Feminist Newswire, Author at Feminist Majority Foundation

Population Institute Gives US a Grade of C- in Reproductive Health and Rights

Posted on January 24, 2014June 11, 2020 by Feminist Newswire

The Population Institute released its 2013 report card on reproductive health and rights in the US earlier this month, giving the nation an overall grade of “C-” for the second year in a row.

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“The State of Reproductive Health and Rights: 50-State Report Card” gave thirteen states a failing grade, including Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, South Dakota and Texas, among others. Only seventeen states received a “B-” or above, with four states earning an “A”: Maryland, Oregon, Washington, and California. Oregon received the highest overall score. The grades were based on measures of effectiveness, prevention, affordability, and clinic access within each state. Possible changes or legislation were also taken into account.

The report discussed several national victories in the area of reproductive rights and health, and listed the “HHS ruling that Plan B One Step be made available over the counter without an age restriction, the Affordable Care Act giving women access to family planning services without a co-pay requirement, and expanded Medicaid eligibility ensuring that millions more women would be eligible to access reproductive health services.” However, twenty-five states still refuse to expand Medicaid eligibility, blocking millions of women from receiving increased access to services. Additionally, the Guttmacher Institute reports there have been more legislative attacks on reproductive rights in the past three years than in the entire previous decade, with attacks continuing. “Reproductive health advocates must remain ever vigilant,” said Robert Walker, president of The Population Institute.

Media Resources: The Population Institute January 2014; Feminist Newswire 12/13/13, 1/7/14

Chicago Archdiocese Documents Reveal Extensive Sexual Abuse Cover-Up

Posted on January 23, 2014June 11, 2020 by Feminist Newswire

The Archdiocese of Chicago released internal documents on Tuesday revealing its active role in concealing the sexual abuse of children by clergy for decades. The documents show the lengths taken to protect priests, with complete disregard for the safety and well-being of abused children or those at risk.

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“It’s a big victory for these 40 brave men and women who had the courage to step forward, seek justice and file lawsuits, and to endure 8 years of needless delay from the archdiocese of Chicago,” said David Clohessy, the Executive Director of the Chicago-based Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP). “Frankly it’s a victory for every survivor, for those who desperately want to see the names of those who committed and those who concealed child sex crimes.”

The 6,000 pages of internal communications, meeting schedules where allegations were discussed, testimony, and letters were released through settlements between attorneys for the victims and the archdiocese. They reveal that leaders in the archdiocese, including the late Cardinal John Cody, the late Cardinal Joseph Bernardin, and the current Cardinal Francis George, moved priests to different parishes when they were accused of abuse to protect them. They would ask other priests to monitor their behavior around children, but they would not inform the police. Prosecution was rarely pursued because of a fear of losing parishioners or potential priests, damaging their image, and in one case, because the priest “sounded repentant,” according to Al Jazeera.

“The documents “reflect [a] systematic, ongoing, decades-long continuous pattern of conscious choices by top officials of the archdiocese from Cardinal Cody to Bernardin to Cardinal George,” attorney Jeff Anderson told the Chicago Sun-Times. Anderson and another attorney Marc Pearlman represented over 50 victims and negotiated the release of the documents. “Blame is also to be shared by bishops, members of the clergy and other top officials, each of whom … became aware of … reports that priests were offending children, and they made intentional and conscious choices to conceal that, to protect the priests, protect the reputation of the archdiocese and in effect conceal the crime and give safe harbor to the offender.”

The documents reveal information about only 30 of the 65 clergy who the Chicago archdiocese says have been accused of child sexual abuse. Documents about the Vatican’s involvement were not included.

Globally, thousands more priests have been accused of child sexual abuse but protected from any repercussions. In the US alone between 1950 and 2010, 6,100 priests were accused of abuse, leading to an estimated 100,000 victims, according to Barbara Blaine, President of SNAP.

The United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) held a hearing last week for the Vatican to address global child sexual abuse by Catholic clergy and their role in protecting perpetrators, but it’s leaders have yet to take real responsibility for their involvement.

