On Monday, a federal appeals court three judge panel ruled two to one that the US military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT) policy will stand indefinitely until the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) appeals process concludes. CNN reports that the ruling, issued by the Ninth District Court of Appeals, granted the DOJ’s request that the court place a stay on US District Court Judge Virginia Phillips’ October 12 ruling, which declares the military’s policy unconstitutional and orders the military to immediately drop any pending investigations or proceedings related to the policy. The panel’s ruling may be now appealed to the 9th District Court or the Supreme Court by the Log Cabin Republicans, the group which originally filed suit against DADT. The DOJ is in the process of appealing Judge Phillips’ ruling because it alleges that the injunction would interfere with an ongoing Pentagon study of the potential effects of a DADT repeal. The DOJ instead encourages the courts to wait until the extensive Pentagon survey is presented to President Obama in December. Obama and other key officials such as Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Admiral Mike Mullen support a repeal of the policy. President Obama and Admiral Mullen, however, asserts that the policy should not be repealed through the judiciary. Despite these temporary legal setbacks, it is likely that a repeal of DADT will be passed after the Pentagon review is completed. In May, the Defense Spending Bill passed in the House and was filibustered in the Senate. The Bill contains an amendment by Representative Patrick Murphy (D-PA) that repeals “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” if military readiness, effectiveness, and unit cohesiveness are determined. DADT was instituted by former President Bill Clinton in 1993 and prohibits the military from inquiring about a service member’s sexual orientation, and also calls for the discharge of anyone who acknowledges being lesbian or gay. Thus far, the policy has led to the expulsion of more than 13,000 troops.
Author: Feminist Majority Foundation Blog
Gender Gaps in Polling in Key Races
As we close the midterm election season, public opinion polling in close races shows significant gender gaps–“the measurable difference in the way women and men vote for (or favor) candidates and in the way they view political issues” (see Eleanor Smeal, Why and How Women Will Elect the Next President). For example, the L.A. Times just last week revealed a massive 19 percent point gender gap in the race between Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) versus Carly Fiorina (R) and a 24 percent gap in the California gubernatorial race between Attorney General Jerry Brown (D) and Meg Whitman (R). Without the women’s vote, Brown and Boxer would not be leading their Republican opponents in the pre-election day polls. The Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP), Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers the State University of New Jersey released on October 25, 2010 their “Women Voters Less Likely than Men to Support Republican Women Candidates: Gender Gap Remains a Force in Election 2010.” CAWP found gender gaps in some 22 races. In every case, women favor Democrats more than men. “In some races,” CAWP did add, “both women and men favor the Republican candidates, but women do so at a lower rate than men.” The Hill (Largest Circulation of Any Capitol Hill Publication) newspaper reported gender gaps in key toss up races, such as in IA-3, North Dakota At Large, PA-11, and South Dakota At Large districts.
Brazil Elects First Woman to its Presidency
On Sunday, Dilma Rousseff of the Worker’s Party defeated Jose Serra of the Social Democratic Party by a wide margin and became Brazil’s first woman president. Although she has never held elective office before, Rousseff, an economist, was strongly backed by Brazil’s highly popular current President, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. She formerly served as da Silva’s Chief of Staff and a member of his cabinet as Energy Minister.
Following her historic win, Rousseff spoke passionately about her goals to eliminate poverty and promote gender equality, telling CNN, “I hope the fathers and mothers of little girls will look at them and say yes, women can.” She also outlined her plans to improve education and public healthcare, the New York Times reports.
During the 1970s, Rousseff was jailed and tortured for her membership in the left-wing guerrilla group called National Liberation Command, which opposed the military dictatorship ruling Brazil, according to the LA Times.
Uganda Anti-Gay Bill to Become Law
David Bahati, a member of the Ugandan Parliament and one of the principle leaders of the Family or Fellowship of C Street fame (see Jeff Sharlet’s latest book on C Street), stated yesterday that a bill, which would impose life sentences or the death penalty for gay people, will become law in the near future. Bahati told CNN that “this is a piece of legislation that is needed in this country to protect the traditional family here in Africa, and also protect the future of our children.”
