Regina Agyare looks like any other Los Angeles professional, sitting in one of the many posh storefronts found downtown, working on a laptop. But this space is a temporary one, a “pop-up” storefront that was vacant only a few days before. And Agyare, a software developer, has come here from Ghana to share with others […]
Author: Jennifer Simeone
Reality Checking the State of Abortion
When Dr. Kermit Gosnell’s dangerous abortion clinic was shut down, anti-choice campaigners thought they had found an example to tout when demonizing abortion care. Anti-abortion activists and politicians have tried to use Gosnell’s “house of horrors” as a representative example and argument for stricter regulations on abortion providers. As Sharona Coutts wrote RH Reality Check […]
Fed Up With North Carolina
At age 21, No. Carolina native Rosanell Eaton was one of the first black women to vote in the 1940s. Reciting the preamble of the U.S. Constitution three separate times, Eaton overcame the obstacles of the literacy test and years of discrimination to cast her ballot. At 92 years old, Eaton is again fighting for her […]
NEWSFLASH: DOD Releases Weak Sexual Assault Reform Measures
Secretary of Defense, Chuck Hagel officially released seven measures Thursday, aimed at preventing sexual assault in the military. The measures have been anticipated amidst the growing pressure on the Department of Defense to take action on what Hagel himself has described as a “scourge” to be stamped out. The measures follow a set of initiatives […]
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Challenging Abstinence-Ed in Illinois
This fall, 6th- through 12th-grade students in Illinois will no longer learn exclusively about abstinence in their sex-ed classes. Gov. Pat Quinn plans to sign HB 2675 into law, requiring schools with sex-ed programs to also offer “age appropriate, medically accurate and complete” lessons on birth control and sexually transmitted infections (STI). Taking effect January […]
DOD May Only Take “Baby Steps” to Confront Military Sexual Assault
Amid the growing recognition of sexual assault in the military, the Department of Defense is primed to release six executive actions addressing how the military handles the issue. The proposed actions were drafted and circulated in an internal memo, but were obtained and released to the public by Politico. They are expected to be formally announced soon. […]
Mind The Byline Gap
The glaring disparity between men and women writers contributing to large, influential media publications has reared its ugly head once again. But this time, we can watch along in real time. Launched this week, Who Writes For The New York Times? tracks the bylines on the Times’ online front page, breaks down the writers by […]
No Orgasm, No Rape?!? USC Faces Federal Investigation
Hello. I was raped. I was manipulated. But I am still here. You are not alone. These are the opening lines of Tucker Reed’s blog. A student at the University of Southern California, Reed and the Student Coalition Against Rape (SCAR) that she founded are the lead complainants behind the latest federal investigation of USC’s failures […]
Indecent for Radio? Change the (Clear) Channel!
When the South Wind Women’s Center (SWWC) opened its doors in April, it became the first clinic to offer abortions in Wichita since Dr. George Tiller’s murder four years ago. One of only three abortion clinics in Kansas, it’s also one of only three health clinics in Wichita to offer subsidized birth-control for low-income individuals. As […]
NEWSFLASH: In England and Wales, Another Win for Marriage Equality
A trek through the House of Commons, the House of Lords and sealed with a royal assent from Queen Elizabeth II made it official Wednesday: Passage of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill has officially brought marriage equality to England and Wales. They join the other 16 countries that have now legalized marriage equality. The […]