Megan Thee Stallion Was Honored at Planned Parenthood of Greater New York’s Spring Into Action Gala
Last night, at Planned Parenthood of Greater New York’s Spring Into Action gala, honoree Megan Thee Stallion put it best: “My body, my business, and I do what I want to do with it!” This sentiment, which fiercely advocates for body autonomy and women’s rights, were top of mind at the event held at Cipriani South Street in Lower Manhattan.
Guests were first treated to cocktails and light bites before entering the ballroom for dinner (which included a tri-color beet salad and branzino al forno). Curb Your Enthusiasm’s Susie Essman was the evening’s emcee and, after kicking it off with some light jokes, spoke about her personal connection to Planned Parenthood. “I got pregnant when I was 16 and I was scared out of my mind,” she recalled. “And where did I go? I went to Planned Parenthood. I was very lucky that abortion was legal at that time. So how have we gone backwards?”
The gala comes two years after the 2022 Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, which ended the constitutional right to abortion.
The night’s first honoree was Academy Award-winning actress Patricia Arquette, who was given the Champion of Change Award. “My first real job was at Planned Parenthood,” she said. “I was 15 years old and I worked as a peer counselor, visiting sex education classes in other schools and helping educate the students about different birth control options.” (In the bathrooms at the event, free barrier contraceptives were available for anyone who wanted them).
She then went on to say, “When legislators fight about funding, they never take into account that more than 90 percent of sexually active men and 80 percent of sexually active women and gender nonconforming people in America will be infected with HPV in their lifetime. Planned Parenthood is on the front lines of this national health crisis. So not only is this puritanical legislation removing women’s rights to choose, but they’re also negatively impacting millions of Americans everyday reproductive lives.”
A bit later in the evening, Megan Thee Stallion was honored with the Catalyst for Change Award for her outspoken advocacy. “I know I was placed on this earth to be more than just a musician,” she said, “and I have a bigger purpose to use my voice to speak out against injustice.”
Notable guests also included Hannah Bronfman, Tommy Dorfman, Beanie Feldstein, Molly Ringwald, AnnaSophia Robb, Busy Phillips, and more. A few celebs, like Judy Blume, Debi Mazar, and Padma Lakshmi, even made video appearances and spoke about the importance of resources like Planned Parenthood. And at the end of the night, the event had raised $1.6 million in critical funds for the nonprofit.
For an inside look at last night’s gala, click through the gallery below.
Juliana Ukiomogbe is the Assistant Editor at ELLE. Her work has previously appeared in Interview, i-D, Teen Vogue, Nylon, and more.