Media Resources: Jeff Anderson and Associates PA; Chicago Tribune 1/21/14; Chicago Sun-Times 1/22/14; Al Jazeera America 1/21/14; SNAP 1/16/14

ACLU Seeks Investigation of Stereotype-Based Single-Sex Education Program

Posted on January 23, 2014June 11, 2020 by Feminist Newswire

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the ACLU of Wisconsin asked the federal Office for Civil Rights of the US Department of Education last week to investigate a single-sex education program at a Wisconsin middle school.

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The program at Somerset Middle School relies on harmful stereotypes about boys and girls. Their materials outlining differences between genders claims that girls and boys are genetically programmed to learn differently, girls hear better, boys are messy, and teams work better for boys because boys value team affiliation above friendship, among others.

“There is no solid evidence supporting the assertions about supposed differences between boys’ and girls’ brains that underlie these programs, and there is absolutely no evidence that teaching boys and girls differently leads to any educational improvements,” said Galen Sherwin, a senior staff attorney with the ACLU Women’s Rights Project. “It’s harmful for schools to promote these types of generalizations about boys and girls.”

The ACLU claims the program is unlawful and does not have any valid evidence to support it. It may violate Title IX, which bans discrimination in education on the basis of sex. Additionally, it cites a recent article in the journal Science that argues that sex segregation fosters stereotypes and does not improve academic performance.

A similar complaint against two other Wisconsin schools was filed last March. The complaints are part of ACLU’s national “Teach Kids, Not Stereotypes” campaign to gather information about sex stereotypes in single-sex education.

Media Resources: American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin 1/21/14; American Civil Liberties Union 3/28/13; Feminist Majority Foundation; Ms. magazine Fall 2013

Federal Appeals Court Reinstates CPC Regulation in New York City

Posted on January 22, 2014 by Feminist Newswire

A federal appeals court reinstated a portion of a 2011 New York City law that regulates Crisis Pregnancy Centers, known as CPCs or fake clinics. The Second Circuit Court of Appeals ruling means that CPCs operating in New York City must now disclose whether or not a licensed medical professional works on-site at the facility.

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To comply with the law, CPCs must post the disclosure in English and Spanish at their entrances and in their waiting rooms. Disclosures must also appear on advertisements and be made orally, either in-person to potential clients or during telephone conversations with potential clients.

“A pregnant woman deserves and has the right to know whether the person posing as her medical provider is actually just an anti-choice activist,” said NARAL Pro-Choice New York President Andrea Miller. “We look forward to the City moving forward to impelement this important protection.”

A lower court had temporarily blocked enforcement of the 2011 law, finding that it was “unconstitutionally vague.” Overturning that decision, Judge Rosemary Pooler wrote: “The Status Disclosure is the least restrictive means to ensure that a woman is aware of whether or not a particular pregnancy services center has a licensed medical provider at the time that she first interacts with it. Such a law is required to ensure that women have prompt access to the type of care they seek.”

The Second Circuit did not reinstate the New York City law in its entirety. CPCs in New York City will still not be required to disclose whether they provide referrals for emergency contraception, abortions, or prenatal care. The court also ruled that the City could not require CPCs to disclose that “the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene encourages women whoa re or who may be pregnant to consult with a licensed provider.”

Media Resources: The Evergreen Association, Inc. v. City of New York; NARAL Pro-Choice New York Press Release 1/17/14; RH Reality Check 3/6/2011, 1/20/2014

White House Launches Task Force to Prevent Campus Sexual Assault

Posted on January 22, 2014June 11, 2020 by Feminist Newswire

President Barack Obama announced today the creation of a task force to combat campus sexual assault and released a report that declares “no one in America is more at risk of being raped or assaulted than college women.”

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The task force and report mark the first time the White House has taken such public and aggressive steps to address campus violence. According to the report, “Rape and Sexual Assault: A Renewed Call to Action,” 1 in 5 women have been sexually assaulted at college but that only 12 percent of student victims report the assault. To combat these startling statistics, President Obama is giving the task force of administration officials 90 days to recommend measures for colleges to prevent sexual violence, raise public awareness of campus policies and hold schools accountable if they do not address sexual violence problems.

The report, compiled by the White House Council on Women and Girls, notes that nearly 22 million American women and 1.6 million men have been raped in their lifetimes. Survivors are more likely to suffer from depression, substance abuse and a wide range of physical ailments.

