Migration Category: news-1-5000-national

The Directors Guild of America (DGA) reports that the entertainment industry has not kept its promise to hire more women and minorities for directing jobs. Despite promises from entertainment industry employers, the job rate for women directors actually dropped in 1999. Women film directors accounted for 7.4 percent of total days worked by guild directors in 1999, down from 8.5 percent in 1998. Philanthropist and producer Peg Yorkin, chair of the Feminist Majority Foundation and leading feminist within the Los Angeles entertainment community, is not surprised. “The DGA has been putting out numbers like this for more than 10 years, and all women ever get is more numbers – no changes.” The bottom line? “It’s a boy’s club,” Yorkin asserts. “The entertainment industry continues to produce films saturated with sex and violence that are aimed at 14-year-old boys, the so-called target audience for money-making pictures.”

The entertainment industry has been the target of criticism from minority groups as well. For example, the NAACP recently began a campaign to increase representation of blacks and other minorities in television.

In Celebration of Human Rights Day, President Clinton presented Eleanor Roosevelt Human Rights Awards to two women and three men in recognition of their leadership and achievements in the struggle for human rights around the world. Recipients included Tillie Black Bear, a Native American woman who founded the first domestic violence shelter on an Indian reservation; Frederick Cuny for his humanitarian aid to victims of conflict and disaster all over the world; Norman Dorsen, president of the American Civil Liberties Union, for his use of the law to defend human rights; Elaine Jones for her work with the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund, and to Theodore McCarrick, for his work with refugees and the homeless and advocating for debt relief for poor countries.

Clinton spoke to the efforts of these five people, but reminded all that the struggle for human rights and justice around the world is ongoing. He spoke about the denial of Afghan women’s and girls’ basic human rights, slavery in Sudan and oppression in China. He praised the work of human rights activists, and challenged everyone to take up the fight for human rights.

The Food and Drug Administration has approved Mirena, an IUD (intrauterine device) used as a contraceptive device by two million women worldwide. The device is implanted in the uterus and delivers small amounts of hormones, providing five years of birth control. The FDA’s studies have shown that Mirena is 99 percent effective in preventing conception and actually reduces the length of women’s periods.

A study published in the December 7, 2000, issue of the New England Journal of Medicine found that women who undergo tubal ligation are no more likely to develop menstrual problems than women who do not have the surgery. Since the 1950s, some doctors have argued that sterilization through tubal ligation would result in an increase risk of serious menstrual problems. Instead, some physicians have recommended total hysterectomies„a costly and invasive surgery„to avoid the possibility of menstrual problems. The new study showed that women who undergo tubal ligation are in fact more likely to have shorter and easier periods with less pain.

A Chicago Methodist minister, suspended last year for presiding over a commitment ceremony between two men, said church law would allow for same-sex unions, provided they take place outside of the church. On Tuesday, gay couples at the United Methodist Church in Chicago acted on this law, exchanging vows outside, then celebrating their unions inside the church. All weddings at the church, homosexual and heterosexual, are conducted in the same manner.

Same-sex unions also received a nod from Duke University, which will allow gay students, faculty, staff and alumni to use the University’s chapel to hold commitment ceremonies. The chapel is a school facility and is not tied to a particular religious denomination, and is not bound by church policies. Emory, Harvard, Stanford and Wake Forest Universities have also allowed same-sex unions in school owned chapels.

The American Medical Association’s (AMA) House of Delegates passed a measure in support of the the availability of over-the-counter emergency contraceptives. The resolution acknowledges the fact that many women do not have access to physicians who can prescribe emergency contraception (such as Preven and Plan B) within the 72 hours required for the method to work. Pro-choice activists hailed the decision as a major breakthrough in the struggle to improve women’s access to reproductive health care options. Under the resolution, the AMA will call for health care professionals to “play a more active role in providing education about access to emergency contraception by discussing it as part of routine family planning and contraceptive counseling.” It also directs the FDA to take action by considering any applications by manufacturers of emergency contraceptives for over-the-counter use.

An AMA resolution to ensure access to comprehensive reproductive health care despite hospital mergers and acquisitions also passed yesterday. The measure is a substantial pro-choice victory, as reproductive services are often lost for women when mergers make a religious hospital the only provider in a region. The AMA also passed a resolution today opposing sexual orientation “conversion” or “reparative” therapy that assumes “homosexuality per se is a mental disorder or based upon the a priori assumption that the patient should change his/her sexual orientation.” “Conversion” therapy is often conducted by religiously affiliated organizations by persons with no medical or psychological training.

