Author: Feminist Newswire

On Thursday, two dozen masked men stormed a popular gay bar in Moscow and beat patrons, injuring 10 and sending four to the hospital. The attack happened during a “Coming Out Day” party, and the attackers mostly targeted women. Three women and one man were hospitalized.

The New York Times reports that Nikolai Alekseyev, the founder of the gay pride movement in Moscow, said that this attack indicates that anti-gay groups are ‘becoming increasingly aggressive.’ He said, “they believe that they won’t be caught and won’t be punished for this.”

Homosexuality was decriminalized in Russia in 1993; however, the attack coincides with a year full of new anti-gay legislation. This year, three cities have passed laws criminalizing ‘homosexual propaganda,’ and the Russian Orthodox Church has endorsed that legislation at the national level. A measure banning gay pride parades in Moscow for a century, until 2112, was upheld by the highest court in August.

Media Resources: NY Times 10/12/12; Huffington Post 10/12/12; Jezebel 10/14/12l

In a decision issued earlier this week, an Alaskan Superior Court judge upheld the constitutionality of a state law requiring parental notification for women under 17 who are seeking an abortion. It is likely that the case will be appealed and considered before Alaska’s state Supreme Court.

Judge John Suddock found that the requirement does not infringe on a girl’s right to privacy, due process, nor amount to unfair treatment, despite the fact that a teen can seek prenatal care without parental knowledge. Despite upholding the law, in his lengthy decision Judge Suddock “found abortion was, by and large, safe and that parental notification didn’t make it safer” and that teens most likely to seek the procedure “were largely mature enough to make their own decisions”.

In response to the judgment, Andrew Beck, staff attorney with the ACLU’s Reproductive Freedom Project said, “This law ignores the fact that for some pregnant teens, parental involvement of seeking the consent of a judge just isn’t a realistic option.” Beck also noted an added burden on Alaskan teens who “may have to travel long distances and take time away from school to attend a judicial hearing.”

This parental notification law arose after a highly contested August 2010 voter initiative. The law took effect in December of the same year. The law permits a judicial bypass, but has been shown difficult for young girls without the means to navigate it. The law does not require parental consent; however, if a parent does not consent to the abortion, there is a 48 hour waiting period before the procedure can be performed.

Media Resources: Anchorage Daily News 10/10/12; Alaskan Dispatch 10/09/12; Chicago Tribune 10/09/12; Feminist News Wire 12/15/10

Earlier today, a Moscow City Court freed Pussy Riot punk band member Yekaterina Samutsevich on appeal. The two remaining imprisoned band members, Maria Alyokhina and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, are still required to serve their two-year sentences.

In a case that has shed international light on the Russian government’s intolerance of dissent, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, 22, Yekaterina Samutsevich, 30, and Marina Alyokhina, 24, have been in jail since March, when they were arrested after performing (video) a “punk prayer” on the altar of Moscow’s Christ the Savior Cathedral in dissent of Vladimir Putin. The members entered the church wearing bright colors and balaclavas, singing “Mother of God, Blessed Virgin, drive out Putin!” The band members said their intent was to challenge the Church’s political support for Putin and to show their dissatisfaction with Putin’s 12-year political dominance. Samutsevich’s lawyer argued to the court that she was not a participant in the protest staged in February. Grounds for her appeal were based on Samutsevich’s removal from the scene by officials before the start of the group’s protest.

Following the news of Samutsevich’s release, Mark Feigin, a defense lawyer said “we’re glad that Yekaterina Samutsevich has been freed, but we think the other two girls should also be released”. Additionally, in a statement released on Wednesday, Suzanne Nossel, executive director of Amnesty International USA,said, “The persecution of Pussy Riot has become a global symbol of President Putin’s shameless intolerance for criticism and determined crackdown on freedom of expression and association.”

Musicians and human rights groups around the world have been standing in solidarity with the radical feminist band both online and in the streets. Amnesty International has named the women prisoners of conscience, and artists like Sting, Peter Gabriel, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers are speaking out in support. Tolokonnikova, Samutsevich, and Alyokhina were found guilty of “hooliganism” in August. Since then, Prime Minister Dmitri A. Medvedev has announced support of their release.

