My Trans Daughter Deserves to Live Without Fear

My oldest daughter is a young trans woman, and recent political actions have left her, and many like her, feeling afraid.

My daughter, like all trans people, did not choose to be transgender. But when she realized that embracing her true identity alleviated years of internal struggle, she made the brave decision to live as herself. She is a bright, creative and compassionate woman who cares deeply about others. She rescues abandoned animals, volunteers for organizations that support transgender individuals in need, and dreams of starting a family with her partner. Even though she lives in a big cosmopolitan city, occasionally she gets harassed on the street. Mostly she lives her life, hangs out with friends, rides her bike around town and sees us: her parents and her three siblings. Yet, for the first time since she has been living her true identity, she is afraid—and increasingly fearful about what the future holds.

Montana Lawmakers Vote Down Bill That Would Have Treated Cross-Border Abortion Seekers as Traffickers of Their ‘Unborn Children’

On Nov. 5, 2024, Montana voters decisively approved a ballot initiative enshrining the right to abortion up until fetal viability (about 24 weeks gestation) in the state Constitution.

On Monday, Feb. 24, Montana Republicans introduced a radical antiabortion “trafficking” bill that would have made seeking an out-of-state abortion after viability, or simply helping someone get one, a felony.

Late on Thursday, Feb. 27, after intense and emotional committee hearings, eight Democratic lawmakers joined eight Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee to vote down the bill, HB 609. Four Republicans still voted in support of it.

And the Oscar for Best Documentary Should Go to … ‘Black Box Diaries’

Black Box Diaries is a powerful, Oscar-nominated documentary that follows journalist and survivor Shiori Ito’s fight for justice after being raped by a powerful media figure in Japan. Using cinéma vérité techniques, surreptitious audio recordings and intimate self-documentation, Ito exposes the systemic failures that silenced her while capturing the emotional toll of her struggle.

The film highlights the global reach of the #MeToo movement and the stark realities of patriarchal impunity, culminating in a historic victory: the 2023 inclusion of consent in Japan’s rape law.

People with Albinism Face a Double Threat: Climate Change and Discrimination

The impact of climate change exacerbates health risks and discrimination for people with albinism, particularly women, who face unique challenges in healthcare and education.

“This larger fight is really a global fight and continental fight against the dominance of ableism,” said Sarah Bosha, lawyer and co-author of a new study, “The Forgotten Ones: The Impact of Climate Change on the Health and Well-being of Persons with Albinism.”

Drugmaker GenBioPro Says Antiabortion Lawsuit Is ‘Extremist Attempt’ to Undermine FDA Authority

The pharmaceutical company GenBioPro filed a motion on Tuesday, Feb. 25, to intervene in Missouri et al. v. FDA, a lawsuit in Texas challenging FDA regulation of the drug mifepristone, which is part of a two-drug regimen for the termination of early pregnancy. GenBioPro is the sole U.S. manufacturer of generic mifepristone, which the FDA approved in 2019 and is now the majority of mifepristone sold in the U.S.

In the Texas lawsuit, the attorneys general of Missouri, Kansas and Idaho are attempting to remove generic mifepristone from the market and severely restrict the brand-name mifepristone, Mifeprex made by Danco, in all 50 states and U.S. territories.

“All people have a right to access safe, affordable, evidence-based healthcare, and GenBioPro remains committed to using all legal and regulatory tools to protect mifepristone for millions of patients and providers across the country,” said Evan Masingill, CEO of GenBioPro.

‘I Felt Like a Human Again’: A Guaranteed Income Program Transformed This Mississippi Mom’s Life

Front & Center began as first-person accounts of Black mothers in Jackson, Miss., receiving a guaranteed income. Now in its fourth year, the series is expanding to explore broader systemic issues affecting Black women in poverty, including the safety net, healthcare, caregiving, and overall well-being.

Javonica, a 26-year-old mother in Jackson, Miss., has faced countless obstacles: navigating job instability, unreliable transportation, and a social safety net riddled with barriers. Despite completing technical college, she struggled to pass a certification test, and without a car, accessing childcare and work opportunities became nearly impossible. Now, as she prepares to welcome her third child, a guaranteed income program through the Magnolia Mother’s Trust is providing much-needed financial relief, allowing her to pay bills, care for her children and plan for a more stable future.

Why Some Districts Are Spending Big on Schools Tailor-Made for 4-Year-Olds

Jefferson Early Learning Center in Houston, Texas, bears little resemblance to elementary schools many adults recall attending in their earliest years. The classrooms have child-sized boats and construction vehicles children can play on, and ceilings painted to resemble outer space. There are no desks—all space is devoted to learning through play.

Alief Independent School District, which serves about 40,000 children in west Houston, is one of a growing number of districts across the country to pump money into creating a building that is tailor-made for pre-kindergarteners.

‘Hold Your Money’: Economic Blackouts Gain Momentum in Protest of Corporate and Government Policies

A grassroots movement is calling for a nationwide 24-hour economic blackout on Friday, Feb. 28, urging Americans to boycott major corporations and use cash at small businesses to protest corporate and government influence. The action is part of a broader wave of spending protests, including ongoing boycotts targeting companies that have rolled back diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

These economic protests coincide with growing dissatisfaction with the Trump administration, as approval ratings drop and demonstrations against its policies—such as cuts to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and proposed Medicaid reductions—gain traction nationwide. With low-income voters playing a key role in Trump’s base, the administration’s economic policies are fueling both resistance and debate.

Age-Verification Laws Seek to Erase LGBTQ+ Identity from the Internet

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The internet age-verification craze that’s sweeping the nation isn’t really about protecting little Dick and Jane from Pornhub—it’s about giving government and companies the power to decide what’s “harmful” and rolling back all Americans’ rights, especially those of LGBTQ+ people. 

This growing legislative trend has sparked a lot of concerns and First Amendment challenges, including a case now pending before the Supreme Court, Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton. These pernicious “for the children” bills would let politicians deem harmful LGBTQ+ content, or content about abortion rights, or even content about a political party other than their own. These are censorship bills, and let us assure you, porn is only a small aspect of these politicians’ real worries.

Afghan Women Are Trapped Between Two Prisons: Home and Society

“Hopelessness echoes from their [Afghan women’s] voices.”

Since the fall of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in 2021, Afghan women have been systematically erased from education, employment, and public life, making Afghanistan the only country where girls above sixth grade are barred from school. Once vital contributors to the nation’s progress, women are now trapped in a cycle of oppression that not only devastates their futures but also weakens Afghanistan’s economy and global standing. The world must take urgent action to combat this gender apartheid and support Afghan women in their fight for basic human rights.