Author: Roxanne Szal

Roxanne Szal (or Roxy) is the managing digital editor at Ms. and a producer on the Ms. podcast On the Issues With Michele Goodwin. She is also a mentor editor for The OpEd Project. Before becoming a journalist, she was a Texas public school English teacher. She is based in Austin, Texas. Find her on Twitter @roxyszal.

Iowa’s ‘Six-Week’ Abortion Ban Is Blocked For Now. But Remember: ‘Six Weeks’ Is Actually Two

Late Tuesday night, Iowa’s state legislature voted to ban most abortions after around six weeks of pregnancy. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) will sign the bill on Friday, and it will take immediate effect. Once passed, there will be two states—Iowa and Georgia—that ban abortion after around six weeks since a person’s last menstrual period. Total bans are in effect in 14 additional states: Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

Laws that restrict abortion in this way rely on “scientific” claims that have very little grounding in actual science, and fly in the face of medical expertise. After all, most women don’t even know they’re pregnant when only six weeks along.

The GOP Wages a War on Drag

On Sept. 1, 2023, a ban on drag performances will take effect in Texas. Anti-drag laws—including legislation with sanitized language that takes aim instead at “adult performances” or “cabaret” shows, an anti-drag dog whistle—are already on the books in three states: Arkansas, Florida and Montana.

The GOP-led movement to limit who can see drag performances and where, is part of a larger nationwide push to stigmatize any content with LGBTQ themes, presenting it as a danger to kids. Rather than protect children, the frenzy around drag shows and at-large attacks on the LGBTQ community have detrimental effects on trans, gay and queer youth.

Why Menopause Representation Matters: ‘Women in Positions of Power Realize This Is Not Something to Be Secretive About’

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Representation of menopause in popular culture matters. Among the ways menopause has been reflected on TV, the And Just Like That cast has tackled issues of aging, including a cameo by Ms. co-founder Gloria Steinem last week.

It was also the main theme of a Judy Blume film screening and panel Ms. recently co-hosted in New York City entitled “Menopause Needs Our Margaret”—a reference to Blume’s iconic book, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. The event gathered the filmmakers behind the Judy Blume Forever documentary, Davina Pardo and Leah Wolchok, plus menopause advocates Stacy London, Sharon Malone, Omisade Burney-Scott, Tamsen Fadal and Susan McPherson, in conversation with Jennifer Weiss-Wolf.

Read on for highlights from our New York City event.

Supreme Court Review: The Term That Ended Affirmative Action, Allowed LGBTQ Discrimination, and More

Friday, June 30, marked the end of a roller coaster of a Supreme Court term. The same day, legal experts and commentators gathered for the 13th Annual Supreme Court Review at the University of California, Irvine.

The panel discussed the high Court’s bombshell rulings from the last several months, which put an end to affirmative action, protected businesses’ “constitutional” rights to discriminate against LGBTQ people under the guise of free speech, halted President Joe Biden’s authority to forgive federal student loans, and more. These monumental decisions will have ripple effects in the years and decades to come.

Watch the hour-long program, or read some of our favorite takes.

Supreme Court Strikes Down Affirmative Action—A Blow to Equality and Democracy

Colleges and universities can no longer take race into consideration as a basis for granting admission, the Supreme Court ruled Thursday, upending decades of its own precedents that have benefited Black, Latino and Indigenous students seeking higher education.

The long-awaited decision was met with instant rebuke from legal observers and civil rights advocates. “Today’s decisions from the Supreme Court on affirmative action represent a significant setback for civil rights in the U.S. and are a cornerstone of the conservative movement’s coordinated effort to roll back access to opportunity for systemically marginalized Americans,” said Kimberlé Crenshaw, executive director of the African American Policy Forum.

Over-the-Counter Birth Control Is Here

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The FDA approved the birth control pill Opill to be available over-the-counter—the first nonprescription birth control pill in the U.S. It is expected to be available in stores and online beginning early next year.

“Today’s decision is a huge deal for women in America—and finally, some good news in the fight to allow women to make their own decisions about their health care,” said Senator Patty Murray (D-Wash.). “The fight to expand access to contraception is even more important today in a world without Roe, and over the counter birth control is going to be a real game-changer.”

Rep. Ayanna Pressley Introduces Discharge Petition, Continuing ERA Push

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On Wednesday, co-chair of the ERA Caucus Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) introduced a “discharge petition” which seeks to compel the House to vote on H.J. Res. 25, a joint resolution to  remove the arbitrary deadline for ratification of the ERA and enshrine it in the Constitution as the 28th Amendment.

“Make no mistake—here is the closest we’ve ever been to seeing full equality recognized and equal rights in the Constitution.”

As Supreme Court Weighs Next Steps on Abortion Pill, Protesters Rally in Support of Abortion Rights

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As the Supreme Court weighs its options on the abortion pill mifepristone, abortion and women’s rights supporters across the U.S. are protesting the latest efforts to restrict access to abortion. Protests took place this weekend in small and large cities, including Amarillo and Dallas, Texas; Chicago; Detroit; Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, Calif.; New York City; Seattle; Sioux Falls, S.D.; Tallahassee, Fla.; and Washington, D.C., the nation’s capital.

The continued contradictory orders of various courts have escalated the issue to the Supreme Court. A decision could come any day. In Dobbs, the Court said that abortion “must be returned to the people and their elected representatives.” It remains to be seen if the Court really meant what they said.

Michigan Is Officially Rid of Its 1931 Abortion Ban

On Wednesday, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) repealed the state’s 1931-era abortion ban—a law prohibiting abortions without exceptions for rape, incest or health of the pregnant woman. In the November elections, the state tasked voters to decide the fate of the law. Ultimately, Michiganders resoundingly approved Proposal 3, a ballot measure that would repeal the ban and add an amendment to the state constitution explicitly establishing the right to abortion and other reproductive healthcare.

“Today, we’re going to take action to ensure that our statutes, our laws reflect our values and our constitution,” Whitmer said. “This is a long overdue step.”