SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Dec. 11, 2015 (Gephardt Daily) — The Salt Lake City Human Rights Commission presented a major award to the Planned Parenthood Association of Utah Thursday night.
The 2015 Human Rights Award was presented to Planned Parenthood, Dr. Mansoor Emam and posthumously in memory of Frank Cordova.
The Salt Lake City Human Rights Commission and the Mayor’s Office of Diversity and Human Rights hosted the 2015 Human Rights Day Celebration to commemorate the 67th anniversary of the United Nations ratification of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Planned Parenthood CEO Karrie Galloway said the organization is honored to receive the award. “It was pretty darn exciting for Planned Parenthood to receive an award from a governmental society, especially a human rights award,” said Galloway. “That’s what we work for, is for dignity for everyone in reproductive rights every day, and for our heroes in the city to honor us, it was very flattering.” She said Planned Parenthood’s hard work will continue. “We’re not going away, we’re doing the same thing day in, day out, protecting reproductive rights, making sure people have access to services and education.
“All the bad times have been balanced by the incredible support we’ve gotten from the communities, from our volunteers, from our donors in making up the money that the Government has cut from us, and in reality, we will survive, because people need us, and our doors will stay open.”
The celebration included hors d’oeuvres provided by 4Truck catering, music by Latin Jazz Factory All Stars, dance by Island Traditions and a silent auction. Among the attendees was Mayor-elect Jackie Biskupski.
All proceeds from the event will support the Human Rights Education Project, a program that educates refugee and immigrant populations about their legal rights in the United States. The Mayor’s Office of Diversity and Human Rights has held 151 workshops since the program’s launch in May 2012 and reached over 4,000 refugees and immigrants in 18 different languages.