Today, Obama is inviting Attorney General Eric Holder, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, Education Secretary Arnie Duncan and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sibelius to discuss the problem of campus assault. He will then join a meeting of the Council on Women and Girls attended by more Cabinet members in the East Room, where he will sign the memorandum creating the task force. Vice President Joe Biden, who authored the Violence Against Women Act and has led other efforts to reduce sexual assault, will also be in attendance, according to the Associated Press.

To learn more about Feminist Majority Foundation’s efforts to combat sexual assault, check out the Feminist Campus Campaign to End Campus Sexual Violence.

Media Resources: Associated Press 1/22/2014; USA Today 1/22/2014; White House release 1/2014

Pro-Choice Democratic Woman Wins Virginia Senate Seat

Posted on January 22, 2014June 11, 2020 by Feminist Newswire

Pro-choice Democrat Jennifer Wexton beat out two Republicans yesterday to win a special election seat in the Virginia Senate’s 33rd District.

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According to reports from 90 percent of the precincts last night, Wexton beat her opponents with 53 percent of the vote. Republican John Whitbeck received 37 percent of the vote, while former Republican state Delegate Joe May only received about 10 percent of the vote.

“They’re sick of divisive and extreme politics,” Wexton told Loudoun Times about why her constituents voted for her. “They want to send someone to Richmond who will work across the aisle on common sense solutions–transportation, schools, the economy.”

Wexton, a former attorney and substitute judge, lists other issues she fights for on her website, including gun safety, ethics reform, voter’s rights, and women’s health. “We need to protect women’s rights to control our own healthcare and keep the government out of family planning decisions,” she writes. “I’m pro-choice, and will fight to repeal the mandatory ultrasound law and the TRAP regulations that target women’s health clinics.”

Wexton will succeed Mark Herring, who won the attorney general race in November and left his seat vacant. If Democrat Lynwood Lewis keeps his victory after a recount, then the 40-member Senate will be split evenly between Democrats and Republicans. However, Democrats will have the tie-breaker vote with recently elected Lt. Governor Ralph Northam.

Media Resources: Loudoun Times 1/21/14; Jennifer Wexton for State Senate; Leesburg Today 1/21/14; Feminist Newswire 10/14/13, 11/6/13, 12/19/13

Federal Court Strikes Down North Carolina Ultrasound Law

Posted on January 21, 2014June 11, 2020 by Feminist Newswire

A federal district court permanently blocked a 2011 North Carolina law that required abortion providers to perform an ultrasound and describe the images to the patient, even if the woman objected.

U.S. District Court Judge Catherine C. Eagles ruled that the “speech-and-display” provision of the law violated the First Amendment. State lawmakers had acknowledged that the ultrasound law was designed to persuade women not to obtain abortions. “Requiring a physician or other health care provider to deliver the state’s content-based, non-medical message in his or her own voice as if the message was his or her own constitutes compelled ideological speech and warrants the highest degree of First Amendment protection,” wrote Judge Eagles.

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“The court’s ruling makes clear that politicians cannot use physicians as mouthpieces for their political agenda, and reaffirms the constitutional right of ever woman to decide for herself whether to continue or end a pregnancy,” said Nancy Northup, President and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights which brought the challenge along with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), ACLU of North Carolina Legal Foundation, and Planned Parenthood on behalf of several North Carolina physicians.

North Carolina may appeal the district court’s decision. Mandatory ultrasounds have been challenged in Texas and Oklahoma with mixed results. In July 2013, North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory (R) signed into law several other extreme anti-abortion measures which require abortion clinics to meet the same requirements as ambulatory surgical centers, eliminate abortion coverage under state employee insurance plans, ban sex-selective abortions, and allow health care providers to refuse to participate in abortion-related care.

Media Resources: Center for Reproductive Rights Press Release 1/17/14; Feminist News 7/30/13, 11/13/13, 2/16/12

First Afghan Women Police Chief Appointed in Kabul

Posted on January 17, 2014June 15, 2020 by Feminist Newswire

feature image via the video below.

Colonel Jamila Bayaz, a 50-year-old mother of five, this week became the first women to be appointed police chief in Afghanistan. Bayaz will lead the 1st District of Kabul.

