeo in the past on similar efforts, including a 2017 fundraising campaign for Planned Parenthood that gave winners tickets to the Broadway show.

Ilana Peña Signs Overall Deal with CBS Television Studios

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Ilana Peña has a new deal…

The Cuban American television creator, the mastermind behind the Disney+ series Diary of a Future President, is expanding her relationship with CBS Television Studios, signing an overall deal with the studio behind the series.

Ilana Peña

Peña also serves as co-showrunner and executive producer of the series, which has been renewed for a second season on Disney+.

The series was inspired by Peña’s own childhood, and follows a young Cuban-American girl as she navigates the ups and downs of middle school and her journey to becoming the future president of the United States.

Prior to Diary of a Future President, Peña served as a writer on the CW’s Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, and a co-writer of Her Shortswith Rachel Bloom, produced by Refinery29 and Planned Parenthood.

“We first got to know Ilana when she was working on Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” said Kate Adler, EVP of Comedy Development, CBS Television Studios. “She is exactly the kind of writer executives dream of: smart, funny, hard-working and inspired. We knew she had a lot to say and couldn’t wait to develop with her. Our suspicions were confirmed when we read her first draft of Diary of a Future President. Now we just need to figure out how to clone her.”

“Since day one on Diary, CBS Studios has been so supportive of my vision and voice,” said Peña. “I am incredibly grateful to the team for giving me a creative home to tell meaningful, inclusive stories.”

Peña’s plays have been produced professionally in Chicago (Goodman Theatre Latino Theater Festival) and New York (INTAR Theatre), among others.

She’s also the co-founder of See What Sticks, a monthly workshop with an audience in Los Angeles.

Lin Manuel Miranda Named to DoSomething.org’s Annual Celebs Gone Good List

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Lin Manuel Miranda has gone good…

DoSomething.org has released its annual Celebs Gone Good list for 2017, with the 37-year-old Puerto Rican Tony Award-winning Broadway star and Hamilton musical creator making the grade.

Lin Manuel Miranda

The list recognizes celebrities who used their impact to affect social change in the world, as these celebs helped raise awareness for causes such as mental health, education, gun violence, LGBTQ, sexual assault, hurricane/disaster relief and the water crisis in Flint, Michigan.

Miranda, who comes in at No. 12, partnered with a nonprofit, and in November, announced a $2.5 million hurricane recovery fund to help the victims of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico.

But Miranda isn’t the only Latino/a celebrity to make the list.

Fifth Harmony member Lauren Jauregui comes in at No. 13.

The 21-year-old Cuban American singer has been vocal about women’s rights, and has donated to charitable groups including Chime for Change, ACLU, UNICEF, Planned Parenthood and more.

Jennifer Lopez, who appears on Miranda’s Puerto Rico hurricane relief single, comes in at No. 14.

The 48-year-old Puerto Rican superstar had been vocal about helping the victims of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, and in September, she put her money where her mouth is. The singer and actress announced at a press conference with New York Governor Andrew Cuomo that she would donate $1 million to help Puerto Rico rebuild.

Demi Lovato comes in at No. 16.

The 25-year-old part-Mexican American singer/actress continued her mental health advocacy work this year, which has also earned her the Artistic Award of courage. She also celebrated five years of sobriety by donating thousands to charity, including $5,000 to Ace of Hearts, an animal rescue group.

Bruno Mars ranks No. 20.

The 32-year-old part-Puerto Rican singer donated $1 million from his sold-out Michigan concert in August to help those who have been impacted by the city of Flint’s water crisis. “Ongoing challenges remain years later for Flint residents, and it’s important that we don’t forget our brothers and sisters affected by this disaster,” he said in a statement. “As people, especially as Americans, we need to stand together to make sure something like this never happens in any community ever again.”

The organization also selected eight Celebs to Watch in 2018, featuring young talent who give back, including Riverdale star Camila Mendes.

View the 2017 Celebs Gone Good rankings below:

  1. Chance the Rapper
  2. Colin Kaepernick
  3. Ariana Grande
  4. Rihanna
  5. Beyoncé
  6. JJ Watt
  7. Kesha
  8. Yara Shahidi
  9. Zendaya
  10. Bethenny Frankel
  11. Nicki Minaj
  12. Lin Manuel Miranda
  13. Lauren Jauregui
  14. Jennifer Lopez
  15. Shawn Mendes
  16. Demi Lovato
  17. Ava DuVernay
  18. John Legend & Chrissy Teigen
  19. Miley Cyrus
  20. Bruno Mars

Celebs to Watch in 2018

  1. Jacob Sartorius
  2. Skai Jackson
  3. Halima Aden
  4. Camila Mendes
  5. Chloe and Halle
  6. Cameron Boyce
  7. Rowan Blanchard
  8. Kiersey Clemons

Spalding Among 102 Artists Signing Gibson Guitar for Planned Parenthood Fundraiser

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Esperanza Spalding is signing her support for Planned Parenthood…

Los Angeles’ Old Style Guitar Shop has partnered with the nonprofit organization that provides reproductive health care in the United States and globally to raise money for Planned Parenthood.