Since the bill was proposed last year, many governments have donated aid, and human rights groups have pressured the Ugandan government to shelf the bill.
Bahati issued the announcement not long after a Ugandan newspaper, the Rolling Stone published a list of gays and lesbians, along with their names and addresses and a yellow banner on the side reading, “hang them.” Earlier this month the newspaper, which is not connected to the same-name American magazine, stated that homosexuals are raiding schools and recruiting children. Since the article’s publication, at least four gay people on the list have been attacked and others are hiding.
Giles Muhame, editor of Rolling Stone, told CNN that homosexuality is a virus spreading through the world, “we thought, by publishing that story, the police would investigate them, prosecute them, and hang them.”
Homosexuality is illegal in most African countries with the exception of South Africa, which recognizes gay marriage, but even there, anti-gay practices such as “corrective rapes” on lesbians, are commonplace.
Arkansas School Board Member, Who Wants Gays to Die, Resigns
In Arkansas, Midland School District Vice President and state board member Clint McCance, who wrote on his personal Facebook page that he encourages gays to commit suicide, announced his resignation yesterday. He also promised to disown his children if they were gay, and said that he enjoys “the fact that [gay people] often give each other AIDS and die,” according to CNN. McCance offered apologies to the families of the students who committed suicide but nevertheless told CNN, “If they decide after five or ten years to vote me back in, then I’ll run again.” In a recent statement, the Midland School District sought to disassociate itself from the outrageous comments made by McCance. Tom Kimbrell, the Arkansas Education Department Director, remarked to the Arkansas Times, that “every student in Arkansas must be educated in a nurturing environment, free from discrimination or harassment.”
Legal Fees Awarded in Mississippi Prom Case
Yesterday, US District Judge Glen Davidson ordered Itawamba County school district in Mississippi to cover the legal fees and expenses of Constance McMillen, who filed a lawsuit after she was banned from taking her girlfriend to prom and from wearing a tuxedo. According to the New York Times, the legal fees amounted to $81,000. In July, the school district agreed to pay McMillen over $35,000 in damages as a result of her lawsuit against the school district’s anti-gay policies. The agreement also requires the school district to adopt a non-discrimination policy that includes discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. In February, after McMillen requested that her school lift the ban on same-sex couples attending prom, a memorandum was sent to all students, stating that all prom dates must be of the opposite sex. McMillen’s school eventually cancelled the prom based on the “the education, safety and well-being of [its] students,” according to CNN after the American Civil Liberties Union became involved. In April, McMillen was invited to a decoy prom, in order to prevent her from attending a separate prom parents had organized. According to McMillen, “They had two proms and I was only invited to one of them. The one that I went to had seven people there, and everyone went to the other one I wasn’t invited to,” reported the Advocate.
Mississippi Personhood Amendment to Appear on Fall 2011 Ballot
On Tuesday, Hinds County Judge Malcolm Harrison ruled against the ACLU and Planned Parenthood in a case that sought to remove a “Personhood Amendment,” an anti-abortion initiative, from ballots next year in Mississippi. The measure “would amend the Mississippi Constitution to define the word ‘person’ or ‘persons’, as those terms are used in Article III of the state constitution, to include every human being from the moment of fertilization, cloning, or the functional equivalent thereof.” If the initiative passes, it would not only put a woman’s right to an abortion in danger, but also threaten oral and emergency contraception, IUDs, in vitro fertilization clinics, and stem cell research. According to the Clarion Ledger, 106,325 signatures on the petition supporting the measure were verified by the Secretary of State’s office, well beyond the approximately 90,000 signatures required to place the measure on the ballot. However, some Mississippi residents expressed concerns about the initiative appearing on the ballot, claiming that if abortions become illegal, education rates will be negatively impacted. Shelby Raines told News Channel 12 that “there’s uneducated people because they didn’t have the chance to go to college because they had to be a mother…Others didn’t get to finish high school because they had to raise a child.”
