{"id":258477,"date":"2021-12-09T12:45:29","date_gmt":"2021-12-09T18:45:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liveaction.org\/news\/?p=258477"},"modified":"2021-12-08T22:00:44","modified_gmt":"2021-12-09T04:00:44","slug":"staff-guttmacher-racism-toxic-workplace","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/staff-guttmacher-racism-toxic-workplace\/","title":{"rendered":"Former staff accuse pro-abortion Guttmacher Institute of &#8216;racism&#8217; and &#8216;toxic workplace&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;\" class=\"sharethis-inline-share-buttons\" ><\/div><p>The Guttmacher Institute is the latest abortion advocacy organization to face a &#8220;racial reckoning&#8221; by former staff members who claim that the organization&#8217;s D.C. office nurtured a &#8220;toxic workplace&#8230; inhospitable to caretakers, women of color, and disabled people.&#8221; Staffers singled out Guttmacher\u2019s current VP for public policy,\u00a0Heather Boonstra, telling Prism author Tina V\u00e1squez that their concerns were met with \u201cincredulity, hostility, and insults\u201d and her response was just one among many \u201cincidences of racism, microaggression, and disparate treatment by supervisors and managers in the Public Policy Division.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_258539\" style=\"width: 512px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-258539\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-258539\" src=\"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Prism-investigates-Guttmacher-Institute-over-claims-of-toxic-workplace-for-women-of-color-Image-Twitter.jpg\" alt=\"Image: Prism investigates Guttmacher Institute over claims of toxic workplace for women of color (Image: Twitter)\" width=\"502\" height=\"525\" srcset=\"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Prism-investigates-Guttmacher-Institute-over-claims-of-toxic-workplace-for-women-of-color-Image-Twitter.jpg 502w, https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Prism-investigates-Guttmacher-Institute-over-claims-of-toxic-workplace-for-women-of-color-Image-Twitter-287x300.jpg 287w, https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Prism-investigates-Guttmacher-Institute-over-claims-of-toxic-workplace-for-women-of-color-Image-Twitter-500x523.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 502px) 100vw, 502px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-258539\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Prism investigates Guttmacher Institute over claims of toxic workplace for women of color (Image: Twitter)<\/p><\/div>\n<p>These allegations by Guttmacher staffers and Prism have not been independently confirmed by Live Action News.<\/p>\n<p>The Guttmacher Institute,\u00a0a former \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/how-independent-is-guttmacher-from-planned-parenthood\/\">special affiliate<\/a>\u201d of Planned Parenthood, was named after Alan F. Guttmacher, a former\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/how-planned-parenthood-abortion-corporation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Planned Parenthood<\/a>\u00a0president and advocate of population control who\u00a0served as VP of the American Eugenics Society.\u00a0He is\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/planned-parenthood-population-control-abortion\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">credited<\/a>\u00a0with\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/planned-parenthood-president-decriminalize-abortion\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">persuading<\/a>\u00a0Planned Parenthood\u2019s board to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/planned-parenthood-population-control-abortion\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">commit<\/a>\u00a0abortions.<\/p>\n<p>Last year, staffers from Planned Parenthood, NARAL, NOW and others went public to <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/look-2020-racism-white-supremacy-abortion-industry\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">expose<\/a> systemic racism within those organizations. And in past years, abortion advocacy organizations including Guttmacher faced\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/sexual-abuse-allegations-shook-abortion-industry\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">allegations<\/a>\u00a0of failing to properly address sexual abuse allegations.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Public accusations<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In a lengthy piece, Prism <a href=\"https:\/\/prismreports.org\/2021\/12\/06\/guttmacher-institute-staff-say-a-toxic-work-culture-has-the-reproductive-rights-research-giant-in-a-death-spiral\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">claims<\/a> to have spoken to &#8220;11 Guttmacher employees,&#8221; including &#8220;six from the Washington, D.C., public policy team with whom Prism conducted interviews and maintained contact for the course of one year.&#8221; Prism claims several staffers used pseudonyms &#8220;for fear of retaliation.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;News of the organization\u2019s reported turmoil isn\u2019t entirely a surprise for those who\u2019ve been paying attention,&#8221; V\u00e1squez wrote.\u00a0&#8220;There have been\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ReproJobs\/status\/1417966978917142529\">social media posts<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.glassdoor.com\/Reviews\/Guttmacher-Institute-Reviews-E285772.htm\">negative online reviews<\/a>\u00a0from former employees. Internally, workers say they have used every tool at their disposal\u2014exit interviews, surveys, formal complaints, and even whistleblower reports to the board\u2014in an effort to get Guttmacher management to address &#8216;systemic problems.'