Media Resources: Reuters 10/10/12; Feminist Newswire 09/14/12; You Tube 07/29/12; BBC News 10/10/12; Washington Post 10/10/12; Amnesty International; Feminist Newswire 8/17/12

Yesterday morning, Walmart employees in in 12 states walked off the job in protest. The protestors are seeking better working conditions and wages. This is the second time in Walmart’s history that employees in multiple stores are striking at the same time. The first time Walmart experienced simultaneous strikes at multiple stores was last Thursday, when Walmart workers from stores in Southern California striked.

The strike has spread to 28 stores. Workers are also threatening to strike on Black Friday, the busiest retail day of the year. In response to Walmart’s treatment of workers, Dan Schlademan, the director of the union-backed Making Change at Walmart campaign, said that the leaders of the Organization United for Respect at Walmart “have engaged in a strike to protest Walmart’s retaliation and to send a message to Wal-Mart and their co-workers that they have a right to speak out.”

Last week, current employees of Walmart’s Tennesee stores announced a class-action lawsuit against the corporation on grounds of sex discrimination. The Tennessee suit, Phipps, et al. v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., is similar to two other local class action gender discrimination cases filed recently against the retail company in California and Texas.

Media Resources: Salon 10/9/2012; Feminist Newswire 10/4/201; Business Insider 10/10/2012; New York Times 10/9/2012; Feminist Newswire 10/03/12; Feminist Newswire 09/25/12; Feminist Newswire 02/21/12

The US Supreme Court is hearing oral arguments today in affirmative action case Fisher v. University of Texas. This is the third time the Court has considered affirmative action in higher education in 35 years. In its two previous rulings the court has decided that race may be one of many factors considered in the admissions process, but racial quotas are prohibited.

The case, brought by Abagail Fisher, a Caucasian student claiming to have been denied admissions at the University of Texas at Austin on account of her race, could “eliminate diversity as a rationale sufficient to justify any use of race in admission decisions.” The US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit previously ruled in favor of the University of Texas, indicating that the university had not violated the civil or constitutional rights of the plaintiffs.

Ninety-eight friend-of-the-court briefs have been filed in the Fisher v. University of Texas case- seventy-three of those briefs argue for the court to uphold affirmative action. The last time the Supreme Court heard an affirmative action case, Grutter v. Bollinger in 2003, Sandra Day O’Connor wrote the majority opinion in the 5-to-4 ruling to prohibit public colleges and universities from using a points system in admissions decisions to increase minority admissions, but ruled that the schools could account for race in other ways to promote diversity. Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, widely considered the current court’s swing voter, dissented that decision in 2003 and has never voted to uphold an affirmative action program in his career.

Justice Elena Kagan, having worked on the case during her term as solicitor general, has disqualified herself from hearing the case. Therefore, it is possible that the decision could be a 4-to-4 tie, effectively upholding the lower court’s decision in favor of the University of Texas. However, NPR reports that experts think this outcome is highly unlikely, “and that the court accepted this case for the very purpose of either reversing its past affirmative action rulings, or making such plans so restrictive that they are possible in theory, but not in practice.”

Media Resources: Feminist Daily Newswire 2/22/12; NPR 10/10/12; NY Times 10/10/12

Earlier today, Pakistani Taliban members claimed responsibility for wounding 14-year old teenage activist, Malala Yousafzai, known for her outspoken criticism of Taliban atrocities. On her way home from school Tuesday, Yousafzai was shot in the head after two men approached her school van.

In early 2009, under a pen name, Yousafzai published a diary for the BBC that highlighted the Taliban ban against girl’s education in the northwest Swat district of Pakistan. Yousafzai was awarded a cash prize and an award for her courageous peace work to raise awareness by the Pakistani government in 2011. In that same year, Yousafzai was also nominated for an International Children’s Peace Price.

In response to the shooting, Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf addressed the Pakistani Senate saying, “We have to fight the mind-set that is involved in this. We have to condemn it. . . Malala is like my daughter and yours, too. If that mind-set prevails, then whose daughter would be safe?”