Although the job will not be without risk – a senior police woman was murdered in Helmand last September – Bayaz appeared excited to take on her new role, and hopes it will inspire more women to join the ranks of the police force in Afghanistan. “This is a chance not just for me,” said Bayaz, “but for the women of Afghanistan. I will not waste it.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8HpHi869nM

Increasing the number and rank of women in policing will play a critical role in decreasing violence against women in Afghanistan and has been an important goal for the United States and the international community. “I want to thank America and the international community for all of their help and support,” said Bayaz. “I would not be here today if it weren’t for all of their assistance.”

Afghan President Hamid Karzai has yet to sign a Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) with the United States that would help determine the post-2014 role of the US in Afghanistan. The BSA provides that the US will continue to offer assistance to strengthen security, provide humanitarian aid, and support economic and civic development.

In an open letter to President Obama, Afghan civil society leaders asked the President “to ensure that the United States will stand behind the true aspirations of the Afghan people for free, prosperous and democratic future.” The letter continues, “Over the coming years, Afghanistan will be completing its political and security transitions as the foundation for the future that we seek. It is our sincere hope that the people of the United States, who were with us during difficult years, will remain with us as we complete the challenging transition period and become more self-reliant.”

Media Resources: Reuters 1/16/14; Alliance in Support of the Afghan People 1/15/14; NBC News 1/15/14; Feminist News 11/27/13, 9/19/13

Trans* Activist CeCe McDonald Released Early From Men’s Prison

Posted on January 16, 2014June 11, 2020 by Feminist Newswire

CeCe McDonald, a transgender woman, was sentenced to 41 months in a men’s prison in July 2012 for defending herself from a hate crime. On Monday, she was released early.

In June 2011, McDonald was involved in an altercation with ex-convict and white supremacist Dean Schmitz and his friends, in which they taunted her with homophobic, transphobic, and racist slurs and threw broken glass at her face. During the incident, she brandished a pair of scissors to defend herself, and Schmitz died from sustaining stab wounds to the chest. McDonald pled guilty as part of a plea deal to second-degree manslaughter in June 2012, though she maintained that she had acted in self-defense.

As a trans* woman of color, McDonald’s case exemplifies the high levels of violence faced by her own community and the mishandlings of these cases which so often occur in the hands of law enforcement. “It’s time we stop re-victimizing young transgender women of color by pushing them into the criminal system,” said Masen Davis, executive director of the Transgender Law Center. “We all need to come together and find ways to prevent the extraordinarily high rates of violence and discrimination against trans women so that there will be no more cases like CeCe’s.”

McDonald’s case sparked outrage, and her supporters maintained a website to keep folks updated on her case, her sentence, and her time in prison. After her release, supporters tweeted messages using #BecauseofCeCe to commemorate what her case had done to bring awareness and spark activism around the treatment of trans* women in prison. Laverne Cox, transgender actress and advocate and cast member on Orange is the New Black, a show about a women’s prison based on a true story, is working to complete a documentary about CeCe’s case and the experience of trans* women in men’s prisons. She greeted McDonald upon her release.

McDonald is not yet ready to release a public statement about her case or her experience.

Media Resources: Feminist Newswire 7/5/2012; Huffington Post Gay Voices 1/13/2014; Jezebel 1/13/14; ABC News 1/13/14; The Advocate 1/14/2014

Oklahoma Same-Sex Marriage Ban Ruled Unconstitutional

Posted on January 15, 2014June 11, 2020 by Feminist Newswire

A federal judge ruled late yesterday that Oklahoma’s constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriages violates the US constitution.

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US District Judge Terence Kern specifically found that Part A of the state constitutional amendment, which defined marriage as between a man and a woman, violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the US Constitution by not affording equal benefits to same-sex and opposite-sex couples.

“The Bishop couple has been in a loving, committed relationship for many years,” Judge Kern said of one of the couples who challenged the amendment in 2004. “They own property together, wish to retire together, with to make medical decisions for one another, and wish to be recognized as a married couple with all its attendant rights and responsibilities. Part A of the Oklahoma Constitutional Amendment excludes the Bishop couple, and all otherwise eligible same-sex couples, from this privilege without a legally sufficient justification.”

Kern also cited United States v. Windsor, the Supreme Court ruling in June that struck down the Defense of Marriage Act.