&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Public allegations continued even after the publication of Prism&#8217;s allegations.<\/p>\n<p>One former Guttmacher staffer\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JannaZinzi\/status\/1467917280159932416\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">tweeted,<\/a>\u00a0&#8220;I left this org in 2010 for many of the reasons stated.\u00a0I feel vindicated and sad that nothing ever changed. I was called &#8216;self-serving&#8217; by an old white woman superior for calling out racism in my exit memo.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_258501\" style=\"width: 565px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-258501\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-258501 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Former-Guttmacher-staffer-confirms-allegations-of-toxic-work-environment-Image-Twitter.jpg\" alt=\"Image: Former Guttmacher Institute staffer confirms allegations of toxic work environment (Image: Twitter)\" width=\"555\" height=\"729\" srcset=\"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Former-Guttmacher-staffer-confirms-allegations-of-toxic-work-environment-Image-Twitter.jpg 555w, https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Former-Guttmacher-staffer-confirms-allegations-of-toxic-work-environment-Image-Twitter-228x300.jpg 228w, https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Former-Guttmacher-staffer-confirms-allegations-of-toxic-work-environment-Image-Twitter-533x700.jpg 533w, https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Former-Guttmacher-staffer-confirms-allegations-of-toxic-work-environment-Image-Twitter-500x657.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 555px) 100vw, 555px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-258501\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Former Guttmacher Institute staffer confirms allegations of toxic work environment (Image: Twitter)<\/p><\/div>\n<p>She <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JannaZinzi\/status\/1468050911981355011\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">later<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JannaZinzi\/status\/1467917280159932416\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">tweeted<\/a>, &#8220;Beyond the G*tt, I left repro health, rights &amp; justice because of a broken heart &amp; for my mental health.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Another former staffer <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/noahzazanis\/status\/1468041848778371075\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">claimed<\/a> to be &#8220;<span class=\"css-901oao css-16my406 r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0\">mildly traumatized&#8221; by their experiences at Guttmacher.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_258507\" style=\"width: 571px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-258507\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-258507\" src=\"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Former-Guttmacher-staffer-on-Prism-claims-Image-Twitter.jpg\" alt=\"Image: Former Guttmacher staffer on Prism claims (Image: Twitter)\" width=\"561\" height=\"528\" srcset=\"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Former-Guttmacher-staffer-on-Prism-claims-Image-Twitter.jpg 561w, https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Former-Guttmacher-staffer-on-Prism-claims-Image-Twitter-300x282.jpg 300w, https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Former-Guttmacher-staffer-on-Prism-claims-Image-Twitter-500x471.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 561px) 100vw, 561px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-258507\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Former Guttmacher staffer on Prism claims (Image: Twitter)<\/p><\/div>\n<p>&#8220;As someone who had worked with Guttmacher TONS over several years, this comes as no surprise. Many of my friends\u2014some of who served on the policy team previously\u2014always shared stories of workplace abuse, tokenization, and harm. This is upsetting and more must be done,&#8221; read another\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/PrestonMitchum\/status\/1467899111764639754\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">tweet<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;None of this is surprising, but it&#8217;s still shocking,&#8221;\u00a0a former staffer <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JennieinDC\/status\/1467901428853313538\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">tweeted<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Racism alleged<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>According to V\u00e1squez, Guttmacher staffers <a href=\"https:\/\/prismreports.org\/2021\/12\/06\/guttmacher-institute-staff-say-a-toxic-work-culture-has-the-reproductive-rights-research-giant-in-a-death-spiral\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">alleged<\/a> &#8220;a pattern of tokenizing or pushing out staff of color (if they\u2019re hired at all), retaliating against employees who raise equity and justice issues, verbally abusing staff, and systematically failing to meaningfully engage with reproductive justice organizations whose work centers Black women.