This news comes months after a Hanifa Safi, a provincial head of women’s affairs, was assassinated in a car bombing. Additionally, over 160 Afghan schoolgirls were targets of a poisoning attack in early May. The Taliban failed to claim responsibility in both acts.

Media Resources: Washington Post 10/9/12; BBC News 01/19/09; BBC News 10/9/12; Feminist Newswire 07/13/12; Feminist Newswire 05/29/12

The Center for Reproductive Rights (CRR) has launched a new campaign called “Draw the Line,” asking Americans to sign a “Bill of Reproductive Rights.” The CRR aims to “deliver a thundering statement” to the U.S. Congress and the President that it is their responsibility to secure reproductive rights as fundamental human rights.

The Bill of Reproductive Rights reads:
”We the people of the United States hereby assert the following as fundamental human rights that no government may deny, and that our governments at every level must guarantee and safeguard for all.

1. The right to make our own decisions about our reproductive health and future, free from intrusion or coercion by any government, group, or individual.

• The right to a full range of safe, affordable, and readily accessible reproductive health care-including pregnancy care, preventive services, contraception, abortion, and fertility treatment-and accurate information about all of the above.

• The right to be free from discrimination in access to reproductive health care or on the basis of our reproductive decisions.”

“Draw the Line” addresses continual attacks from politicians on reproductive rights. The CRR has attracted a number of A-list celebrities to promote the Bill, including Meryl Streep, Kevin Bacon, Amy Poehler, Lisa Kudrow, Sarah Silverman, Billy Crudup, and Caroline Kennedy.

The launch of this campaign marks the 20th anniversary of the CRR, and highlights the upcoming 40th anniversary of the historic Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision on February 5, 2013.

To get involved, individuals can pledge their support by signing the Bill of Reproductive Rights, sharing the campaign on social media, and finally supporting the fight by donating online.

Media Resources: huffingtonpost.com 10/09 ; drawtheline.com 10/09; rhrealitycheck 10/05; motherjones.com 10/09

Each year, 47,000 women die in developing nations due to unsafe abortions, according to the Guttmacher Institute. In addition, the Institute projects that “an estimated 40 million abortions will take place in the developing world this year”. In an effort to raise public awareness about the preventable deaths and need for safe procedures, the Institute has launched a video campaign.

The video cites that “the best way to reduce the need for abortion is not by denying women access to safe and legal procedures, but by giving them the power to control their fertility and prevent unintended pregnancy. Today, 222 million women in the developing world want to avoid pregnancy but are not using a modern contraceptive”. Recently, Bayer Pharmaceuticals announced their partnership with the Clinton Foundation to provide half priced implantable contraceptives for 27 million women living in developing countries worldwide.

A similar correlation between contraceptive care and lower abortion rates was verified in a recent study conducted by researchers from the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. The research revealed that low-income women have lower rates of unintended pregnancy and abortion when given easy no-cost access to birth control.

Media Resources: Think Progress 10/4/12; Guttmacher Institute 10/4/12; Youtube; FMF Blog 10/8/12; Feminist Newswire 10/8/12

This morning, Jerry Sandusky was sentenced by a Pennsylvania court to “no less than 30 years and no more than 60 years with credit for time served”. This news follows Sandusky’s June trial where he was convicted of 45 counts of child sex abuse. A jury found Sandusky guilty of abusing 10 boys over a span of 15 years and faced “a maximum of 400 years in prison”.

Judge John Cleland addressed Sandusky saying, “The crime is not only what you did to their bodies but to their psyches and their souls and the assault to the well-being of the larger community in which we all live.”

CNN reports that Sandusky’s attorney will seek an appeal for his conviction; Sandusky’s legal team has ten days to appeal. Last November, Sandusky, a former Penn State University assistant football coach, was fired along with football coach Joe Paterno and University President Graham Spanier.

Media Resources: CNN 10/9/12; NBC News 10/9/12; Feminist News 11/10/11

This week, Duke University eliminated the school’s statute of limitations (SOL) on student sexual misconduct reporting. Strong protests from students initiated the removal of the previous one-year SOL restriction. Under the new policy, a student now can file a sexual misconduct report up until they graduate.