While Kern’s decision is another victory for same-sex marriage rights, Oklahoma same-sex couples cannot marry right away. After what happened in Utah, Kern decided to issue a stay of his decision in anticipation of an appeal by Oklahoma, so that no same-sex couples would marry and then be unsure of their status as appeals proceed through the courts.

Media Resources: New York Times 1/14/14; ThinkProgress 1/14/14; CNN 1/14/14; Feminist Newswire 6/26/13, 10/21/13, 11/14/13, 1/6/14, 1/13/14

Over 2 Million Americans Enrolled For Insurance Through ACA

Posted on January 14, 2014June 11, 2020 by Feminist Newswire

Over 2 million of Americans have enrolled in health insurance plans offered through state marketplaces. According to a report released yesterday by the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), almost 2.2 million people selected marketplace plans from October 1, when enrollment started, through December 28. A surge in enrollment took place in December before the deadline to get coverage by January 1. Of those enrolled, 80 percent qualified for financial assistance, almost a quarter are aged 18-34, and 30 percent are aged 34 and under.

“Americans are finding quality affordable coverage in the Marketplace, and best of all, because coverage began on New Year’s Day, the promise and hope of the Affordable Care Act is now a reality,” said HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.

The majority of those who have enrolled are women, at 54 percent. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has made it much easier for women to get affordable, quality health care coverage that fits their needs. It guarantees that plans cover FDA-approved contraceptives without co-pays or deductibles, cancer screenings, domestic violence counseling, and well women exams, as well as maternal care, mental health care, and pediatric services – among many others. It also does not allow insurance policies to charge women more simply because of their gender.

Enrollment remains open until March 31, and HHS expects to see an even greater surge in upcoming months, especially among young people.

Visit HealthCare.gov to learn more about the health insurance marketplaces and how to enroll.

Media Resources: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 1/13/14, Los Angeles Times 1/13/14; HealthCare.gov; Feminist Newswire 12/13/13, 12/17/13, 12/19/13

Senate Confirms Robert Wilkins to DC Circuit Court of Appeals

Posted on January 14, 2014June 11, 2020 by Feminist Newswire

The Senate confirmed United States District Judge Robert Wilkins to the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia yesterday with a vote of 55-43. Wilkins has worked as both a public defender and a private attorney and has served on the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia since 2011.

“In 2010, I nominated Judge Wilkins to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, and since being confirmed without opposition by the Senate to that position, he has applied the law with the utmost impartiality and integrity,” President Obama said in a statement. “I am confident that he will continue to do so on the D.C. Circuit.”

This was the second attempt to have Wilkins confirmed to the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia after Senate Republicans blocked his nomination two months ago. After Republican blocked several other qualified women nominees as well, Senate Democrats, led by Senator Harry Reid (D-NV), moved to change the rules. The Senate voted 52-48 in November to change the filibuster rules to require a simple majority – rather than 60 votes – to end debate on presidential nominees to the executive branch and the federal bench, with the exception of nominees to the U.S. Supreme Court, making it harder for Republicans to block qualified nominees for political gain.

Wilkins is now the fourth confirmed nominee of Obama’s to the DC Circuit Court of Appeals, considered the second most powerful court in the nation after the Supreme Court. Obama says the court now has a “full bench to render justice fairly and swiftly.”

Media Resources: The White House Office of the Press Secretary 1/13/14; Reuters 1/13/14; Feminist Newswire 11/12/13, 11/21/13, 12/12/13

Marissa Alexander Remains Free on Bail

Posted on January 14, 2014June 11, 2020 by Feminist Newswire

Marissa Alexander, the African-American Florida woman sentenced to 20 years for firing a “warning shot” at her abusive husband, will not return to jail for violating bail, a judge ruled Friday.

Alexander is currently awaiting retrial for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. In 2010, she was sentenced to 20 years under the state’s mandatory minimum sentencing guidelines for firing a warning shot in the air during an argument with her abusive husband. She spent three years in jail before a state appeals court ruled in September that she was entitled to a new trial. She was released on $200,000 bond in November, but was put under house arrest and could leave only for court appearances, medical emergencies and pretrial appointments.

Alexander, however, was told by Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office officials that she could leave the house for various errands. Florida State Attorney Angela Corey filed a motion to put Alexander back in prison for violating the provisions of her bond, but a state judge rejected it Friday.

