A sea of pink flooded the streets of Lansing, Michigan, on Thursday, November 5th, 2015 as Planned Parenthood volunteers, employees and supporters took part in Planned Parenthood’s “Lobby Day” event where advocates from all over the state approached Michigan House and Senate representatives—both Republicans and Democrats; and learned how to share their personal stories about why they support Planned Parenthood.

In the United States, lobbying dates back to the 1700s when it amended the Constitution for the first time, as activists lobbied for their Freedom of Speech. Today a myriad of groups from all across the nation lobby for various causes. On Thursday Planned Parenthood activists spoke to their lawmakers about two bills that have recently been introduced to the Michigan Legislature:  the “Yes Means Yes Act”; and the “Keep Politics Out of the Exam Room Act”— both Introduced by Michigan Senator Curtis Hertel.

The Yes Means Yes Act recognizes that college-aged women are four times more likely to face sexual assault than any other age group. The bill (House No. 4903, Senate No. 512) will implement mandatory consent-education throughout a student’s K-12 career in Michigan Public Schools. This education will clarify that “silence and lack of resistance do not constitute consent”; that “consent can be rescinded at any point during sexual encounter”; and that “the existence of a dating relationship between two people does not imply consent.” Lobbyists stressed to Representatives a few statistics: “forty-six percent of college students are unclear whether consent given under the influence of drugs or alcohol is considered legal consent,” (it’s not) and “twenty percent or women, five percent of men, reported being sexually assaulted either by physical force or while incapacitated,” (keyword: reported). The Yes Means Yes Act is currently sitting in the Education Committee and activists are hopeful that lobbying this past Thursday will help to push the bill through Committee.

Senate Bill No. 159 (House No. 4972) or the Keep Politics Out of the Exam Room Act was introduced based on the idea that Medical Ethics should be rooted in medically accurate information as opposed to political stances. This bill is currently sitting in the Health Policy committee but, like the Yes Means Yes Act, does not seem to be making any further strides. Planned Parenthood advocates, though optimistic, seemed to understand that this bill stirs up a little more controversy in politics than the Yes Means Yes Act as it relates to topics like abortion, birth control, and family planning

Lobbying has been a big part of Planned Parenthood’s activism since the beginning of their organization and has developed from approaching random legislators, to organizing meetings with a diverse group of them. Despite having to meet with their opposition (anti-choice legislators), or “future-friends” as Lori Carpentier, CEO of the Mid and South Michigan Planned Parenthood affiliates, referred to them, Planned Parenthood workers and volunteers seemed to keep an open and optimistic mind throughout their stay in Lansing.