Outcry from the student body came after negotiations between the university and the Department of Education in 2011 resulted in a lowering of the SOL from two years to one year in January. In an effort to comply with what school officials believed were guidelines of the Office of Civil Rights, the university lowered the general student body’s SOL to match the one year SOL for employees. School officials announced this week that they “misinterpreted” the Office of Civil Rights conditions.

Junior Stefani Jones, Duke Student Government vice president for equity and outreach and leader of the student task force for reviewing the policy, said, “I couldn’t be happier that we saw such a groundswell of support from the Duke community and that the administration was receptive to our proposal and our concerns. When you have so many students rallying around an issue, it becomes hard to ignore.”

This news comes nearly a year after the American Association of University Women, a member organization of HERvotes, released a historic report on the high levels of sexual harassment in our nation’s schools.

Media Resources: Duke Chronicle 10/07/12; Inside Higher Ed 10/09/12; Feminist Newsire 11/15/11; AAUW Research 11/15/11

A recent study released by researchers from the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis revealed that low-income women have lower rates of unintended pregnancy and abortion when given easy no-cost access to birth control.

Researchers who launched the Contraceptive CHOICE project tracked 9,256 low-income girls and women over four years and found that when cost wasn’t a barrier, women chose birth control and had birth rates that were “less than a fifth of the national teen birth rate.” Furthermore, “abortion rates were less than half of both the regional and national rates”. According to the study’s findings, “if the program were expanded, one abortion could be prevented for every 79 to 137 women given a free contraceptive choice.”

In response to the findings, director of women’s health policy at the Kaiser Family Foundation, Alina Salganicoff said, “As a society, we want to reduce unintended pregnancies and abortion rates. This study has demonstrated that having access to no-cost contraception helps us get to that goal”.

The Affordable Care Act, signed into law by President Obama in March 2010, helps make preventative care, including birth control, more affordable for women. As of August 1, 2012, every new insurance policy is required to include a basic well-woman’s preventive health care package that includes birth control, STI/STD testing, and other preventive care without any co-pays or deductibles.

Vice president of public policy and government relations for Planned Parenthood, Dana Singiser, responded to the study by saying “this study shows that the Affordable Care Act’s birth control benefit can dramatically reduce the need for abortion in the U.S. once it is fully implemented. To prevent unintended pregnancy, women need full information, full coverage and full choice for what type of birth control works best for them.”

Media Resources: American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists study; Think Progress 10/05/12; Associated Press 10/04/12; Feminist Newswire 06/28/12

Federal Court Judge Saundra Brown Armstrong upheld most of a 2011 San Francisco law that prohibits the false advertising of anti-abortion crisis pregnancy centers. First Resort, a CPC based in San Francisco, sued the state of California in response to the truth in advertising law, alleged that the law is vague, is preempted by state law, and is a violation of their equal protection rights. Armstrong ruled that the law is not vague enough to be confusing and that it is not preempted by state law. She also ruled, however, that the law burdens First Resort’s “fundamental rights” to equal protection, thus requiring a strict scrutiny review of the law. Under strict scrutiny, a law can only be upheld in cases “where the law serves a compelling government interest.”

The law is aimed at “ensuring that indigent women facing unexpected pregnancies are not harmed by false or misleading advertising by certain providers of pregnancy-related services.” It applies to CPCs with limited services, such as First Resort, and others that do not provide abortion services and emergency contraception or referrals.

San Francisco was the first city in the nation to adopt a truth in advertising law for CPCs. Similar laws have been passed in Baltimore, Maryland; Montgomery County, Maryland; Austin, Texas; and New York, New York. All of these laws have been struck down as a result of legal challenges.

Media Resources: Jezebel 10/04/12; Courthouse News Service 10/03/12; Think Progress 10/05/12

Ohio’s early voting option for all Ohio residents was reinstated by a federal appeals court Friday. The court upheld a lower court’s ruling striking down the law limiting early voting to military personnel. The law in question had allowed military personnel to participate in a three day early voting period, while barring civilians from the same access to early voting.