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>V\u00e1squez claims staffers of color\u00a0felt \u201ctoken efforts\u201d were put in place regarding training on &#8220;racial equity and microaggressions.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>According to her report, when staff members wanted to focus on \u201cworkplace problems\u201d and they suggested Guttmacher &#8220;put supportive policies in place for Black staff and other employees of color,&#8221; their suggestions were met with a &#8220;chilly reception.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The allegations bled onto Glassdoor where an alleged staffer <a href=\"https:\/\/www.glassdoor.com\/Reviews\/Guttmacher-Institute-Reviews-E285772.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">wrote<\/a>, &#8220;Leadership has wholly abandoned the commitments it made to address white supremacy in the organization and harm against staff of color. Racist, discriminatory managers are protected even as their staff are forced out.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The culture is toxic for staff who are disabled, queer, pregnant, caregivers, or in any way have human needs that interfere with being productivity robots. The organization does not live the values it preaches,&#8221; the staffer also claimed.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_258505\" style=\"width: 596px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-258505\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-258505 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Glassdoor-review-of-Guttmacher-Institute-claims-toxic-and-abusive-and-racist-work-environment-586x700.jpg\" alt=\"Image: Glassdoor review of Guttmacher Institute claims toxic and abusive and racist work environment\" width=\"586\" height=\"700\" srcset=\"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Glassdoor-review-of-Guttmacher-Institute-claims-toxic-and-abusive-and-racist-work-environment-586x700.jpg 586w, https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Glassdoor-review-of-Guttmacher-Institute-claims-toxic-and-abusive-and-racist-work-environment-251x300.jpg 251w, https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Glassdoor-review-of-Guttmacher-Institute-claims-toxic-and-abusive-and-racist-work-environment-768x918.jpg 768w, https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Glassdoor-review-of-Guttmacher-Institute-claims-toxic-and-abusive-and-racist-work-environment-500x598.jpg 500w, https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Glassdoor-review-of-Guttmacher-Institute-claims-toxic-and-abusive-and-racist-work-environment.jpg 1125w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 586px) 100vw, 586px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-258505\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Glassdoor review of Guttmacher Institute claims toxic and abusive and racist work environment<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Prism reviewed a July 2019 internally published racial equity assessment &#8220;performed by consultants Guttmacher hired,&#8221; who &#8220;surveyed 107 Guttmacher staffers across the organization.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>According to V\u00e1squez, that assessment found that some members of senior management \u201care not held to the same expectations\u201d as other staff and that \u201cwhite women\u2019s self-expression seems to be accommodated more than other groups\u2019 transgressions in incidents involving conflict.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;In the racial equity assessment, one employee was quoted as saying that they only heard of staffers of color being &#8216;yelled at&#8217; and that there was no example of a white person yelling at another white person at Guttmacher,&#8221;\u00a0V\u00e1squez wrote.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Retaliation alleged<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>V\u00e1squez alleged that multiple workers experienced &#8220;a sort of quiet retaliation and ostracization [after speaking out] that ma[de] it impossible to do their jobs.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The racial equity assessment confirmed their &#8220;experiences were widespread,&#8221;\u00a0V\u00e1squez claimed.\u00a0The assessment also allegedly expressed \u201ca great deal of concern about the risk of providing candid feedback, and the prospect of retribution for critique,\u201d she wrote.<\/p>\n<p>According to V\u00e1squez, &#8220;all seven current and former staff who spoke to Prism alleged Boonstra made a practice of retaliating against people who spoke up about issues by pushing them out of the organization with poor job performance reviews.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLeadership doesn\u2019t listen to us. They retaliate against us if they see us as a threat to their ill-informed decisions, and even when it directly impacts our health and safety,\u201d alleged a former staffer.<\/p>\n<p>Prism also cited a September 2021 Glassdoor review which claimed, \u201cglaring issues with leadership are ignored\u201d and that &#8220;at least eight of the 12 members of the policy division were &#8216;fired, pushed out, or quit as a direct result of poor management decisions.'&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Lack of diversity in management<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The racial assessment &#8220;characterized Guttmacher as an organization that is &#8216;predominately white and based in white dominant culture,&#8217;\u201d\u00a0V\u00e1squez claimed.