Breastfeeding Costs Not Tax-Exempt
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued a ruling stating that breast pumps and other breastfeeding supplies are not subject to the tax breaks offered for other medical expenses. However, the IRS will not recognize the cost of breastfeeding supplies to be eligible for these tax breaks, despite the fact that costs for products such as acne medications and denture adhesives are eligible for the exemptions, the New York Times reports. According to the United States Breastfeeding Committee, breastfeeding expenses can cost mothers between $500 and $1,000 annually. The ruling denies the American Academy of Pediatrics’ (AAP) request that the IRS consider costs related to breastfeeding as medical care expenses on the grounds that the IRS believes breastfeeding does not provide sufficient health benefits, the New York Times reports. Breastfeeding advocates and the AAP have emphasized the preventative health benefits of breastfeeding, backed by recent research. According to a study published in April of this year, breastfeeding will prevent more than 900 infant deaths each year and will save an additional $13 billion in health care costs. The risk of infant death due to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), respiratory infections such as pneumonia, and necrotizing enterocolitis is nearly eliminated if mothers breastfeed their infants until at least six months after birth. In addition, the US Department of Health and Human Services reports that breastfed infants have a lower risk of contracting ear infections, stomach viruses, atopic dermatitis, type 1 and 2 diabetes, childhood leukemia, and other health problems. Mothers also benefit from a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and postpartum depression (PPD). Women can ask their doctors for a document stating that breastfeeding is medically necessary if they want to try to use their tax-exempt healthcare account to cover breastfeeding, reports the New York Times.
Federal Court Overturns Arizona ID Law
On Tuesday, a federal appeals court has ruled against ruled against Proposition 200, a law that requires people to show proof of U.S. citizenship before registering to vote. The decision did, however, uphold the portion of the law that requires voters to show identification before entering the ballot box, CNN reports. According to CNN, Governor Jan Brewer and Secretary of State Ken Bennett of Arizona rebuked the court’s decision in a joint statement stating the decision “is an outrage and a slap in the face to all Arizonans who care about the integrity of their elections.” Arizona has undergone multiple legal battles concerning its immigration laws including SB 1070, which was passed in April and allows law enforcement officials in Arizona to request proof of legal immigration, residency, or citizenship of anyone they suspect might be an illegal immigrant.
Study Shows Women Excluded from International Peacemaking Processes
According to a report released Monday by the MIT Center for International Studies and the International Civil Society Action Network, women still have not been fully included in peacemaking and peace-building processes in many countries. The study was released the day before the tenth anniversary of the enactment of United Nations Resolution 1325, which calls for nations to ensure women’s “full involvement” in peacemaking and national security decision-making, according to the Associated Press. The report focuses on six nations and regions affected by conflict, including the Indonesian province Aceh, as well as Colombia, Israel, Liberia, Sri Lanka, and Uganda. The Associated Press reports that although legislation was passed in some of the countries to increase women’s participation, it was either never implemented or was ineffective. The report identifies three main problems in the implementation of Resolution 1325: the UN’s failure to create an education campaign about its goals; the failure of governments and international conflict resolution bodies to actually integrate women; and aid donors’ failure to support female participation in peace processes. Nevertheless, women have begun to break into the peacemaking process in some of the countries, the study reports. For instance, in Sri Lanka and Uganda, women participated in peace negotiations, though the negotiations ultimately failed. The report also asserts that the peace in Liberia, though unstable, is “largely thanks to the mass action of its women literally sitting outside the negotiations, and not giving up on peace,” as quoted by the Associated Press. In addition, women’s groups have led peace movements in Colombia and been at the forefront of peace advocacy in the Middle East, though they have been excluded from all peacemaking efforts in that region. UN Resolution 1325 was passed unanimously on October 31, 2000. In addition to its call for women’s participation, the resolution asserts that women and children are most adversely affected by armed conflict and calls for special measures to protect women and girls from gender-based violence and other forms of violence in situations of armed conflict. The Associated Press reports that UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stated, “Resolution 1325 will never be implemented successfully until we end sexual violence in conflict,” while US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton called women’s participation in peacemaking “a necessary global security imperative.”
