Southern Baptists Consider Women’s Leadership a ‘Threat’

PUBLISHED 7/6/2023 by

Southern Baptists are at it again, targeting women pastors in the next round of an ongoing battle over ordination and leadership in the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC).

Never mind that more and more people are leaving churches and identifying as religious “nones.” Never mind that there is a clergy sex abuse scandal among Southern Baptists. The possibility of women’s leadership is such a threat, it has to be eradicated. So rather than dealing decisively with its clergy abuse scandal, the SBC’s annual meeting this June chose to spend its time pummeling women pastors and once again delaying necessary abuse reforms.

Pretty soon, they may just be sitting alone in their empty sanctuaries on Sunday mornings—because no one else is right enough to belong with them.

What They’re Saying: Ms.’ New Book, ’50 Years of Ms.’

PUBLISHED 7/5/2023 by

We’re so excited to share that our new book—50 YEARS OF Ms.: THE BEST OF THE PATHFINDING MAGAZINE THAT IGNITED A REVOLUTION (Alfred A. Knopf)—will be released on Sept. 19. The 576-page volume contains essays, profiles, conversations with and features by a number of notable feminists and Ms. scholars—including contributions by bell hooks, Alice Walker, Pauli Murray, Billie Jean King, Nancy Pelosi, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Allison Bechdel, Eleanor Smeal, Brittney Cooper and Joy Harjo, as well as fiction and poetry by Toni Morrison, Audre Lorde, Joyce Carol Oates and Rita Dove, among many others. Still not excited? Here’s what feminists are saying:

“50 YEARS OF Ms. couldn’t come at a more crucial moment. Sí se puede!” —Dolores Huerta

“Full of practical guidance and thoughtful insight, today Ms. remains an indispensable resource for navigating the challenges of the 21st century.” —Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.)

Celebrate the ERA’s 100th Birthday in Seneca Falls, Where It Was Originally Unveiled

PUBLISHED 7/3/2023 by

The Equal Rights Amendment’s 100th birthday will take place on July 22 at the same historic location that it was originally introduced: the First Presbyterian Church of Seneca Falls in New York.

The celebration will include a declaration of shared values and a collective action plan for recognition of the federal ERA and passage of state-level ERAs in the 23 states that do not yet have them. It will also hold a ERA march and rally. Tickets are on sale now.

War on Women: Indiana Supreme Court Upholds Abortion Ban; Trump-Appointed Judge Rejects Tennessee Drag Ban; Supreme Court Guts Affirmative Action

PUBLISHED 7/1/2023 by and

U.S. patriarchal authoritarianism is on the rise, and democracy is on the decline. But day after day, we stay vigilant in our goals to dismantle patriarchy at every turn. The fight is far from over. We are watching, and we refuse to go back. This is the War on Women Report.

This month: Iowa and Indiana abortion bans remain enforceable; LGBTQIA+ online hate and harassment has reached a record high; more women than ever are traveling out of state for abortion access; U.S. Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) introduced the Right to Contraception Act; President Biden issued an executive order to strengthen access to affordable, high-quality contraception and family planning services; and more.

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

PUBLISHED 6/30/2023 by

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.

Our Abortion Stories: ‘I Want Greg Abbott to Look Me in the Eye and Tell Me I Deserve What Happened’

PUBLISHED 6/29/2023 by

Last summer, the Supreme Court overturned the longstanding precedents of Roe v. Wade, representing the largest blow to women’s constitutional rights in history. A series from Ms., Our Abortion Stories chronicles readers’ experiences of abortion pre- and post-Roe. Abortions are sought by a wide range of people for many different reasons. There is no single story. (Share your abortion story by emailing myabortionstory@msmagazine.com.)

“I want Greg Abbott or anyone who voted for this law to look me in the eye and tell me that I deserved what happened. That I deserve to be punished by the law for what I’ve gone through. I want them to look me in the eye.”

‘I Am a Woman and a Lesbian’: Remembering Madeline Davis’ 1972 Landmark Speech for Gay Rights

PUBLISHED 6/29/2023 by

I­­n 1972, Roe v. Wade was argued before the U.S. Supreme Court, Title IX was signed into law, and for the first time, a gay woman stepped up to the mic at a national political convention and announced: “I am a woman and a lesbian.” Madeline Davis’ words to the Democratic National Convention marked a milestone for gay rights. 

“I knew there were gay people out there at four o’clock in the morning, sitting in front of their television sets, waiting to see one of their own people stand up,” Davis later said about her historic speech.

Supreme Court Decision on Reckless Speech Will Cost Victims of Stalking and Harassment

PUBLISHED 6/29/2023 by

The Supreme Court issued a ruling on June 27 in Counterman v. Colorado, holding that a speaker’s subjective intention must be considered when determining whether speech is a “true threat” and thus punishable notwithstanding the First Amendment. The decision requires that a speaker must have been aware of the “threatening character” of the speech but delivered it anyway, and was thus reckless in their actions. The holding will limit protections for victims of stalking, verbal abuse and online harassment and increase the burden on prosecutors who must now provide evidence of the speaker’s state of mind.

The Court’s decision will have a disproportionate impact on the mostly female victims of stalking and verbal abuse who turn to the legal system for protection.