Some occasions elevate funds, others spark conversations — Deliberate Parenthood Gulf Coast’s (PPGC) annual Versus Luncheon did each, after which some. With greater than 1,800 allies filling the Hilton Americas-Houston ballroom on February 28, the powerhouse occasion raised greater than $1.6 million to help reproductive well being care, schooling, and advocacy in Texas and Louisiana.
However past the {dollars}, the day was a name to motion, pushed by private tales and a dedication to reproductive rights.
A Household Legacy of Advocacy
On the coronary heart of the afternoon was a second a long time within the making: the Second Century Award presentation to longtime Deliberate Parenthood supporters Deborah Detering and her daughters, Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher, Katherine Heart, and Shelley Stein. Their collective affect — from co-chairing the 2009 luncheon to launching Deliberate Parenthood Younger Leaders to standing agency in public workplace — has helped form the battle for reproductive freedom in Texas.
Introducing the honorees, Erin Mincberg Spiegel, a PPGC board member and former marketing campaign supervisor for Rep. Fletcher—mirrored on their a long time of service. The popularity was emotional, a second of honoring management and legacy.
A Dialog That Hit Dwelling
The keynote fireplace chat between Dr. Anitra Beasley, PPGC’s Medical Director, and Amanda Zurawski, certainly one of Time’s 2025 Girls of the Yr, was something however typical luncheon fare. It was uncooked, pressing, and deeply private.
For Zurawski, advocacy wasn’t a selection. It was survival. In 2022, she was denied lifesaving care beneath Texas’ abortion bans after experiencing being pregnant problems. The delay led to sepsis, a week-long intensive care unit keep, and everlasting medical penalties that shattered her desires of motherhood.
Zurawski’s voice wavered, however her message was clear.
“Individuals nonetheless don’t perceive the actual affect of those legal guidelines,” she instructed the viewers. “And that’s terrifying.”
Because the lead plaintiff in Zurawski v. Texas, the primary patient-led problem to a state abortion ban, she has turned private trauma right into a nationwide rallying cry, testifying earlier than Congress, talking on the 2024 Democratic Nationwide Conference, and sharing her story by a documentary.
A Celebration of Power
PPGC president and CEO Melaney Linton delivered a sobering replace on the state of reproductive care in Texas and Louisiana. For the reason that bans took impact, PPGC’s affected person navigation program has helped circa 3,000 folks entry out-of-state abortion care, offering $1.1 million in monetary help for journey, lodging, and childcare.
Linton additionally paid tribute to 2 giants of reproductive rights who handed away final 12 months: former Deliberate Parenthood Federation of America president Cecile Richards and Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee. Accepting applause on behalf of her mom’s legacy, Erica Lee Carter stood as a testomony to generational advocacy.
Although advocacy was the throughline, there have been moments of pure pleasure. Houston drag icon Adriana LaRue opened and closed this system with dazzling performances that had the group on its toes. Allie Peacock, the luncheon’s fashion-forward chair, surprised in a customized robe constructed from 10,000 condoms, a cheeky nod to the occasion’s mission.
Native impartial bookseller Brazos Bookstore curated a number of banned books and feminist literature, that includes works by 2025 Second Century Award honoree and New York Occasions bestselling creator Katherine Heart alongside different important voices.
On the Angel Share afterparty, visitors sipped cocktails from a specialty menu benefiting PPGC. In the meantime, an artwork set up that includes works by R Babb, Eliana Gottlieb, Angel Quesada, Antonia Lara Sanchez, and Loren Siems added a strong visible assertion mirroring the group’s mission.
On the scene had been Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia, Harris CountyChoose Lina Hidalgo, Harris County Commissioner Lesley Briones, Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis, Fort Bend County Commissioner Dexter McCoy, Sen. Molly Prepare dinner, Rep. Charlene Ward Johnson, Rep. Christina Morales, Rep. Jon Rosenthal, Rep. Gene Wu, Metropolis Controller Chris Hollins, District Lawyer Sean Teare, Harris County Lawyer Christian Menefee, Council Member Abbie Kamin, District Clerk Marilyn Burgess, and Tax Assessor Annette Ramirez.
