From ........... National Catholic Reporter

October 21, 1989

SEATTLE PLANNED PARENTHOOD DROPS OUT OF UNITED WAY

Saying it would not agree to "the demands of the Roman Catholic church," Planned Parenthood of Seattle-King county announced it would forfeit its United Way funds.

The announcement came after United Way of King county, under pressure from Seattle Archbishop Raymond G. Hunthausen, Coadjutor Archbishop Thomas J. Murphy and pro-life groups, told Planned Parenthood it would have to separate its abortion services from other activities to receive funding. Planned Parenthood's decision means giving up more than $400,000 in United Way funds, almost 1O percent of its budget.

After the Seattle-area Planned Parenthood affiliate announced it would begin performing abortions in early 1989, the archbishops asked Planned Parenthood to reverse its decision or end its 18-year status as a United Way agency. The United Way board of directors voted June 20 to formalize a policy of not funding agencies which perform abortions.

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