You may have heard a bit about
The Decemberists pulling support from various charity organizations. Here's why.
Politics and popular music have been mixing since before the Vietnam war, and it seems that The Decemberists are one of the latest musicians to make a political statement. As the
NY Times has reported, one of the nation's most prominent advocacy groups for breast cancer awareness,
Susan G. Komen for the Cure, has pulled its financial support for the branch of Planned Parenthood that provides breast cancer screenings for low-income women, total donations that have reached $700,000 annually in the past. As the most visible abortion provider in the nation, Planned Parenthood had been a controversial thorn in the side of Komen and Komen believed that continued association with the group would cost them valuable donors.
The Decemberists faced their own high-profile battle with breast cancer when keyboardist, Jenny Conlee, was diagnosed with breast cancer last May (the cancer is now in remission). The band sold "Team Jenny" T-Shirts at their show and through their website to raise money for Komen and for cancer awareness. However, The Decemberists have pulled their support from Komen in the wake of Komen's decision to pull support from Planned Parenthood. Instead, in the future, all future proceeds from the Team Jenny shirts will go directly to Planned Parenthood.