Iowa Abortion Adversaries Oppose Telemedicine
At a public comment session late last week, abortion opponents requested the Iowa Board of Medicine prevent Planned Parenthood from using telemedicine to administer abortion medicine. The Board did not issue a decision on the telemedicine issue, which remains under study, though an update is expected in December, according to the Des Moines Register. In June, Planned Parenthood clinics in Iowa introduced a program that enables mifepristone, a drug intended to terminate a pregnancy in its early stages, to be administered to patients while videoconferencing with their doctors. This practice, known as telemedicine, is designed to provide women living in remote and rural areas of Iowa with abortion services. In order for a woman to receive mifepristone via videoconference, she must first go to her local Planned Parenthood and undergo the required physical exam, blood test, medical history report, ultrasound, and counseling session, all administered in-person by a nurse. Women must also watch an eight-minute video describing the procedure and all possible side effects. If the woman decides to continue with the process, the doctor then clicks a button on his computer that releases a drawer containing the medicine in front of the patient. Still in the company of the clinic nurse, the patient then takes the mifepristone with her doctor watching and receives the follow-up drug, misoprostol, to take later. In May, the anti-abortion group Operation Rescue filled a formal complaint with the Iowa State Board of Medicine. The group argued that the video method did not meet the state law requiring medical doctors be present for the administration of the pill. Operation Rescue President Troy Newman said his group heard about Planned Parenthood’s system through an anonymous tip, reported 9News. According to Newman, his organization is offering a $25,000 reward to anyone who provides information that results in the legal conviction of an abortion provider.
Anti-Choice Protesters Demonstrate at Abortion Conference in Spain
On Saturday, the ninth congress of the Netherlands-based International Federation of Professional Abortion and Contraception Associates (FIAPAC) a pro-choice group, was held in Seville, Spain. FIAPAC promotes “obtaining the right to abortion for every woman,” as well as “freedom of access to all abortion methods in all countries,” according to its mission statement. The conference occurred amid demonstrations organized by hundreds of protestors, according to the Agence France Presse.
Anti-choice protestors of all ages gathered at the demonstration, using the slogan “Seville, capital of life.” The demonstrators shouted “murderers” at the FIAPAC conference’s participants and carried banners with phrases such as “No to abortion, yes to life,” the Agence France Presse reports. Right to Life, an anti-choice organization, commented in a statement, “Seville is not the center for an international meeting of murderers. It is a city full of color and life…We do not want to mingle with butchers, we do not want them at our sites, sharing our tables in bars, with our children in the park or sleeping in the beds that we offer our guests…they are not welcome.”
Since a law liberalizing Spain’s abortion restrictions took effect in early July, anti-abortion protests in Spain have been common. The new law, passed in February, permits abortions up to 14 week’s gestation and up to 22 weeks if the mother’s health is in danger or if the fetus has a serious or incurable illness. Previously, abortion was only legal in cases of rape, fetal malformation, or when the health of the mother was at risk. Nevertheless, the Agence France Presse reports that about 115,000 abortions were performed in Spain last year, prior to the reform, under the legal justification that the pregnancy constituted a risk to the psychological health of the mothers.
United States Improves in Global Gender Equality Assessment
The United States made considerable progress toward gender equality in 2009, according to the recently released Global Gender Index Study (GGIS), an annual index released by the World Economic Forum. The GGIS ranks countries in terms gender equality, evaluating such factors as women’s access to education, the presence of women in politics, equal employment opportunities and salaries, and health, according to Bloomberg.
The rank of the US has improved considerably over the past year, moving from number 31 in 2009 to number 19 in 2010. This is the first time that it has been in the top 20 since the World Economic Forum began releasing the index in 2005, according to the New York Times. The US scored 0.741 on a scale of zero to one, with one indicating complete equality.
The improvement is in large part due to the greater presence of women in the Obama administration. The ratio of females to males serving as department heads in the executive branch of government has increased dramatically from 2007 to in 2010, according to the study (see PDF). For every woman in a head executive position, there are two men in such positions in 2010, compared to more than six men for every one woman in 2007. Due to these increases, the United States now ranks 15 in the world for the number of women serving as executive department heads. However, it still trails behind in the category of political participation for women.
The report also indicates a significant increase in women’s estimated income. However, the difference between men’s and women’s salaries has not improved in the United States since 2009 and has decreased somewhat since 2006, according to the report. Of the 134 countries studied, 59 percent narrowed the equality gap between men and women, according to Bloomberg. Nordic countries Iceland, Norway, Finland, and Sweden received the highest rankings.
