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Former Planned Parenthood CEO Gloria Feldt speaks with Alan about the controversy surrounding birth control coverage.
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Welcome back your microphones -- Gloria felt she is author of no excuses nine ways women can change how we think about power now out in paperback.
And she is past president and CEO Planned Parenthood.
Which in which she served from a 19962005.
-- magazine -- Woman of the Year and Vanity Fair named her to its top 200 women leaders legends in trailblazers.
Pretty good resonant.
Gloria thank you -- and -- NATO and.
Hi -- it's -- Pataki -- a lot to talk.
Don't Ask Don't Tell and on and even know where to Begin.
Since your book first came out I mean just the last two weeks alone.
Given the argument we're having on the national stage about contraception.
Birth control the statement of Rick Santorum.
The that the church vs the state.
Where do you wanna be in an -- -- where do you think is the most important point.
I think the most important point is that it becomes increasingly evident.
That that battle is not about birth control and it's not about religious freedom it's really about women's place in the world.
It really about it really is about power.
And it it just becomes increasingly evident IE you've probably.
-- like Rush Limbaugh had to say.
Saw that I talked about.
And -- even worse today.
Your we had -- fluke on the show.
The night I heard her support the -- which -- supposed to testify.
Before.
Congress.
She was kept that all men testified in this committee by their reliance on issues -- the opera -- to -- deferral uneasily -- -- -- And that we -- -- last night to respond to Limbaugh she's a bit overwhelmed that you did issue a press release today on this it is outrageous.
That she is -- you know -- Don Imus referred to.
The Rutgers basketball team as nappy headed -- he lost two jobs.
He's a satirist he's a humorist whether you believe we're not -- defend -- or -- is another issue but.
But -- Rush Limbaugh goes unscathed because we expect this Rush Limbaugh seems like there's a double standard.
And it is an outrage the -- he made it even worse today to call a woman who is a not a public figure a prostitute in a -- And a half -- women fight back.
Well again I think it is because and I think we fight back by framing the issue as it needs to be framed it is about women.
Power it is about men and women all our all and human right.
-- -- -- I think the good side of this is that it is.
Forcing people to stay up to what the whole abortion debate has been about all along.
And it's not about abortion.
Because people can now see that this same people who have opposed to abortion are using this same rhetoric to -- to.
Eliminate access to birth control.
And birth control is really basically that think that enables women to have an equal place in the world.
-- there's not a woman who is that a woman executive who could be there.
If she hadn't been a plant in space your child bearing.
People hear the word Planned Parenthood and they think abortion because the right has made -- -- and the idea that it should be be funded and went.
Again let's get the facts out there what for and no federal dollars go to to Clinton planned parent for the purpose of abortion and abortion is a sliver of what Planned Parenthood does -- -- -- that is all absolutely true now I will say that.
I think abortion should be a part of any insurance coverage and therefore that means it should be a part of any coverage that the federal government gets to women but.
Never -- what my opinion is on at the fact is that not a pity goes to fund abortion services from our tax dollars and hasn't for many many many years.
And it's been good in terms of all the things planned turner does abortion is just one of them.
Yeah I think it's.
It's -- Counseling for.
Unintended pregnancy.
Is as you know it's it that's different things from providing abortion services.
Or counseling specifically for abortion bit about specific abortion related services are.
I don't know that bit about 3% I don't know what it is right now I don't keep up with this current exact statistic it's probably been under 5% -- rich.
So what that tells you is that it back at that mattered to the people who opposed -- -- cater to the people who oppose birth control or a woman's right to make her own child bearing decisions.
They just -- at all.
You say in your book too few women are leading the way to claim power reach parity.
-- -- male counterparts what do women have to do to get there.
Well you see -- in the midst of an unfinished revolution.
And what happens if that we have we have made tremendous progress there is no question that we have -- felt -- doors.
When I was a young -- it a young white young matter in the 1960s.