<\/p>\n<p>According to V\u00e1squez, &#8220;the highest ranking D.C. employees are white women who have been with the organization for decades.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>And V\u00e1squez alleged that there had been &#8220;no Black or Latinx members of Guttmacher\u2019s policy team in at least a decade&#8221; and\u00a0no &#8220;senior Black or Latinx staff member in the history of Guttmacher\u2019s D.C. office.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Staffers saw this as a &#8220;bias in hiring that was especially troubling given the disproportionate impact of abortion policy on Black and Latinx communities,&#8221;\u00a0V\u00e1squez wrote.<\/p>\n<p>One Guttmacher staffer said she found the &#8220;lack of people of color in management and on staff telling, but sadly common for a reproductive rights organization.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Consultants who assessed Guttmacher found that the organization \u201cwas founded and continues to be led by a white feminist ethos\u201d which has developed a culture \u201creflective of dominant culture norms (i.e., white supremacy, patriarchy),\u201d Prism claimed.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Employees exit D.C. office<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>According to Prism, &#8220;over the last 11 months, more than 80% of Guttmacher\u2019s D.C. public policy division has left, including every caregiver and the only two staffers of color.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The federal team of the policy division no longer exists, according to employees who\u2019ve been tracking these departures closely,&#8221; the article added.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe state [policy] team is hanging on by a thread,\u201d according to one Guttmacher employee, V\u00e1squez claimed.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_258509\" style=\"width: 581px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-258509\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-258509\" src=\"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Former-Guttmacher-staffer-confirms-Prism-story-Image-Twitter.jpg\" alt=\"Image: Former Guttmacher staffer confirms Prism story (Image: Twitter)\" width=\"571\" height=\"777\" srcset=\"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Former-Guttmacher-staffer-confirms-Prism-story-Image-Twitter.jpg 571w, https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Former-Guttmacher-staffer-confirms-Prism-story-Image-Twitter-220x300.jpg 220w, https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Former-Guttmacher-staffer-confirms-Prism-story-Image-Twitter-514x700.jpg 514w, https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Former-Guttmacher-staffer-confirms-Prism-story-Image-Twitter-500x680.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 571px) 100vw, 571px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-258509\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Former Guttmacher staffer confirms Prism story (Image: Twitter)<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Guttmacher staffers described \u201ccrisis-level problems\u201d allegedly leaving the organization&#8217;s D.C. office &#8220;understaffed, unable to fill critical roles, and struggling to produce the analyses it is known for,&#8221; V\u00e1squez wrote.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;To address the discord on the public policy team, Guttmacher brought in human resources consultants in December 2020 to facilitate a retreat and determine whether the team was &#8216;cohesive,&#8217;\u00a0she claimed.<\/p>\n<p>According to the article, Prism reviewed the report, which &#8220;showed that the policy team scored Guttmacher alarmingly low for accountability, commitment, trust, and its ability to address conflict.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Public support to expose Guttmacher<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Former Guttmacher staffer <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/1MegDonovan\/status\/1468041465104375809\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Megan Donovan<\/a>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/1MegDonovan\/status\/1467897578108989449\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">described<\/a> the Prism piece on Twitter as &#8220;incredible reporting&#8221;\u00a0<span class=\"css-901oao css-16my406 r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0\">about &#8220;racism, ableism, white feminism &amp; the dismantling of the policy dept <\/span><span class=\"r-18u37iz\"><a class=\"css-4rbku5 css-18t94o4 css-901oao css-16my406 r-1cvl2hr r-1loqt21 r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0\" role=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Guttmacher\">@Guttmacher.&#8221;<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"mceTemp\"><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_258508\" style=\"width: 1172px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-258508\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-258508 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Former-Guttmacher-staffer-calls-Prism-story-about-racism-abelism-and-white-feminism-Image-Twitter-b.jpg\" alt=\"Image: Former Guttmacher Institute staffer described Prism story as one of racism, ableism, and white feminism (Image: Twitter) \" width=\"1162\" height=\"569\" srcset=\"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Former-Guttmacher-staffer-calls-Prism-story-about-racism-abelism-and-white-feminism-Image-Twitter-b.jpg 1162w, https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Former-Guttmacher-staffer-calls-Prism-story-about-racism-abelism-and-white-feminism-Image-Twitter-b-300x147.jpg 300w, https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Former-Guttmacher-staffer-calls-Prism-story-about-racism-abelism-and-white-feminism-Image-Twitter-b-768x376.jpg 768w, https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Former-Guttmacher-staffer-calls-Prism-story-about-racism-abelism-and-white-feminism-Image-Twitter-b-700x343.jpg 700w, https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Former-Guttmacher-staffer-calls-Prism-story-about-racism-abelism-and-white-feminism-Image-Twitter-b-500x245.