Health care workers will provide abortion and other essential reproductive services to women in countries where abortion is illegal and access to reproductive health care is scant by taking their clinic 12 miles offshore aboard a specially-equipped ship. The project was spearheaded by gynecologist Rebecca Gomperts and her Women on Waves Foundation, which raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to charter a Dutch ship and construct a floating clinic on the ship. Gomperts’ project will not only improve access for individual women seeking much-needed reproductive care, but is already bringing an important issue to light in many countries where abortion is simply not discussed. The World Health Organization reports that between 60,000 and 100,000 women die each year from unsafe and illegal abortions _ a number that is undoubtedly an underestimate. The New York Times reported that news of the Women on Waves Foundation has already brought the abortion issue to the forefront in countries like Malta, where abortion is illegal, drawing abortion activists out to tell the stories of women who traveled as far as England to obtain necessary health services. The ship/clinic is expected to begin operations within the month.

Police in Cobb County Georgia have arrested 20 suspects in the rape of a 13-year-old mentally disabled girl that occurred on October 13-14. Police report that the girl was repeatedly raped for several hours over the course of two days at two apartments in Forest Creek Crossing in South Cobb. Blood samples from the girl provided sufficient evidence against 20 suspects in the case, including Raphael Alberto Joseph, 22, who surrendered to police on November 28 and is being held without bail facing charges of rape and aggravated child molestation. Two defendants, 12- and 13-year-old brothers, pleaded guilty to charges of child molestation early in November but were charged only with two years probation in exchange for testimony against other defendants in the case. Additional hearings have been scheduled for Isaac Cummings, 17; Joseph Jimmy Johnson, 25; Keland Taiwan Ware, 19; Shimmel Antwan Nicholson, 18; Carelius DeMarco Davidson, 19; James Davidson, 27; and two 16-year-old boys. Taurean Maurice Green, 17, awaits a hearing date, and 8 other defendants will plead their case before a grand jury.

The case against Seminole County Election Supervisor Sandra Goard was strengthened this week as depositions brought witnesses in to bolster the defense’s case. Goard, a Republican, is charged with illegally allowing Republican Party officials to complete 4,700 incomplete Republican absentee ballots, while refusing a similar request to the Democratic Party. One of the key witnesses is WDBO reporter Ken Altieri, who testified that he interviewed Goard on tape saying that absentee ballots without the required voter identification numbers would not be honored. Meanwhile, in an unsupervised room, two workers paid by the Republican Party filled in thousands of incomplete absentee ballot forms. Republican Party regional director Michael Leach confirmed that he completed such forms for at least 15 days, changing more than 2,000 forms. This case could prove crucial to the presidential election, as a 1998 court ruling granted Florida judges the authority to invalidate elections if they found fraud that resulted in a flawed outcome. In Gourd’s Seminole County, George W. Bush led 2-to-1 in absentee ballots.

RepublicanPac.com, a Virginia-based right-wing group whose self-proclaimed purpose is to “support and defend the platform of [Ronald] Reagan Republicanism – pro-life/pro-family [i.e. anti-gay], strong defense, small government” is running ads on major cable news networks for their sexist “Hey Al, Take It Like A Man” bumper stickers. The non-profit, partisan group operates an ultra-conservative website featuring the transcript of an Alan Keyes address, and is almost exclusively focusing its resources on the current presidential election and their “Hey Al, Take It Like A Man” bumper stickers. The stickers feature the slogan in large, white letters superimposed over a map of the United States, showing states where Bush won the electorate in red, including the state of Florida. The ad visually implies that Bush won the election in a landslide. But more outrageous is the ad’s slogan: “Take It Like A Man” harkens back to stereotypes of women as overly emotional and incapable of noble and rational leadership, and relies on heterosexist assumptions that all men are aloof, rough, and unemotional. The ad appeared on MSNBC and CNN, and continues to be shown in regular commercial rotation.

Take action with the Feminist Majority Foundation and tell MSNBC and CNN that airing this sexist ad is irresponsible and unexcusable.

