Justice & Law

New California Law Protects Digital Privacy of Abortion Seekers Nationwide

PUBLISHED 9/12/2022 by

Last week the California legislature passed a bill providing groundbreaking digital privacy protections for abortion-related communications sent through California tech companies. Assembly Bill 1242, introduced by Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan (D-Orinda), bars telecommunications companies in California from providing records of digital communications related to abortion to law enforcement officials.

“California continues to provide a blueprint for what is possible when policy centers people, equity, science and medicine; and trusts each person to make the best decisions for themselves and their family about their healthcare options.”

Michigan Judge Rules Abortion Ban Violates Women’s Equal Rights, Bodily Integrity and Dignity

PUBLISHED 9/12/2022 by

Michigan Court of Claims Judge Elizabeth Gleicher ruled last week that the state’s 1931 abortion ban violates the Michigan Constitution.

In a forceful, 39-page order permanently blocking the law, Gleicher ruled that the abortion ban violated both the due process and equal protection clauses of the state Constitution. She rejected Republicans’ argument that pregnancy is not an intrusion on women’s bodies: “Bodily autonomy is inherent to human dignity” and “eliminating abortion access will force pregnant women to forgo control of the integrity of their own bodies.”

Dark Money Anti-Abortion Groups Peddle the Absurd Idea That a Post-Roe World Empowers Women

PUBLISHED 9/12/2022 by

Right-wing dark money groups are peddling the notion that abortion access “harms” women and, even more outlandish, that the Dobbs decision overturning Roe “empowers” them. This position essentializes women by suggesting their value is centered around motherhood. It also uses pseudo-feminist claims to detract from the very real dangers a post-Roe landscape presents for people and the myriad ways abortion access has helped advance gender equality in the U.S. in the last five decades. 

Keeping Score: ‘Justice Has Been a Long Time Coming’

PUBLISHED 9/9/2022 by

In every issue of Ms., we track research on our progress in the fight for equality, catalogue can’t-miss quotes from feminist voices and keep tabs on the feminist movement’s many milestones. We’re Keeping Score online, too—in in this biweekly round-up.

This week: Former police detective pleads guilty more than two years after the murder of Breonna Taylor; Kansas voters choose to maintain reproductive freedom; Spain passes “yes means yes” law to protect consent; new COVID-19 boosters available to protect against omicron variants; the FTC sues data broker for revealing sensitive location information; and more.

Abortion Access Restored in Indiana in Response to Lawsuit Filed by Providers and ACLU

PUBLISHED 9/9/2022 by

On Thursday, Sept. 22, an Indiana circuit court temporarily blocked Indiana’s total abortion ban, Senate Bill 1 (SB 1). Abortion access has now been restored in the state.

The Indiana Republican-dominated Legislature passed SB 1 in a special August session called by Gov. Eric Holcomb, who signed the law the night it passed on Aug. 5.

Survivors Face Backlash For Reporting, 50 Years After Title IX. What Does Justice Look Like For Them?

PUBLISHED 9/9/2022 by

Title IX created much support for survivors of sexual harassment and sexual assault on the basis of sex discrimination, requiring institutions to address such harms in the workplace and in schools.

Ms. spoke with Alexandra Brodsky, civil rights lawyer and co-founder of Know Your IX, about the new backlash survivors still face coming forward, and the new ways activists are fighting for change and survivor-informed support.

Moving Beyond the ‘Pink High Heels’ Defense Shaming of Survivors

PUBLISHED 9/8/2022 by

Survivors deserve to be taken seriously and viewed as human beings worthy of respect and safety regardless of the clothes they wear—if they’ve been drinking, or if their heels happen to be pink. While I am realistic about how much change is possible, a new day has arrived in which taking the avenue of “but look at the pink high heels she was wearing that night” will put the accused in only greater jeopardy in the eyes of the court and the public.

How to Support Moms on Equal Pay Day

PUBLISHED 9/8/2022 by

Sept. 8, 2022, is Moms’ Equal Pay Day—the day in 2022 when the average working mom’s pay finally catches up to what the average dad earned in 2021. For every dollar paid to a working dad, moms only make 58 cents. In other words, it takes moms roughly an extra nine months to earn what dads earn.

Here are some ways to take action help raise awareness about #MomsEqualPay Day.

Stop Praising Colleen Hoover’s ‘It Ends With Us.’ Here’s What You’re Missing

PUBLISHED 9/7/2022 by

Colleen Hoover’s best-selling novel, It Ends With Us, was the sixth best-selling book of 2021, BookTok is going nuts over it and USA Today called it “the kind of book that gets handed down.” The novel centers on the relationship between Lily and Ryle, a young newlywed couple who live in Boston.

Hoover’s writing is being touted as part of a resurgence of romance writing, but It Ends With Us is not a romance novel; it’s a celebration of toxic masculinity.