When Diane Derzis shut the doors of the New Woman All Women Health Care clinic in Birmingham, Ala., last May, she did not expect the clinic to be shut for good. Derzis, known as the “Abortion Queen” by both her opponents and her supporters in the Deep South, was under investigation by the Alabama Department […]
Year: 2012
Pussy Riot Feminism and the Orthodox Church
The arrest, prosecution and imprisonment of three members of Pussy Riot have been used around the world to highlight the political repression of Putin’s Russia. But for me, the Pussy Riot incident was a sharp reminder of trouble closer to home. The sight of women protestors crossing themselves and prostrating in the traditional manner and […]
NEWSFLASH: Penn. Supreme Court Blocks Voter I.D. Law
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court temporarily stopped a harsh voter I.D. law from taking effect in the upcoming November 2012 election, sending the case back to the lower court for further review. In a 4-2 decision the state’s highest court ruled today that the six-month-old voter I.D. law is not being implemented correctly and, as a […]
Occupy Turns One: Women Are the Many, Not the Few
As the Occupy movement celebrates its first anniversary, we revisit an article from the Winter 2012 issue of Ms. magazine. Here’s an excerpt: In a few short months, Occupy grew from a small New York City encampment protesting corporate influence and Wall Street greed, to a populist movement with more than 2,500 incarnations around the […]
NEWSFLASH: Virginia Makes the Anti-Abortion Access TRAP Worse
The Virginia Board of Health has voted 13-2 to reverse their June decision to “grandfather” existing abortions clinics, thus exempting them from new, hospital-like restrictions for the state’s other abortion clinics–commonly called TRAP laws (Targeted Regulations of Abortion Providers). Instead, the clinics must comply compliance with the regulations within two years or face closure. Virginia […]
Yes, There’s Even an App for THAT: Menstruation and the Quantified Self
Do you have a cell phone? Do you use apps to do things you used to do with paper and pen? Chances are, you do. Maybe you even use an app to keep track of your period. A recent report by the Pew Internet and American Life Project found that more than 80 percent of […]
When We Were Outlaws: An Interview with Jeanne Córdova
Lesbian-feminist movement pioneer Jeanne Córdova has been fabulous for a long time, organizing, agitating, publishing, speaking out. At last, we can get to know her better in her new book, When We Were Outlaws: A Memoir of Love & Revolution, which garnered a Lammy, a Goldie and a Triangle, making it a triple-crown winner for lesbian writing. […]
Joe Biden on VAWA’s 18th Anniversary: “Keep the Promise!”
While a senator, Joe Biden was instrumental in the passage of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), which is up for reauthorization in Congress. The Senate has passed the bill, but the House passed a version characterized as “VAWA Lite” because it removes Senate-approved provisions addressing safety on campuses and protections for LGBT, immigrant and […]
If Only Mexico Had a Woman President
Imagine the possibilities of a woman president in Mexico. Femicides, reproductive rights, poverty and frightful working conditions–all are issues that Mexican women face today, and feminists would like to imagine that a woman president might take them more seriously than a man would. And Mexico could have had its first woman president if the recent […]
Politicians Say the Darndest Things
In the past several months, a myriad of public figures have made ridiculous (ignorant, offensive) comments about women and their bodies. We’ve put together a slideshow highlighting the most absurd quotes, following them with factchecking and some mea culpas from the foot-in-mouthers. Let us know if we’ve missed any! [prezi id=’http://prezi.com/7ve5ossidvbu/lest-we-forget/’] Photo of […]