Pulitzer Prize winning poet Gwendolyn Brooks died of cancer on December 3 at her home in Chicago, Illinois. Brooks, the first black woman to win the Pulitzer, published hundreds of poems, most of them portraying black women and addressing racism in America. Her critically acclaimed work tackled racism, poverty, and sexism, as she created characters and images often overlooked in art, combining superb technique with a message of social change. Brooks began writing poetry at the age of 11, and had her first book published in 1945. Her second collection of poems, “Annie Allen,” received the Pulitzer in 1950. Brooks received many awards over her lifetime, including being named 1994 Jefferson Lecturer by the National Endowment for the Humanities, the highest honor given by the government for work in the humanities.

A state-mandated machine recount in Washington State’s senate race affirmed pro-choice Maria Cantwell’s (D) win over anti-choice incumbent Senator Slade Gorton (R). Cantwell gained 276 votes in the recount, defeating Gorton by 2,229 votes, or just 0.1 percent. The outcome is subject to final certification by Washington’s Secretary of State, who is expected to uphold the outcome. Gorton conceded on December 1, and is not expected to demand additional recounts.

Cantwell’s election makes Washington the third state to be represented by two female senators in the upcoming session of Congress, joining California and Maine. Her election also evenly divides the Senate 50/50 between Democrats and Republicans. Democratic leadership will likely argue for parity in committee assignments and other positions of influence to secure equal power in the next Congressional session. However, if Bush is named President, the tie-breaking vote would go to vice presidential hopeful Dick Cheney. If Gore is elected, Joseph Lieberman will lose his Senate seat in Connecticut, giving that position to his Republican opponent and giving the Republicans a 51-49 majority.

Sandra Baldwin was elected 22nd president of the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) this weekend, making her the first woman ever to hold the position. Baldwin defeated Paul George 108-96 in the election. Her career in sports began in the 1960s when she timed her son in competitive swimming. Baldwin’s colleagues characterize her as very concerned with and cognizant of feminist issues, but determined to break barriers placed before her. From 1982-1984, she was president of USA Swimming, making her the first woman president of any Olympic sport that was not an all-women sport. Her current position as president of the USOC sends a message, she says, that a long-time conservative organization is changing.

On November 30, a New York City Council Committee passed a new law that would allow victims of rape, domestic violence, and other crimes motivated by gender bias to sue the perpetrators in civil cases. NYC Mayor Rudolph Giuliani is expected to sign the bill this week, making the city the first in the nation to establish this civil right for victims of violence against women since the May Supreme Court decision nullifying the civil rights remedy of the 1994 Violence Against Women Act See Feminist News, May 15, 2000). In that ruling, the Supreme Court declared that the regulation of crime was under the jurisdiction of the states and localities, not with Congress. New York City is the first to take steps to establish such protections for victims of violence against women since the ruling. The new measure allows women to bring suit up to seven years after an incident, and allows them to sue for lawyers’ fees and punitive damages as well as compensation. It requires plaintiffs to prove that the acts were motivated by gender bias; typical evidence in such cases includes anti-woman epithets and acts that “perpetuated stereotypes of women’s submissive role.” The New York Times reported that, while overall crime in New York City has been declining, incidents of domestic violence have remained steady.

On November 29, the Michigan Senate passed a bill restricting women seeking abortions, requiring that, when obtaining information to meet the state’s informed consent requirements via the internet, they must use the state’s website. More specifically, the new law, which is expected to be approved by both the Michigan House of Representatives and Governor John Engler (R), stipulates that women seeking the required information over the internet must obtain it from the Michigan Department of Community Health website, and not from the sites of abortion providers. Moreover, the site would print out a date and time of viewing to ensure the patient meets the 24-hour informed consent requirement. Planned Parenthood Advocates of Michigan opposes the new requirements, calling them “outrageous.” The law would require a patient to print out confirmation that she had viewed the Michigan Department of Community Health website, and would require women without internet access to receive information via registered mail, requiring her signature upon receipt. Under current regulations, women receiving the information by mail do not have to provide a signature, helping to protect confidentiality. Planned Parenthood asserts that the proposed bill serves “no purpose,” but “add[s] new burdensome requirements for women seeking an abortion.” Read Planned Parenthood Advocates of Michigan’s statement on this restrictive law.

