Posts Tagged: reproductive justice
We Won’t Go Back: Raising Youth Voices in Reproductive Justice
History was recently made in Ohio when over 300 people rallied at the capitol in Ohio for reproductive rights. I was fortunate enough to attend the We Won’t Go Back rally at the statehouse in Columbus, Ohio with my Choice USA chapter (and a fellow Choice USA blogger!). At this rally, I was very inspired by the high attendance, chants and calls to action to vote and change the political climate around abortion rights in Ohio. I felt lucky to be in the presence of America’s pro-choice superstars, such as Ellie Smeal of Feminist Majority Foundation. I kept thinking of how fortunate I was to be part of something so historical and important for my generation. However, I observed something funny about the representation of the reproductive justice movement throughout… Read more »
Support the Troops, Repeal Hyde
What does it mean when you say, “support the troops?” As a whole, the US has many supportive organizations for those who serve in the military and their families, everything from national campaigns for job placement to the USO providing services for families. But what about abortion and reproductive care?
Young, Broke, and Denied Abortion Access: Millennials and the Hyde Amendment
Is there ever any end to the parade of articles decrying Millennials? Judging by the sheer volume that the media churns out decrying my generation as one self-absorbed, lazy, and curated within a bubble of indulgent vapidity, you can say there’s a perception that Millennials are the bane of the United States. Which is funny, seeing as on average, we’re receiving more education than our parents, have less job opportunities, being crushed by debt, and still being pointed at as “just expecting a handout.” This hypocrisy is especially teeth-grindingly blatant when it comes to the Hyde Amendment.
If I lived in a state that had reproductive justice…
The state would respect the humanity of ALL people. The state would not pass laws diverting money from the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families program to give to Crisis Pregnancy Centers that “routinely lie to and coerce women.” The state would not mandate that in order for rape crisis centers to receive funding, they must not refer to abortion care when they counsel survivors. The state would not mandate that public hospitals can only perform abortions in cases of rape, incest and the life of the mother. The state would not pass laws requiring abortion clinics to have transfer agreements with a local hospital and then ban public hospitals from getting into transfer agreements with abortion clinics.
Abortion Access Month: Improving Access in 5 Easy Steps
September is an important month for reproductive justice activism. Besides the fact that it’s my birth month, it also happens to be Abortion Access Month. This September also marks the 38th year of the dreadful piece of legislation called the Hyde Amendment. The Hyde Amendment makes it extremely hard for low income people to access abortion care. Roe is law of the land but you wouldn’t know it with all of the 1,100 abortion and reproductive health restrictions laws introduced all over the country in 2011 alone. 2011 was “The Year of Abortion Restrictions” but 2013 may end up with even more anti-choice laws on the books. A recent Toledo closing of an abortion clinic is among the latest casualties I am seeing here in Ohio as a result the… Read more »
Abortion Access Month: How (Dis)Ability Can No Longer Be Ignored
What does abortion access look like to you? For many, it’s having private insurances and Medicaid cover the cost of the procedure, creating strong networks of social support and not having to drive five hours or out of state for a clinic. September is Abortion Access Month; For the reproductive justice movement, access is more than just Roe vs. Wade. It’s access on all levels – being able to afford the procedure, erasing the stigma behind it and having a high quality clinic nearby. What the movement tends to forget in this fight is how ability can impact accessibility.
Making Reproductive Justice Truly Intersectional: Takeaways from #solidarityisforwhitewomen
Like many a Twitter addict, I spent a good part of last week tweeting about intersectionality (or the lack thereof) in feminist movement. The #solidarityisforwhitewomen hashtag started by the fabulous Mikki Kendall (@Karnythia) has garnered outstanding coverage, including a great piece written by Kendall for The Guardian. #SolidarityIsForWhiteWomen Creator, Mikki Kendal, Speaks About Women Of Color, Feminism (VIDEO) http://t.co/tkG447o03c — HuffPost BlackVoices (@blackvoices) August 13, 2013
Reproductive Justice Wears Cowgirl Boots
As I was finishing up my degree in Women’s Studies, I would often take my Feminist Theory book to my favorite country bar and study in between line dances. People would come up and ask what (and why) I was studying at a bar. When they found out I was studying feminism, they seemed quite surprised that I was also a regular at the place. After all, country music and feminism don’t mix, right? Wrong. The misconception that country music is anti-feminist is exactly that, a misconception. In reality, a lot of country music supports the feminist movement. In 1975, Loretta Lynn wrote a song called ‘The Pill’ that is about why birth control is important. She was already a well-known and respected country star by this time, and came… Read more »
Consuming Bodies: The Women We’re Leaving Behind
India just banned the use/exploitation of dolphins as entertainment, as they are now considered “non-human persons”. Blackfish, a documentary about the psychological realities other animals face when confined in captivity, has just opened in theaters (at the distress of SeaWorld). Bird brain mapping has recently revealed that birds are “remarkably intelligent in a similar way to mammals such as humans and monkeys,” but ‘bird brain’ is still an insult. And the U.S. State Department and President Obama have decided to push ahead with building the Keystone XL Pipeline’s southern half amongst numerous questionable building practices, even though the previous Keystone I Pipeline has leaked fourteen different times. But isn’t this the Choice USA blog? What does this have to do with reproductive justice? Everything. Having grown up with cats my whole… Read more »
Being a Virgin Doesn’t Make Me Pro-Life
“So you have casual sex then, right?” I cannot count how many times I have been asked this as a follow up question when I tell people I am a feminist. While I don’t think there is anything wrong with casual sex, pre-marital sex, marital sex, group sex, kinky sex, or really any sex as long as it’s consensual; I find it interesting that this seems to be a common question to jump to. My favorite part comes after that question though. The asker is at a loss for words, eyes widening, as I reveal to them the truth. I am, in fact, a virgin. Being 24, a lot of people find it surprising when I tell them I haven’t had sex. I’ve long since gotten over being surprised at… Read more »