The head of the Forum’s Women Leaders and Gender Parity program, Saadia Zahidi told CNN, “it’s very encouraging that more countries are becoming aware of why it’s important to reduce the gender gap and are starting to explore policies that may be needed.” She also noted that gender equality fosters national economic growth and prosperity.
Gender inequality is greatest in Yemen, Chad, and Pakistan, according to the GGIS. The study also found that France faced a decrease in gender equality, due to the decline in the numbers of women holding government leadership positions.
Female Officers to Begin Serving on US Navy Submarines
On Thursday, the US Navy announced that women will start serving on US submarines in December 2011. Twenty-four female officers began training in July and will become the first women to serve on American submarines, according to CNN. Though women have served on the Navy’s non-combat surface ships since 1973 and its combat surface ships since 1993, they have never been allowed to serve on submarines. The Associated Press reports that women were previously barred from submarine duty due to the extended deployments and the close quarters required for submarine service. The female officers were chosen from US Naval Academy graduates, ROTC programs, and Officer Candidate School, reports CNN. The women will serve on four submarines, including the USS Wyoming and USS Georgia, which are based in Kings Bay, Georgia, and the USS Maine and USS Ohio, based in Bangor, Washington. The 560-foot submarines were chosen for their large size, which will allow the Navy to create accommodations for women onboard. The Associated Press reports that the Navy is currently allowing only female Officers to serve on submarines.
Report Released about Economic State of Women
Last week, the National Economic Council released a report called Jobs and Economic Security for America’s Women, which addresses the effects of the recession on women and the benefits of the Obama administration’s economic policies for women. The report details the steps that the administration has taken to “promote economic expansion and job growth for women, train and educate women for quality jobs, support working women at home and in their jobs, and support women in retirement and in between jobs.” According to a White House press release, women are the majority of college graduates, nearly 50 percent of the workforce, and increasingly becoming their family breadwinners. Nevertheless, in a press release the ACLU argues that women’s increased presence in the workplace causes them to be heavily impacted by the recession. The ACLU thus argues that the White House Report points to the need for the Paycheck Fairness Act, which would enable workers to fight unequal wages, in particular women who typically earn 77 cents to each dollar earned by men. Director of the ACLU Washington Legislative Office, Laura Murphy, commented, “the administration deserves credit for all they have done to enhance women’s equality, including the signing of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act and establishing the National Equal Pay Enforcement Task Force, but equality can’t truly be achieved until the Paycheck Fairness Act becomes law.”
Uganda Newspaper Publishes List Outing Gay Individuals
Earlier this month, a Ugandan newspaper published a list of homosexuals along with their names and addresses and a yellow banner on the side reading, “hang them.” The newspaper, named Rolling Stone, which is not connected to the same-name American magazine, stated that a deadly disease has been attacking homosexuals and that they are raiding schools and recruiting children, according to AOL News.
Since its publication, at least four gay people on the list have been attacked and others are hiding, Ugandan civil rights activist Julian Onziema told the Associated Press.
Last year, a lawmaker in the country introduced a bill that called for the death penalty or long term imprisonment for those engaged in homosexual activities, reported CNN. Even though international condemnation followed the law, which was shelved, gay and lesbian people in Uganda have faced harassment and attacks ever since, according to the Boston Globe.
Homosexuality is illegal in most African countries with the exception of South Africa, which recognizes gay marriage, but even in South Africa gangs carry out so-called “corrective rapes” on lesbians, according to the Associated Press.
Gays Rights Advocates Win in Russian Case
The European Court on Human Rights will fine Russia for banning parades organized by the gay community in Moscow. The decision, which was released earlier today, marks a much-needed victory for Russia’s marginalized gay community, reports the New York Times.
Nikolai Alexeyev, a Russian gay rights activist, filed three cases with the court arguing that Russia violated the European Convention on Human Rights, according to the New York Times. The court ruled that Russia hindered its citizens’ right to assembly and discriminated on the grounds of sexual orientation, and, as a result, ordered Russia to pay $41,090 to Alexeyev in damages.