“Unfortunately, the State of Florida, knowing that [her corrections officer] had authorized and given Marissa Alexander permission for each of the trips and stops alleged by the State to be willful violations of Marissa Alexander’s bond, failed to include those exonerative facts in its application to this Court,” attorney Bruce Zimet wrote in his motion.

Alexander’s case sparked a national outcry when she was sentenced but George Zimmerman, the Florida man who fatally shot African-American teenager Trayvon Martin, was acquitted. Both defenses used “Stand Your Ground,” a state law that legally protects people who use deadly force to defend themselves from serious injury.

Alexander, who is 5-feet-two, said her 245-pound husband, Rico Gray, was about to attack her when she fired a gun once into the air during a August 2010 incident. Gray had been convicted of domestic violence. At the time of the shooting, Alexander had both a concealed weapons permit and active restraining order against Gray.

Alexander’s retrial will begin on March 31.

Media Resources: Reuters 1/10/2014; MSNBC 1/08/2014; Feminist Newswire 9/26/2013

All-Male Congressional Committee Holds Hearing on Restricting Abortions

Posted on January 13, 2014 by Feminist Newswire

A House judiciary subcommittee held an all-male hearing yesterday on restricting women’s access to abortion.

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Not one female member of Congress is on the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice which is considering whether to advance the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act (H.R. 7). Rep. Trent Franks (R-AZ), who heads the subcommittee, denied a request from Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton to testify at the hearing. Norton, who represents the District of Columbia which would be specially affected by H.R. 7, had submitted the request to Franks ahead of the hearing. Subsequently, at the hearing, Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) made a motion for Norton to testify. That motion was also denied.

H.R. 7, introduced by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), would restrict abortion access across the United States by prohibiting federal money from covering abortions or providing funding for any health benefit plans that cover abortion, thereby banning insurance coverage for abortion in Affordable Care Act state-level insurance marketplaces. The Act would also affect private insurance coverage by making small businesses pay more for health benefits if they choose to offer insurance plans that cover abortions. In addition, the Act would change the tax code to eliminate medical-expense deductions for abortion care, except in cases of rape, incest, or life endangerment.

In D.C. the Act would prohibit the District from spending its own local funds on abortion care for low-income women. In a statement released after the hearing, Norton wrote that the subcommittee “has been obsessed with dual objectives – infringing on the District’s right to self-government and interfering with the reproductive health of the District’s female residents, particularly its low-income women.”

“Less than ten days into the New Year and House Republicans are at it again – renewing their assault on women’s reproductive rights,” said House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (CA). “The American people are waiting for the House to act on critical national issues like unemployment insurance, raising the minimum wage, and passing comprehensive immigration reform, but Republicans cannot move past their backward obsession with rolling back women’s health care rights.”

Media Resources: Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton Press Release 1/9/14, 1/8/14; Rep. Nancy Pelosi Press Release 1/9/14; RH Reality Check 1/9/14; Think Progress 1/9/14;

US Government Will Recognize Utah Same-Sex Marriages

Posted on January 13, 2014 by Feminist Newswire

The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) announced Friday that it will recognize the approximately 1,300 marriages of same-sex couples who married in Utah in the past few weeks.

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The legal battle over same-sex marriage has been progressing quickly in Utah after US District Judge Robert Shelby ruled on December 20 that Utah’s ban on same-sex marriage violates same-sex couples’ federal constitutional rights under United States v. Windsor. Utah subsequently filed an emergency request to stay the judge’s ruling, which the Supreme Court temporarily granted last week. Following the temporary block, Utah Governor Gary Herbert said state recognition of the couples married during the time period when same-sex marriage was legal – December 20 to January 6 – would be on hold while the appeal to the 10th US Circuit Court of Appeals progresses.

“These families should not be asked to endure uncertainty regarding their status as the litigation unfolds,” US Attorney General Eric Holder said in a video announcing the DOJ decision to recognize the marriages. “In the days ahead, we will continue to coordinate across the federal government to ensure the timely provision of every federal benefit to which Utah couples and couples throughout the country are entitled–regardless of whether they are in same-sex or opposite-sex marriages.”

Several states have followed the federal government’s lead with their own announcements recognizing Utah same-sex marriages, including Washington and Maryland. Currently, 17 states and the District of Columbia allow same-sex marriages.

