At 11th Hour, Georgia Passes “Women as Livestock” Bill

After an emotional 14-hour workday that included fist-fights between lobbyists and a walk-out by women Democrats, the Georgia House passed a Senate-approved bill Thursday night that criminalizes abortion after 20 weeks. The bill, which does not contain rape or incest exemptions, is expected to receive a signature from Republican Gov. Nathan Deal. Commonly referred to as [...]

NEWSFLASH: Utah Requires 72 Hour Waiting Period Before Abortion

On Tuesday, Utah Governor Gary Herbert (R) signed a bill requiring that women undergo a 72 hour waiting period before having an abortion. Once the law goes into effect on May 7, Utah will have the longest waiting period in the country. Currently, Utah law requires a 24 hour waiting period. Marina Lowe, an attorney [...]

NEWSFLASH: Idaho Mandatory Ultrasound Bill Stalls, May Die

In a week in which anti-choice legislation seems to be coming thick and fast, some positive news finally emerged this morning: SB1387, the Idaho bill which would make it mandatory for women seeking abortions to first undergo an ultrasound, has been temporarily removed from the Idaho House agenda. Yesterday, Idaho Rep. Tom Loertscher, chairman of [...]

NEWSFLASH: Alaska Rep Says Men Should Have To Approve Abortions

Not one to be left in the cold, Alaska has jumped on the mandatory ultrasound bandwagon too. But that’s not all. Perhaps it’s because these laws are becoming so routine that conservative lawmakers feel the only way they can get headlines is to make each new proposal more outrageous than the last. That would explain [...]

NEWSFLASH: Tennessee May Publish Names of Abortion Providers

A proposed Tennessee law would require the state Department of Health to publish on its website the names of doctors who perform abortions, as well as extensive demographic information about each woman to undergo the procedure. The Defense of Life Act is scheduled to be introduced in the Tennessee House Health and Human Resources Committee [...]

Use Birth Control? You’re Fired!

First, Kansas brings us a bill that gives immunity to doctors who lie to couples about the results of their prenatal tests in order to prevent them from getting an abortion. Now, Arizona has proposed a bill that would give your boss the green light to fire you for using birth control. You think I [...]

Future of Feminism: Let’s Talk About Sex

In the words of the venerable ’90s hip-hop sensation Salt-N-Pepa: “Let’s talk about sex, baby. Let’s talk about you and me.” Okay, take a minute. Now that you’ve stopped singing, let’s get serious for a second. While yesterday’s post dealt with the negative sexualization of women and girls, it’s equally important to encourage a positive outlook [...]

Should Women Cheer for Vázquez Mota as Mexico’s First Woman President?

Electing a woman as head of state–pretty much anywhere in the world–is a newsmaker. I wish it weren’t still in this day and age, but it is. It’s happened in India; it’s happened in Ireland; it’s happened in Liberia; and maybe someday it will happen in the US. Notably, in the past decade, it has [...]

Who Has More Rights, A Woman Or Her Egg?

If any of the personhood initiatives at play in as many as 11 states this year pass, a fertilized egg would be granted full Constitutional rights. But the woman whose body contains that egg might lose her right to legal abortion (no matter the circumstances) and hormonal birth control. Couples who cannot conceive could lose [...]

Future of Feminism: Flipping the Gender Script

Political and cultural debates over contraception and abortion loom large in the news these days, with a notable new twist. Instead of feminists being the butt of ridicule, the tables have turned. Comedians, pundits and even legislators are satirizing the extremism and sexism of anti-woman bills by flipping the gender script. Here are some recent [...]

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