Alexeyev told Al Jazeera that “this is a crippling blow to Russian homophobia on all accounts.” He continued, “Russia will also have to change its legislation in terms of guaranteeing protection for those who wish to demonstrate freely.”
In the years prior to the case, Russian authorities forbid homosexuals from holding demonstrations for fear of a violent reaction from its citizens, reports Al Jazeera.
Young Woman Becomes Police Chief in Mexico
Earlier this week, Marisol Valles Garcia, a young mother and criminology student, was appointed the police chief of Praxedis G. Guerrero, one of Mexico’s most dangerous municipalities in the border state of Chihuahua. She was the only person to accept this position in a city where many police officers have been kidnapped or even murdered, according to CNN.
Chihuahua has been the state most affected by drug violence, with 28,000 people killed since 2006, including the mayor and several police officers, reports The Age.
“Yes, there is fear. But what we want to achieve in our municipality is tranquility and security,” Garcia told CNN. She continued, “the weapons we have are principles and values, which are the best weapons for prevention.” Garcia plans to use a mostly female police force to restore trust between authorities and citizens, according to ABC.
DADT Currently in Place
The struggle over the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT) continues today after a federal appeals court stayed the order ending enforcement of the policy by a California judge last week. Thus, DADT is back in effect just days after the Pentagon announced that it will accept openly gay recruits, reports the New York Times. On October 12, US District Court Judge Virginia Phillips issued an order that bans the Department of Defense and the US military from enforcing the policy, which bars gays from openly serving in the military. Phillips wrote that DADT “infringes the fundamental rights of United States service members and prospective service members” and ordered the military to immediately drop any pending investigations or proceedings. In response, the US Department of Justice filed an appeal and requested that Phillips put a stay on the order, stating that any immediate shift in policy would be “enormously disruptive and time-consuming, particularly at a time when this nation is involved in combat operations overseas.” The federal appeals court action today resulted from Phillips’ refusal to put a stay on her order. President Obama has repeatedly emphasized his opposition to DADT, saying last Thursday, “this policy will end and it will end on my watch.” According to Stars and Stripes, the President insists that Congress needs to repeal the 1993 law.
Military Recruiters Accept Openly Gay Applicants
On Friday, the Pentagon informed military recruiters that they may now accept openly gay and lesbian candidates for recruitment. The new protocol emerged as a result of US District Court Judge Virginia Phillips’ October 12 ruling, which declares the military’s “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” (DADT) policy unconstitutional and orders the military to immediately drop any pending investigations or proceedings related to the policy. So far, the US Department of Defense has upheld the court’s injunction. Recruiters are also required to inform candidates that the current protocol may be reversed. R. Clarke Cooper of the Log Cabin Republicans, the organization that challenged DADT in court, told the New York Times that an openly gay recruit “does run the risk of discharge if the ruling is overturned–if there is a successful appeal by the Department of Justice.” Other gay rights groups have cautioned candidates and current members against revealing their sexual orientation to the military while the ruling is under consideration. Servicemembers Legal Defense Network executive director Aubrey Sarvis told CNN, “the bottom line: if you come out now, it can be used against you in the future by the Pentagon.” The New York Times reports that under DADT, recruiters were instructed not to ask about a candidate’s sexual orientation. Following Phillips’ ruling, however, the application for enlistment may still be processed even if the candidate states that he or she is openly gay as long as he or she meets normal recruitment standards. Since Friday’s change in protocol, a number of high-profile former military members who were discharged due to their orientation have attempted to reenlist. The New York Times reports that former Army Lieutenant and Iraq war veteran Dan Choi tried to reenlist on Tuesday. He said that recruiters did not react to his request and there were no delays in the process; however, not all attempts have been so successful. Omar Lopez, an openly gay former Navy member discharged in 2006 was rejected by recruiters on October 13. DADT was instituted by former President Bill Clinton in 1993 and prohibits the military from inquiring about a service member’s sexual orientation, and also calls for the discharge of anyone who acknowledges being lesbian or gay. Thus far, the policy has led to the expulsion of more than 13,000 troops.