Illinois Birth Control League

In 1916, Margaret Sanger visited Chicago to give a speech against Comstock laws and in support of birth control clinics.{{Cite web|url=http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/441.html|title=Family Planning|last=Holz|first=Rose|website=The Electronic Encyclopedia of Chicago|publisher=Chicago Historical Society|access-date=23 January 2017}} The speech drew around 1,200 people and "inspired the creation of the Illinois Birth Control League." By 1919, the league had been set up and was advertised in the Birth Control Review.{{Cite journal|date=November 1919|title=Birth Control Organizations|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=k0IsAAAAYAAJ&q=%22illinois+birth+control+league%22&pg=RA6-PA20|journal=Birth Control Review|volume=3|pages=20|last1=Sanger|first1=Margaret}} In 1923, the IBCL opened its first birth control clinic, which was directed by Rachelle Yarros. This clinic was the second of its kind in the United States. The clinics enabled women who could not afford a private physician to receive practical family planning advice.{{Cite news|url=http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1937/06/06/page/82/article/illinois-birth-control-league-is-vital-social-agency|title=Illinois Birth Control League is Vital Social Agency|last=De Young|first=Ruth|date=6 June 1937|work=Chicago Tribune|access-date=23 January 2017}} Originally, the clinics were meant to be free clinics, but the city would not grant them the necessary license from the health commissioner. Because of this, the IBCL charged a "nominal fee" to give out oral information about birth control.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/8436096//|title=Chicago Ordinance is Named Against Birth Control|date=8 November 1924|work=The Catholic Advance|access-date=18 January 2017|via=Newspapers.com}} In 1924, the IBCL was again denied a permit for the clinic to operate as a public clinic where information could be given out for free.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/8523136/springfield_missouri_republican/|title=Birth Control League Establishes Office in Charge of Director|date=24 October 1924|work=Springfield Missouri Republican|access-date=23 January 2017|via=Newspapers.com}} IBCL opened a second birth control office in 1925.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/8523244//|title=Birth Control Clinic Doing Big Business|last=Scott|first=O.L.|date=16 February 1925|work=The Bee|access-date=23 January 2017|via=Newspapers.com}} By 1937, over 20,000 women had been seen by the several clinics run by IBCL.

The IBCL and other women continued to fight against laws preventing the dissemination of information about birth control in Illinois during the late 1920s.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/8523329//|title=Aids Attack on Laws|date=13 May 1929|work=Oshkosh Daily Northwestern|access-date=23 January 2017|via=Newspapers.com}} In 1934, the IBCL, along with the Chicago Woman's Club, the Birth Control League and the Social Hygiene League of Chicago created a resolution, backed by three hundred women, to allow social workers to discuss family planning and to refer clients to birth control clinics.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/8523692//|title=Birth Control For People on Relief Urged|date=4 December 1934|work=Ames Daily Tribune|access-date=23 January 2017|via=Newspapers.com}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/8523305//|title=Demand to Be Made for Birth Control|date=4 December 1934|work=The Sedalia Democrat|access-date=23 January 2017|via=Newspapers.com}}

IBCL incorporated in April 1924 with the name, "Illinois Birth Control League" with the mission of philanthropic and educational work relating to family planning.{{Cite web|url=http://chsmedia.org/media/fa/fa/M-P/PlannedP-inv.htm|title=Planned Parenthood Association Chicago Area records, 1920-1975|date=2009|website=Chicago Historical Society|access-date=23 January 2017}}{{Dead link|date=September 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} The IBCL became the Planned Parenthood League of Illinois in 1946, and then later, the Planned Parenthood Association, Chicago Area in 1947. Peggy Carr was the last president of the IBCL and oversaw the transition to Planned Parenthood.{{Cite news|url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-margaret-carr-obituary-20161127-story.html|title=Peggy Carr, Active With Organizations That Help Women and Children, Dies|last=Megan|first=Graydon|date=27 November 2016|work=Chicago Tribune|access-date=23 January 2017}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=646mAwAAQBAJ&pg=PP1|title=A Birth Control Clinic in a Marketplace World|last=Holz|first=Rose|publisher=University of Rochester Press|year=2012|isbn=9781580463997|location=Rochester, New York}}

• [http://beta.birthcontrol-international.org/items/show/73 Illinois Birth Control League]{{Dead link|date=September 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
• [https://www.plannedparenthood.org/planned-parenthood-illinois/who-we-are/our-history Planned Parenthood of Illinois]

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Category:Planned Parenthood

Category:Birth control in the United States

Category:1924 establishments in Illinois

Category:Women's organizations based in the United States

Category:History of women in Illinois