I couldn't get credit on -- -- I could get a credit card -- couldn't buy a car.
I couldn't you know lately it I had no rights really it economic realm let alone the reproductive rights for all.
But what women now have -- -- we could go to any college we want to we can pursue any career we want to the doors are open.
Now what we have to understand is that it's up to to take our own selves the rest of the way we have to walk through the -- You can't expect anybody else to push -- through.
You yourself -- teen mother correct.
Came from a rural town in Texas.
-- you.
Overcome the challenges a woman in that position would have to get -- -- you achieved in life.
In some respects it was -- -- some respect.
Well actually my grandson that did an interview with -- recently topic yesterday and he asked me sort of that same question.
And I just blurted out well I think it was because -- -- -- lucky enough for dumb enough to say yes.
And what opportunities presented themselves I tended to say yes and and I you know I think the best thing I did let.
Because of the birth control pills and this is true I'll -- the birth control pills saved my life.
-- -- had my third child I was twenty years old.
And I.
It was at that point that the birth control pill arrived on the scene.
It it changed how I thought about things I was able to realize that I could actually start to college and Begin to plan.
Some life for myself an idea I've started to college and eloquent of the hardest things -- ever did.
That's what you know the whole freight women's -- but I mean Canadian which is integrated at this point but the fact is the pill did liberate women and some anyway.
It is very profound way.
And it -- to this day people like when I see Rick Santorum speak and I think he's a true believer although when he first ran for congress he was supposedly pro choice.
To let's say his let's say his two -- did evolve over time.
And he in a previous book that he -- he talked about the in the issue of women in the workplace and that's not good for families and that even talked about how -- so much of what he -- should be public policy.
And that's a that's a troubling part right there.
Yet I think a lot of that comes from the year you know fear of change.
And the reason his message resonates with a certain segment of people is that they they do you fear that changes that are happening and you know in some respects their rights.
Queen who believed that women should have an equal place in the world are changing the world I think it's for the better they're entitled to think differently.
But my message to win that is if you believe it is a good thing for you to have these opportunities.
You better speak up you better speak up for the -- -- -- the.
You feel the women to this day are still not speaking up the extent they really should to gain parity in our society.
Let me give you an example.
Not just what I believe that.
Women balloons on average about a half a billion dollars each over their lifetime of working.
Compared to men in the same positions with the same experience.
And the reason is that we don't negotiate.
As.
Comparatively.
For our initial salaries upon which all other compensation bill.
And we don't put herself forward we don't toot our own horn and -- -- as much as men do for that next position.
Well you know it it it and eventually.
It really adds up -- what you what you Q militantly put it all together.
If it costs -- each individual woman about half a million dollars in her lifetime that's just make it worth learning to negotiate more assertive.
The issue that they're still men men can still have more power positions.
The percentage of women in legislators -- legislatures for example still far.
It is far under what the percentages move in the population there -- male bosses who intimidate this this is still the issue in the United States.
It's still the issue but as -- we need to get over it.
I don't seriously knowing we need to not worry about somebody trying to intimidate us -- and learn to.
Except apple need to work they want to keep their jobs you know you fear if you cross a line you could get fired than you've got a family and single moms in particular.
Maybe particularly vulnerable.
Very true very true but these are issues men have had to deal where all -- And we need to learn some of those things skills -- -- quiet no excuses.
I literally teach women how to embrace controversy at a positive way.
Pat did -- give an example of -- Well but because it's what October when something controversy alert when there's some conflict and disagreement what that means is that an issue important to people.
And we hand our natural tendency and particularly -- women.
Is to back off.
But really what we need to do is to learn to ride into the wave of the controversy -- -- security to propel us forward.
Because it gives you -- platform and opportunity when people are listening.
To present your case.
And that is what causes them to have to really think about their own values and clarified.
It at bats but that's what -- able people to have special -- it doesn't mean being -- -- nasty.
It -- actually kind of helping people to have a forthright honest conversation.