Circuit Judge Eric Clay stated in the majority opinion that statistical studies referred to by the district court found “approximately 100,000 Ohio voters would choose to vote during the three-day period before Election Day, and that these voters are disproportionately ‘women, older, and of lower income and education attainment.'”

The ruling does not guarantee early voting to the entire state. Instead, counties within the state will determine if they are going to allow a three day early voting period to their voters. Due to the ruling, counties cannot limit early voting to military individuals.

Media Resources: Washington Post 10/5/2012; Think Progress 10/5/2012; Associated Press 10/5/2012

At a book signing in Washington, DC, last week Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia called overruling Roe v. Wade, criminalizing homosexual sex, and ruling the death penalty constitutional all “absolutely easy” cases.

While speaking at the signing at the American Enterprise Institute, Scalia said: “The death penalty? Give me a break. It’s easy. Abortion? Absolutely easy. Nobody ever thought the Constitution prevented restrictions on abortion. Homosexual sodomy? Come on. For 200 years, it was criminal in every state.”

Abortion rights, LGBTQ rights, and the death penalty are all hot button issues, but it is particularly notable that the Supreme Court is expected to make a decision about whether or not to take up a case addressing the issue of marriage equality in the term that began last week. They are not expected to make the decision until after the presidential election in November.

Last week, Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown (R) named Scalia as his model Supreme Court judge in a debate against challenger Elizabeth Warren (D) and was promptly booed by the debate crowd. Warren’s campaign manager Mindy Myers sounded off on Brown’s pick after the debate: “Scalia: the same judge who said he was ‘adamantly opposed’ to Roe v. Wade. Who opposes equal protection for women. Who even opposes the right to contraception. Yes, that Antonin Scalia. This wasn’t a trivial question like ‘who’s your favorite superhero.’ It matters. As a United States Senator, Scott Brown gets a vote to confirm our Supreme Court Justices. He gets a say as to whether the Democrats or Republicans control the Senate Judiciary Committee. If the Supreme Court was filled with a majority of Antonin Scalias, our country could move in a terrifying direction for all of us.”

Media Resources: Think Progress 10/5/12; Washington Post 10/5/12; Huffington Post 10/1/12; ElizabethWarren.com 10/2/12

The Oklahoma State Department of Health has cut off its three affiliated Planned Parenthood clinics from receiving funding from the state’s Women Infant and Children (WIC) Program, effective December 31st. WIC has provided funding to these clinics for the past 18 years — allowing them to provide food vouchers, baby formula, nutrition counseling, and health screenings to approximately 3,000 low-income women and children each month.
The health department did not provide a reason for ending the contract with Planned Parenthood — they said in a statement: “This is a renewal period, and the agency has taken the option not to renew based on the needs of the Health Department, the contractor’s performance and funding availability.”

Jill June, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of the Heartland, one of the nine contractors that currently receives WIC funds in Oklahoma, told the Tulsa World that she fears this is a “political attack.” June said in a statement on Thursday, “We call on the State to allow us to continue to be a place Oklahoma women and families can trust for these health services. Politics should never interfere with a woman’s access to health services — or food for her children.”

In 2011 the Oklahoma state legislature attempted and failed to pass a bill that would have prevented Planned Parenthood from participating in the WIC program because the organization also provides abortion referrals (none of the three clinics participating in the program actually offers abortion services).

The state of Oklahoma appears to be following in Texas’ footsteps — in August a court ruled in favor of Texas, allowing the state to move forward in banning government funding for Planned Parenthood under the Texas Women’s Health Program. The program currently serves 100,000 low income women with Planned Parenthood as its largest provider, serving about 40% of its patients. Planned Parenthood said that the ruling will put the health of approximately 52,000 Texas women at risk. It is notable that the clinics being denied funding in Texas, like in Oklahoma, do not provide abortion services.

Media Resources: Huffington Post 10/4/12; Tulsa World 10/4/12; Think Progress 10/4/12

Moroccan authorities escorted a sailboat from Women on Waves out of the port of Smir on Thursday. The boat is part of the Dutch women’s rights group’s campaign to spread information about abortion to countries where the medical procedure is banned.