In a decision anticipated to affect many state and local outreach and recruitment programs aimed at increasing participation of women and minorities in public employment, education and contracting, the California Supreme Court struck down a program by the City of San Jose that required companies awarded contracts by the City to show they made an effort to recruit women and minority-owned businesses as sub-contractors. In its first ruling on Prop 209 _ the highly contested initiative passed by California voters in 1996 _ the court’s decision prohibits “targeted outreach programs” directed exclusively at women and minorities.

Although clearly a set-back for affirmative action proponents, legal analysts believe many local and state government outreach and recruitment programs will survive. For example, the City of Los Angeles requires outreach to “women and minority-owned firms and others.” Expected to become a model for other local governments, the Los Angeles program was cited along with several other outreach efforts as “permissible” by the state Supreme Court’s Chief Justice Ronald M. George in a concurring opinion. George emphasized the court’s ruling “does not prohibit all affirmative action programs or preclude governmental entities in this state from initiating proactive steps…to address the continuing effects of past discrimination or exclusion.”

Even as many local governments were dropping affirmative action programs in the wake of passage of Prop 209, the City of Los Angeles has expanded the percentage of all contracts awarded to minority owned businesses to “near-record highs” according to the Los Angeles Times. Minority owned firms won 13.5% of city contracts, or $1.1 billion, in the past year after dropping sharply following passage of Prop 209. The contracts awarded to women entrepreneurs doubled to 10%, up from 4.5% (the first year data on women was collected).

The Feminist Majority Foundation led a large coalition of women’s and civil rights groups in the statewide Campaign to Stop Prop 209, which passed by a 54 – 46% margin, far below the initiative’s massive lead of 78 – 16% in the polls when the campaign began one year earlier.

Scientists at the French Institute of Health and Medical Research are utilizing undeveloped brain tissue from aborted fetuses to potentially ease the debilitating symptoms of Huntington’s disease, a genetic disorder cased by the progressive deterioration of brain cells. Fetal cells were injected into the brains of patients with Huntington disease. Tests showed increased brain activity, speech and articulation improvement, and successful physical activity like swimming and riding a bicycle. Patients who did not receive the injections showed a typical steady decline.

US anti-choice activists have fiercely protested against research using cells from aborted fetuses or fertility clinics’ surplus embryos. However, medical organizations including the American Heart Association and the American Medical Association support stem cell research.

The NAACP will file a lawsuit against Florida and several counties, alleging irregularities in the presidential election, and possible racial profiling. The discovery of a locked ballot box in the cafeteria of a predominately black precinct on November 8, 2000, prompted the lawsuit. NAACP CEO & President, Kweisi Mfume suggested the stray ballot box indicated an attempt to dilute the minority vote.

In an event to underline the importance of counting the votes of Florida women, the National Organization for Women (NOW) will hold a “Women’s Votes Count” rally at 9 a.m. on December 1, 2000, on the steps of the US Supreme Court building in Washington D.C. NOW President Patricia Ireland and other feminist activists will speak. The rally is immediately prior to the oral argument in the Florida recount challenge.

The Los Angeles City Council unanimously voted to cut all of the city’s ties with the Boy Scouts of America, citing the Scout’s discrimination against gays. LA city law prohibits affiliation with any group that practices discrimination. This law will require all LA city offices to end their affiliations with the Scouts, despite the US Supreme Court’s June ruling that the Boy Scouts of America have the right to discriminate against gay members of the private organization. The Boy Scouts will now be charged fees to use the city’s Department of Parks and Recreation facilities, and the LA Police Department’s Explorers unit, a Boy Scouts cadet training program, will be replaced with an alternative program.

According to a recent Guttmacher Report on Public Policy, 77 percent of middle and high school-based health centers cannot legally distribute contraceptives to patients. School-based health centers, which typically serve lower income students and community members, offer a wide range of services, including preventative education on tobacco, drug and alcohol use, STD transmission, and pregnancy. 70 percent provide STD testing; 60 percent offer HIV testing. Yet with the availability of education and testing, school districts have prohibited the distribution of condoms and oral contraceptives, arguing that providing contraceptives increases sexual activity among teenagers. Studies have proven this argument to be false. In the face of this criticism, school based health centers have ceased the distribution of contraceptives and offer birth control counseling and off-site birth control referrals instead.