Media Resources: The New York Times 1/10/14; US Dept of Justice 1/10/14; Feminist Newswire 6/26/13, 1/6/14

Supreme Court Declines Review of Decision Blocking Abortion Ban

Posted on January 13, 2014 by Feminist Newswire

The Supreme Court decided today to reject a case that would have been a direct assault on Roe v. Wade.

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Horne v. Isaacson is a legal challenge to an Arizona law that bans abortions 20 weeks after a woman’s last menstrual period. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in May that the law was unconstitutional and permanently blocked its enforcement. The law would have interfered with a woman’s decision to terminate a pregnancy before viability, in direct conflict with Roe v. Wade. The law also included only very narrow exceptions, permitting an abortion only if the woman faced a life-threatening medical emergency or serious physical impairment.

The State of Arizona had appealed the Ninth Circuit’s decision to the Supreme Court. The Court’s denial to take up the appeal means the restrictive law will remain permanently blocked.

“The Supreme Court soundly declined to review the Ninth Circuit’s sound decision that Arizona’s abortion ban is clearly unconstitutional,” said Nancy Northup, President and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights, which originally filed the challenge to the law along with the American Civil Liberties Union in 2012. “This ensures that no Arizona women’s lives or health are harmed by this callus and unconstitutional law.”

The Supreme Court will hear arguments on Wednesday in another case concerning safe access to abortion, McCullen v. Coakley. In that case, the Court will consider whether a Massachusetts clinic safety buffer zone law is constitutional.

Media Resources: Center for Reproductive Rights 1/13/14; SCOTUSBlog 1/13/14; RH Reality Check 1/10/14; Feminist Newswire 6/25/13, 5/23/13

Shriver Report: Close Wage Gap, Provide Paid Leave to Improve Women’s Financial Security

Posted on January 13, 2014January 15, 2014 by Feminist Newswire

Maria Shriver and the Center for American Progress released a joint report yesterday detailing the status of American women living in poverty, suggesting policies that would help millions of women become financially secure, and calling on the United States to “modernize its relationship with women in order not only to strengthen our economy, but also to make it work better for everyone.”

The Shriver Report: A Woman’s Nation Pushes Back from the Brink examines why one-third of all American women – 42 million – and the 28 million children who depend on them, are living on the brink of poverty. The report looks at the wage gap, which currently leaves women earning only 77 cents to a man’s dollar, and even less for black and Latina women, and other inequalities that contribute to women’s financial insecurity. For example, women make up two-thirds of minimum-wage workers, and they are more likely than men to work in poorly paid “pink-collar” service and caregiving occupations that offer few or no benefits. With women comprising half of the United States workforce and two-thirds of the primary or co-breadwinners in families, their lower earnings affect everyone.

“Leave out the women, and you don’t have a full and robust economy,” said Maria Shriver in her opening chapter. “Lead with the women, and you do.”

Beyond reducing general unemployment and soaring income inequality, the report suggests that the US adopt policies that would specifically help lift women out of poverty. Closing the wage gap would cut the poverty rate in half for women and add half a trillion dollars to the economy. Creating a higher minimum wage, strengthening public programs like food stamps, providing affordable child care, and guaranteeing paid sick and family leave – possibly through the recently introduced Family and Medical Insurance Leave Act (FAMILY Act) – would also significantly boots women’s earning potential and improve the financial security of millions of women and families.

Media Resources: Center for American Progress 1/12/14; The Shriver Report 1/9/14; Feminist Newswire 12/12/13

Lawmakers In Three States Introduce Pro-Woman Legislation

Posted on January 10, 2014June 11, 2020 by Feminist Newswire

State lawmakers in Vermont, New Hampshire and Pennsylvania legislatures have introduced pro-woman bills since the new year started, a positive change from the increasing attacks on women’s rights and access to abortion around the United States.

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A Vermont bill introduced Tuesday would affirm a woman’s right to an abortion. It would repeal all pre-Roe v. Wade Vermont statutes that criminalize performing abortions or advertising abortion services. The bill, S 315, states that the repeal of the dated restrictions would “serve as an important legislative action in support of a woman’s reproductive rights as well as help a health care provider to perform an abortion without fear of criminal liability.”