Moroccan authorities shut down the port of Smir when they received word that a ship offering medical abortions up to 6.5 weeks was on its way from Europe after being invited to the country by a local women’s rights organization. At that point, Women on Waves announced that they already had a small yacht inside the port. This yacht was advertising an informational hotline for women to get information about medications that can induce an abortion. The yacht was escorted out of the port by police. Anti-choice protesters demonstrated outside the marina, and were blocked by police when they attempted to reach Women on Waves founder Rebecca Gomperts.

Women on Waves has established hotlines in multiple South American and Middle Eastern countries and has visited countries with restrictive abortion laws including Ireland, Poland, and Spain.

Media Resources: Sources: BBC 10/4/12; Washington Post 10/4/12; Ms Blog 10/4/12

Yesterday, the National Center for Transgender Equality launched a series of public service announcements targeting what transgender individuals need to know in order to vote in the upcoming election. As part of the NCTE’s awareness campaign “Voting While Trans,” the PSAs discuss how many transgender individuals could have their right to vote challenged under new voter suppression laws requiring photo ID before casting a ballot.
The PSAs [VIDEO] highlight the stories of four transgender individuals talking about their voting experiences. They reveal the discrimination and harassment many transgender individuals face at the polls and provide voting tips for transgender individuals, such as checking their voter registration card for their correct name and address. The campaign also includes a PSA directed at poll workers to raise awareness of the burden faced by transgender individuals this election.

Voter suppression legislation has recently passed in 19 states, with the legislation being brought into law in 17 states. These laws have the potential to disenfranchise up to 5 million people in the U.S. and are specifically designed to target people of color, young people, women, and gender non-conforming individuals.

Media Resources: Sources: National Center for Transgender Equality 10/4/12

For the first time, two female soldiers have been admitted into the Marine Corps’ Infantry Officer Course. Their admittance is experimental and the results will be considered by the Pentagon when deliberating the inclusion of women in combat units from which they are currently excluded.

The Infantry Officer Course is an intensive 86 day challenge that approximately 25% of participants fail. As participants in the course, men and women soldiers will undergo equal challenges and evaluation. Women are considered “just another student” to instructors like Capt. Brian Perkins. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta will review the results of this women inclusive trial program next month when reevaluating the “physical standards” required for obtaining certain jobs in the military.

“If women remain restricted to combat service and combat service support specialties, we will not see a woman as Commandant of the Marine Corps, or CENTCOM commander, or Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,” Greg Jacob, policy director for the Service Women’s Action Network, said in May. “Thus women in the military are being held back simply because they are women. Such an idea is not only completely at odds with military ethics, but is distinctly un-American.”

Earlier this year, female soldiers responded to the limitations of women’s combat positions within the military through a lawsuit claiming violation of equal protection under the Fifth Amendment. This lawsuit took place after a new policy promising more positions for women resulted in no change. NPR claims “job-related physical requirements” have prevented women from entering the combat units in the past.

Media Resources: USA Today 10/3/12; Business Insider 10/3/12; Feminist Newswire 5/24/12; NPR 10/4/12.

Today Walmart employees at a number of Southern California stores walked out, striking in opposition to the retailer’s attempts to suppress unionization. This is the first time in Walmart’s history that employees at multiple stores are striking at the same time.

Protesters are citing Walmart, the world’s largest private employer, for mistreatment, including OUR Walmart, a labor group that is responsible for attempts to organize Walmart employees nationwide.

In response to Walmart’s treatment of workers, Secretary-Treasurer of the Los Angelese County Federation of Labor, Maria Elena Durazo, said, “We cannot stand by while the country’s largest employer tries to silence workers who stand up for a better future for their families.”

Earlier this week, current employees of Walmart’s Tennessee stores announced a class-action lawsuit against the corporation on grounds of sex discrimination. The most recent suit, Phipps, et al. v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., is similar to two other local class action gender discrimination cases filed recently against the retail company in California and Texas.

Media Resources: Salon 10/04/12; Warehouse Workers for Justice; Our Walmart; Bloomberg 10/04/12; Feminist Newswire 10/03/12; Feminist Newswire 09/25/12; Feminist Newswire 02/21/12