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1162px) 100vw, 1162px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-258508\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Former Guttmacher Institute staffer described Prism story as one of racism, ableism, and white feminism (Image: Twitter)<\/p><\/div>\n<p>The article prompted one abortion advocate to ask on <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/democracydiva\/status\/1467910319905333257\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Twitter<\/a>, &#8220;[T]he bulk of our data about repro issues comes from Guttmacher. [H]ow much of what we know is infected by their racism?&#8221;<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_258555\" style=\"width: 509px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-258555\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-258555\" src=\"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Abortion-rights-advocate-questions-Guttmacher-Institute-data-as-infected-by-their-racism-Image-Twitter.jpg\" alt=\"Image: Abortion rights advocate questions Guttmacher Institute data as infected by their racism (Image: Twitter)\" width=\"499\" height=\"599\" srcset=\"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Abortion-rights-advocate-questions-Guttmacher-Institute-data-as-infected-by-their-racism-Image-Twitter.jpg 499w, https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Abortion-rights-advocate-questions-Guttmacher-Institute-data-as-infected-by-their-racism-Image-Twitter-250x300.jpg 250w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 499px) 100vw, 499px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-258555\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Abortion advocate questions Guttmacher Institute data as infected by their racism (Image: Twitter)<\/p><\/div>\n<p>In response, former NARAL board member Renee Bracey Sherman <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/rbraceysherman\/status\/1467960127802294272?s=21\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">tweeted<\/a>, &#8220;Our movement will never be able to abolish abortion bans until we address the racism within our ranks.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div class=\"css-1dbjc4n\">\n<div id=\"id__jpg7diobsf\" class=\"css-1dbjc4n\">\n<div class=\"css-1dbjc4n r-rpnbwx\">\n<div id=\"id__fq95164i25j\" class=\"css-1dbjc4n\">\n<div id=\"attachment_258502\" style=\"width: 565px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-258502\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-258502\" src=\"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Renee-Bracey-Sherman-on-Guttmacher-and-racism-Image-Twitter.jpg\" alt=\"Image: Renee Bracey Sherman on Guttmacher and racism (Image: Twitter)\" width=\"555\" height=\"434\" srcset=\"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Renee-Bracey-Sherman-on-Guttmacher-and-racism-Image-Twitter.jpg 555w, https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Renee-Bracey-Sherman-on-Guttmacher-and-racism-Image-Twitter-300x235.jpg 300w, https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Renee-Bracey-Sherman-on-Guttmacher-and-racism-Image-Twitter-500x391.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 555px) 100vw, 555px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-258502\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Renee Bracey Sherman on Guttmacher and racism (Image: Twitter)<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Prism included a statement from Guttmacher denying the charges as unsubstantiated.\u00a0&#8220;Complaints were duly investigated, and nothing raised to the level of abuse or discrimination,&#8221; the statement claimed.<\/p>\n<p>Guttmacher described the turmoil as an organization grappling with &#8220;our own history of outdated systems and cultural norm&#8221; at a &#8220;historically white organization.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/liveactionnewsonline\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u201cLike\u201d Live Action News on Facebook<\/a>\u00a0for more pro-life news and commentary!<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Guttmacher Institute is the latest abortion advocacy organization to face a &#8220;racial reckoning&#8221; by former staff members who claim that the organization&#8217;s D.C. office nurtured a &#8220;toxic workplace&#8230; inhospitable to caretakers, women of color, and disabled people.&#8221; Staffers singled out Guttmacher\u2019s current VP for public policy,\u00a0Heather Boonstra, telling Prism author Tina V\u00e1squez that their [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":303,"featured_media":258628,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false},"categories":[15,8],"tags":[713,199,14607,14605,76,14606,116,11020,13025],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Former staff accuse pro-abortion Guttmacher Institute of &#039;racism&#039; 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