Search Results for: LGBTQ

War on Women Report: ‘Fetal Personhood’ Bill Introduced in Congress; Trump’s Antiabortion and Pro-Project 2025 Cabinet

MAGA Republicans are back in the White House, and Project 2025 is their guide—the right-wing plan to turn back the clock on women’s rights, remove abortion access, and force women into roles as wives and mothers in the “ideal, natural family structure.” We know an empowered female electorate is essential to democracy. That’s why day after day, we stay vigilant in our goals to dismantle patriarchy at every turn. We are watching, and we refuse to go back. This is the War on Women Report.

Since our last report:
—A judge in Indiana has temporarily ruled to protect doctors from being forced to share abortion records with the government.
—Idaho became the sixth state to consider murder charges for abortion patients.
—U.S. District Judge Adam B. Abelson temporarily halted the Trump administration’s termination of DEI programs.

… and more.

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.

February 2025 Reads for the Rest of Us

Each month, I provide Ms. readers with a list of new books being published by writers from historically excluded groups.

I take comfort, inspiration and ideas from books. From the 20 here, I’ve learned about Sámi boarding schools, Mexican feminisms and new strategies for having courageous conversations. I’m even more convinced of the urgent need for educational and political reform. I’ve read stories of exclusion and violence, as well as hope and triumph. I’ve seen truth decimate fear, light scare away the dark, comfort prevail over capitalistic greed.  That’s what books do: They comfort us, educate us, enrage us and inspire us. Whatever books you read this month, I hope you find what you’re looking for.

Presidents’ Day and the Legacy of Exclusion: Why Women Still Struggle for the Oval Office

Presidents’ Day often conjures images of our founding fathers, men whose legacies in history books portray them as heroic figures. Yet, these white men confined themselves to rooms of power, shutting the doors behind them and leaving the majority of society—women, marginalized groups and nonconforming individuals—without a seat at the table, effectively denying them power and influence.

Let us move forward with purpose, amplifying the voices of women, demanding equality and working toward a future where the presidency is no longer an unattainable dream but a reality.

‘Money, Lies, and God’: The Rise of Christian Nationalism and the Battle for American Democracy

Katherine Stewart’s Money, Lies, and God exposes the alarming rise of Christian nationalism as a well-coordinated, anti-democratic movement seeking not just power, but the destruction of democracy itself. She describes this movement as “more political pathology than political program,” with its leaders intent on “burning down the house.” Stewart reveals how right-wing religious and political forces use disinformation, authoritarian alliances and targeted outreach—particularly through churches and media—to gain influence.

Despite internal contradictions, she warns that their strategy is effective: “A fractured and ill-informed public is easier to control than a well-informed one.”

However, she argues that a broad, pro-democracy coalition can push back, emphasizing the need to expose dark money, defend public education and strengthen the separation of church and state.

Beyond Valentine’s Day: The Love We Celebrate and the Abuse We Ignore

The ways we recognize and talk about abuse, control and harm remain largely trapped in outdated narratives—ones that fail to account for the complexities of love beyond traditional partnerships. Expanding the definition of domestic violence is not about diluting its meaning; it’s about making it more accurate.

In recent years, Valentine’s Day has been reclaimed and reshaped to celebrate love in all its forms—beyond romance and sex. Galentine’s Day, self-love rituals and the celebration of deep platonic connections have gained mainstream recognition, expanding our collective understanding of what love can be. Slowly, we’ve made space for the friendships, chosen families and personal growth that shape our lives just as profoundly as romantic relationships do. But while our definition of love has evolved, our understanding of its darker sides has not. When we fail to name violence in queer relationships, in parent-child dynamics or in sibling abuse, we erase entire groups of survivors. Without recognition, they are left without language to describe their experiences and without access to the support they need.

Keeping Score: Devastating Attacks on USAID; Louisiana Indicts N.Y. Doctor; Autumn Lockwood Is First Black Woman Coach to Win Super Bowl

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 this biweekly roundup.

This week: Musk and Trump’s USAID attacks have devastating impacts; 80% of the clean energy investments from the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act—which Trump wants to roll back—are in Republican congressional districts; Louisiana indicts a New York doctor for prescribing abortion pills; new executive orders go after workers and LGBTQ people; the Laken Riley Act was signed into law; childcare costs affect the health of parents; and more.

‘There Is a Lot of Advocacy Underway … We Can’t Retreat’: Demelza Baer on the Legal Fight for Civil Rights

An interview with Demelza Baer, director of public policy at the 62-year-old Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law:

“We’re making plans, discussing litigation strategies and doing outreach. A lot is happening behind the scenes. … I know that this moment feels like one of the most challenging periods of our generation, but this makes our social justice work more meaningful than ever. Everyone in the civil rights and social justice communities is facing attacks, but this is our moment to lean in. We can’t retreat.”