Abby Johnson, a former Planned Parenthood employee turned anti-abortion activist, spoke at the Republican National Convention (RNC) on Tuesday. Johnson was the director of a Planned Parenthood clinic before leaving after reportedly watching an abortion on an ultrasound. She now runs And Then There Were None, an organization which helps those who work in facilities […]
2020 Democratic National Convention Roundup
Speakers including Michelle Obama, Bernie Sanders, Ady Barkan, Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, Kamala Harris, Barack Obama, and Hillary Clinton addressed the public through a virtual Democratic National Convention. Speeches included pleas to vote, praises for youth involvement, recognition of empathy, and calls to keep fighting. NIGHT 1 First Lady Michelle Obama on empathy and moving forward […]
Young, College-Educated, Democratic Women: You are Most Likely A Feminist
A new Pew Research study, conducted during March and April, confirms that age, education level, and political affiliation can indicate whether or not someone identities as a feminist. Overall, 61% of women said that “feminist” describes them “very” or “somewhat well”. Across different age groups, the 18-29 cohort was most likely to identify as a […]
The BREATHE Act Calls for Sweeping Change to Criminal Justice System
The Movement for Black Lives has proposed a bill that calls for sweeping changes to the nation’s criminal justice system. Introduced on Tuesday, the BREATHE Act calls to divert federal resources from systemically racist institutions such as policing and incarceration. The Movement for Black Lives is a coalition of over 150 organizations fighting for racial […]
Egypt Arrests Female Social Media Influencers for Promoting “Immorality”
Four young Egyptian women on the popular social media app TikTok have been arrested by state authorities accusing them of spreading “immorality” with their content. These women are the most recent targets of state authorities monitoring social media accounts for “offensive” content. Since President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi’s election in 2014, hundreds of dissident public persons, […]
House Unveils Justice in Policing Act Amid National Protests
Democratic leadership in the House and the Senate unveiled legislation today to overhaul policing standards in response to nationwide protests against anti-Black racism and police brutality. The Justice in Policing Act, led by Chairwoman Congresswoman Karen Bass (D-Calif.) and members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), seeks to increase accountability in police brutality cases and […]
D.C. Mayor Renames Intersection Near White House “Black Lives Matter Plaza”
On Friday, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser renamed an intersection in front of the White House “Black Lives Matter Plaza” to honor the demonstrators that have flooded D.C. streets in the last several days. 16th Street NW, between K and H streets, has been painted with the slogan “Black Lives Matter” in enormous yellow letters. The […]
Historic Wins for Women of Color Down the Ballot
On Tuesday, nine states and the District of Columbia held primary elections. These elections resulted in historic gains for women, particularly for women of color. In spite of current circumstances, including the COVID-19 pandemic and nationwide protests, voter turnout was impressive and women candidates of color prevailed in primaries for Congress, state legislatures, and local […]
First Female African American Mayor Elected in Ferguson
On Tuesday night, Ella Jones, 65, was elected to serve as Ferguson, Missouri’s next mayor. A former city councilwoman, Jones will become the first African American and first female mayor in the city’s history. Jones received 54 percent of the vote, and her opponent, councilwoman Heather Robinett, lost by 138 votes. Jones will succeed James […]
New Mexico Has the Historic Opportunity to Elect First All-Female U.S. House Delegation
New Mexico voters may send a historic all-female U.S. House delegation to Congress next year. The state’s three congresswomen could all be women of color, which would be another national first. Women are seeking the Democratic and Republican nominations in all six of the state’s primary races. At least one Latina or one Native American […]
Demand for Vote-By-Mail Grows as November Elections Loom
In the midst of a global public health crisis, the outcome of the November U.S. election is uncertain and steeped in partisan politics. Republicans argue that Democrats’ efforts to enact vote-by-mail are undermining and remaking democracy while Democrats argue such efforts are, in fact, to protect democracy and voter’s rights. Across the country, people are […]
Afghanistan Remaining a Republic is “Non-Negotiable”
In a virtual event on the intra-Afghan talks at the United States Institute of Peace, Habiba Sarabi emphasized that for Afghan women, negotiating on the structure of the government is “non-negotiable.” Habiba Sarabi, the former governor of Bamiyan province in Afghanistan is one of five women on the team representing the Afghanistan government, formed to […]
Health Department Official Fired For Speaking Out Against Hydroxychloroquine
Rick Bright, the official who previously led the federal agency involved in working to develop a coronavirus vaccine was removed from his position after urging caution and research before advocating for hydroxychloroquine. As the Trump administration pushed for the anti-malaria drug to be used in treating patients with coronavirus, Dr. Bright denounced these actions as putting “politics […]
Texas Governor’s Executive Order Banning Abortion Expires
Tuesday night, Texas’ Republican Governor Greg Abbott’s March 21 executive order expired. The order had been the object of weeks of legal debate over the classification of medication and procedural abortion as a ‘non-essential’ medical procedure during the COVID-19 crisis. On Wednesday, Gov. Abbott announced a new executive order, allowing certain medical procedures to resume, […]
Jill Karofsky Defeats Daniel Kelly for Wisconsin Supreme Court Seat
Democrat Jill Karofsky has defeated the incumbent Justice Daniel Kelly for his seat on Wisconsin’s Supreme Court according to results released Monday, reducing the conservative majority in the court and solidifying another seat for a woman on the bench. According to Partick Marley for USA Today, Karofsky has “served as the state’s first violence against […]
‘Progressive Vanguard’ of LGBT Voters Showed Up for Democratic Primaries
Even though LGBT people make up about 4.5 percent of the entire US population, they made up more than 9 percent of voters who turned out for the Democratic primary elections. The “disproportionately high number” of LGBT voters who turned out were both younger and more liberal than non-LGBT voters in the primaries, according to […]
Speaker Pelosi Holds Press Conference In Support of House ERA Vote Tomorrow
This morning House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Rep. Jackie Speier, Rep. Carolyn Maloney, and a host of other members of Congress held a press conference ahead of tomorrow’s vote on H.J.Res. 79 to remove the arbitrary timeline put in the preamble to the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). Carol Jenkins spoke for the ERA Coalition as leaders […]
New Film Celebrates the 100th Anniversary of Women Gaining the Right to Vote
Set to debut on June 30, a PBS film inspired by the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment will feature a number of feminist icons and activists. The 2020 MAKERS conference, happening today in Los Angeles, will announce the new documentary, NOT DONE, that celebrates the suffragists’ win in gaining the right to vote. The […]
Karen Pierce Appointed First Female British Ambassador to US
Karen Pierce has been appointed as Britain’s first female to hold the prominent position of ambassador to the US. Pierce is currently serving as the UK’s permanent representative to the United Nations. Pierce, has served as a diplomat for much of her career, joining the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1981, and holding diplomatic posts in several […]
Virginia Senate Passes Bill Banning LGBTQ+ Discrimination
Yesterday the Virginia Senate passed the “Virginia Values Act”, which adds sexual orientation and gender identity to the commonwealth’s anti-discrimination law, with a 30-9 vote. The Bill (SB 868 in Senate and HB 1663 in the House), makes sexual orientation and gender identity protected classes in regards to discrimination for things such as housing, employment, […]