Esperanza Spalding

Old Style Guitar Shop’s owner Reuben Cox has donated a Gibson CJ-165 acoustic guitar with 102 artist signatures, including that of the 32-year-old part-Latina jazz bassist and singer, who beat out Justin Bieber for Best New Artist at the Grammys.

Other artists signing the guitar include Foo Fighters, Lady Gaga, John Legend, Katy Perry, Mac DeMarco, Sia, Tom Petty and Ryan Adams.

Additionally, Cox is partnering with the organization for “7-inches for Planned Parenthood,” an upcoming series of 7-inch vinyl records curated to support reproductive health care and basic health services like STD testing and treatment, birth control and cancer screenings.

All proceeds from the vinyl collection will go to Planned Parenthood.

The guitar is part of a raffle, which can be entered by donating $10 to Planned Parenthood. The winner will also receive a bound book of the signees’ photos.

Ferrera Lends Her Voice to Lena Dunham’s Short Film About Planned Parenthood

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America Ferrera is showing her support for Planned Parenthood…

Lena Dunham premiered 100 Years, an animated short film about Planned Parenthood she co-directed, via her Lenny Letter and Now This Her, with the 32-year-old Honduran-American actress lending her voice as a narrator.

America Ferrera

“We’ve been working on the film for over a year in an attempt to shed light on Planned Parenthood’s remarkable history and ongoing battle to keep serving the people who show up to their health centers every day of the year,” said Dunham. “I really think it’s the best cartoon about the history of reproductive freedom ever made, but it may also be the only cartoon about the history of reproductive freedom ever made.”

In addition to Ferrera, Meryl Streep, Hari Nef, Mindy Kaling, Jennifer Lawrence and Constance Wu also collaborated on the film, lending their voices as narrators.

The film tells the history of Planned Parenthood, from when Margaret Sanger started the organization to when the birth control pill was created, and discusses abortion-related legislation like Roe v. Wade and the Hyde Amendment.

“The spirit behind this video will hopefully take us into the Women’s March on Washington this weekend, where we will be showing our new president that we’re not going to allow a hundred years of progress to disappear overnight,” said Dunham, referring to the Women’s March that thousands of women are expected to attend January 21.

Dunham shared that she plans to lobby against the defunding of Planned Parenthood in Sacramento on Tuesday. She also designed a boxing glove T-shirt to benefit Planned Parenthood.

In Lenny Letter, writer and activist Janet Mock interviewed the women organizing the Women’s March, touching on the initial problems the march had with intersectionality.

“Unity feels like a utopian, almost mythical goal in these United States of America,” writes Mock. “It is difficult, backbreaking work to build and organize among varying identities, experiences, and urgencies — even under the umbrella of womanhood.”

Mock explained how the founders of the march recruited more diverse leaders with experience organizing, steering the march “toward a more intersectional and inclusive lens.”

Carmen Perez, in her interview with Mock, explained that starting at 10 a.m. Saturday, speakers will talk about different issues and there will be performances; the march itself will begin at 1:00 pm, once the programming has concluded.

Click here to visit the Now This Her Facebook page.

Rivera to Perform at “Concert for America: Stand Up, Sing Out!” on Inauguration Day

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Chita Rivera is standing up and singing out…

The 83-year-old half-Puerto Rican actress, dancer, singer and Broadway star will be spending inauguration day at a concert in New York City raising money for human-rights organizations.

Chita Rivera

Rivera, the first Hispanic woman and the first Latino American to receive a Kennedy Center Honors award, will perform at the Concert for America: Stand Up, Sing Out!

The event will be held at The Town Hall in Manhattan on January 20. It’s intended to be the first in a series of monthly benefit concerts and will be streamed live on Facebook.

In addition to Rivera, a two-time Tony Award winner, the lineup includes Kelli O’Hara, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Betty Buckley, Jessie Mueller and Billy Porter.

Others slated to perform include Sharon Gless, Andrea Martin, Bebe Neuwirth, Rosie O’Donnell, Rosie Perez, Caroline Rhea, Stephanie Mills and Charles Busch.

The concert is the brainchild of Seth Rudetsky and James Wesley, who also organized the Broadway for Orlando fundraising concert.

Mueller, currently starring in Waitress, will reach back to her Tony Award-winning role as Carole King to sing “Beautiful.” She hopes its message of love and tolerance resonates.

“Hate comes from a lack of love, so we can’t fight it with more of its own toxicity; we have to fill it with love,” she said. “There are really big things at stake. Things we can’t save or solidify or safeguard alone. We have to think bigger, we have to ask for help, we have to reach out to one another and band together. I hope this concert can be an example of that.”

Proceeds will benefit groups that protect civil rights, women’s health and environmental protection, including Planned Parenthood, Southern Poverty Law Center, National Immigration Law Center and The Sierra Club Foundation. Tickets range from $25 to $50.