Lawmakers in Pennsylvania and New Hampshire introduced bills to promote equal pay for women. They will clarify when employers are allowed to pay differing wages. Under the Equal Pay Act of 1963, employers cannot pay employees differently based on gender, unless there is a difference in merit, seniority, quality or quantity of production, or “any other factor besides sex.” The bills change that to “a bona fide factor other than sex, such as education, training, or experience.” The bills also prohibit employers from banning employees from discussing their wages.

Pennsylvania’s HB 1890, was introduced last week was part of a larger package of other proactive bills to improve women’s health, safety and financial security. New Hampshire’s HB 1188 and SB 207 were introduced on Wednesday.

Media Resources: RH Reality Check 1/8/14, 1/9/14; Leg.state.vt.us; The General Assembly of Pennsylvania 2014; State of New Hampshire 2014 Session; Feminist Newswire 1/7/14

California Bill Would Change Reporting Requirements for Rapes on College Campuses

Posted on January 10, 2014June 11, 2020 by Feminist Newswire

California Assemblyman Mike Gatto introduced a state bill this week that would change the rules for reporting rapes on college campuses in an effort to hold universities more accountable. AB 1433 would amend California’s Education Code to require hate crimes and violent crimes, such as homicide, rape, or robbery, that are received by a university’s campus law enforcement agency to be immediately reported to the police.

via Shutterstock

Gatto became interested in the subject after Occidental College failed to report dozens of sexual assault allegations in 2010 and 2011, which he suspects was to improve their image. Several others have also faced investigations and lawsuits recently for failing to disclose information about crimes that happen on or near campuses, a requirement under the federal Clery Act. “That’s a really poor excuse to fail to investigate a crime like rape. We want to make sure administrations can’t keep stuff hush hush in hopes of making it seem like a school is safe than it really is.”

Gatto’s legislation will not require campus law enforcement agencies to report rapes to police if the victim specifically requests that they do not report it. Gatto added this exception after discussing the bill with rape survivor and UC Berkeley student, Sofie Karasek, who advised him that the survivor’s wishes should be taken into account and respected. Many survivors do not want to report a rape to police because of the stressful reporting and trial process, fear of being blamed or disbelieved, or discomfort with the police, particularly for undocumented students.

If universities do not comply with the new requirements, they can be held liable for damages for negligence.

Media Resources: Newsweek 1/6/14; Examiner 1/8/14; Feminist Newswire 9/16/13, 12/11/13

Guttmacher Report: More Attacks on Reproductive Rights in Past Three Years Than in Entirety of Previous Decade

Posted on January 8, 2014June 11, 2020 by Feminist Newswire

A study published last week by the Guttmacher Institute reveals that the last three years have seen more legislative attacks on reproductive rights than the entire previous decade.

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Since 2011, 205 new restrictions on abortion have cleared state legislatures, while only 189 were enacted from 2001-2010. The most were passed in 2011, with 83, and 2013 came in second with 70. Twenty-seven states are now considered to be hostile to abortion rights, up from just 13 in 2000. These hostile states that limit access and rights to abortion are home to 56 percent of US women.

Almost half of the abortion restrictions enacted since 2011 fall into one of four categories: targeted restrictions on abortion providers (TRAP), limitations on insurance coverage of abortion, 20 week abortion bans, and restrictions for medication abortion. States have also adopted restrictions involving parental notification, waiting periods, counseling and ultrasounds, among other issues. Pro-choice groups have been able to tie some of these measures up in court by filing lawsuits, but the outcomes for many are uncertain. The Supreme Court will soon take up an Oklahoma law that could outlaw all drug-induced abortions. Fortunately, some states, like California, have passed laws expanding abortion access and comprehensive sex education.

“The historic rise of these attacks on women’s health can be traced back to 2010,” Cecile Richards, President of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, told The Progressive, “when out-of-touch tea party politicians picked up key seats in legislatures across the country, promising to create jobs and boost our economy–but immediately focused on ending access to safe and limiting women’s health care options.”

Media Resources: Guttmacher Institute 1/2/14; The Progressive 1/3/14; Feminist Newswire 9/16/13, 10/3/13, 10/7/13, 10/10/13, 11/1/13, 11/27/13, 12/2/13, 12/12/13, 1/2/14