The Catholic League is up in arms over a new subway ad campaign promoting the use of the controversial abortion pill RU-486.
Planned Parenthood has spent $50,000 on a campaign to plaster the city’s subway cars with ads featuring a large photo of the white pill, telling women: “The choice is now in your hand.”
“It’s outrageous,” fumed Bill Donohue of the Catholic League after learning of the ads.
Donohue accused Planned Parenthood, which he said receives public subsidies to operate health services, of “picking the pocket of taxpayers” to pay for their advertising blitz.
“For them to use taxpayer money to promote the availability of a pill that the plurality of American people are opposed to is what makes this singularly outrageous,” he said.
Planned Parenthood officials defended the advertisements, the latest in a years-long subway campaign for the agency’s citywide services.
“We usually advertise in subways for our services. It’s no shock,” said a Planned Parenthood spokeswoman who did not want her name used. “We’re not surprised they [the Catholic League] don’t accept it.”
Later yesterday, Planned Parenthood spokesman Roger Rathman said Donohue’s group was waging a “malicious campaign.”
Rathman said the ads were paid for with private donations, not with the agency’s government funding.
Tom Kelly, a spokesman for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, said the ads are slated to run through the end of February. He could not say how many cars will carry the ads.
Donohue said his dispute is with Planned Parenthood, not with the MTA. He said government agencies and authorities should bar ads only on the basis of obscenity.
Officials at Planned Parenthood said they don’t plan to continue the ad campaign beyond the end of next month.
Planned Parenthood began offering RU-486 at its health centers in Manhattan, Brooklyn and The Bronx on Dec. 5, just a week after the drug maker began shipping it.
RU-486, which has been available in France since 1989, was approved by the Food and Drug Administration on Sept. 28, over the objections of anti-abortion groups.
The pill can be used within the first seven weeks of a pregnancy. It costs $375, about what Planned Parenthood charges for surgical abortion. Both the pill and surgery are covered by Medicaid.
Planned Parenthood’s spokeswoman also challenged Donohue’s contention that a majority of Americans oppose the approval of RU-486.
“We don’t know where he’s getting his numbers from,” she said.