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, […]
Fact Check: Trump’s State of the Union Address
President Donald J. Trump delivered his third State of the Union address this Tuesday and spent approximately one and a half hours lying to the attending members of Congress, witnesses in the gallery, and the American public. Early on in his speech, Trump remarked that “jobs are booming” and “incomes are soaring,” but NPR Chief […]
Congresswomen Wear Suffragette White to State of the Union Address
Dozens of Democratic congresswomen wore white to last night’s State of the Union address in honor of the American suffragette movement and the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment. The symbolic move references the white outfits 20th-century suffragists often wore to represent purity and nonviolence as they fought for women’s right to […]
Actor and Gay Icon Billy Porter Gives LGBTQ State of the Union
“Pose” star Billy Porter gave an LGBTQ state of the union hours before Donald Trump’s speech last night. Porter criticized the president ad highlighted the many issues that LGBTQ people are facing in the United States. Sponsored by Logo TV, Porter quickly called out the President as having “painted himself as a friend of the […]
Healthcare Tops List of Iowa Voter Concerns
An exit poll from NBC News, CNN, and the Associated Press shows that healthcare is a top voter concern among Iowan Democrats; ranking ahead of issues like climate change or foreign policy. However, healthcare policy may not be the deciding factor of who people are going to vote for. According to Kimberly Leonard, senior healthcare […]
Attorneys General File Landmark ERA Lawsuit
Three attorneys general that represent the last three states to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) have filed a lawsuit stating that according to Article V, the amendment must be added to the Constitution immediately. This lawsuit was brought forth by Virginia Attorney General Mark R. Herring, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, and Nevada Attorney […]
Anti-Trans Bill Dies in Iowa State House
A proposed bill that would have removed gender identity protections from the Iowa Civil Rights Act will not advance in the state legislature. Rep. Steven Holt, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, called the bill “dead” after deciding not to send it into subcommittee. Iowa law has prohibited discrimination based on gender identity since […]
‘Women Win’: Warren Takes on Gender in Final Stretch Before Iowa Caucuses
Presidential candidate Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) has dealt with issues regarding gender since the beginning of her campaign for the 2020 presidency. She is candid about this, often explaining the various times she has been told to “smile more,” has been called “angry” by an opponent, or been the subject of questions as to whether she […]
Virginia Becomes the 38th State to Ratify the Equal Rights Amendment
The United States has never been closer to officially creating an Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) in the U.S. Constitution. On Tuesday, January 14, a Virginia statehouse committee approved a measure to “bring the amendment to a full vote” which was voted upon by the Virginia House of Delegates and state Senate on Wednesday, January 15. […]
Gender Gap Prominent in Support for Trump Impeachment
Recent polls have shown that American women support impeachment and removal from office by around 10 points more than men—a gender gap that is reflected in national politics as well. Since the 2016 election women in the U.S. have led the fight against the rampant misogyny, racism, and xenophobia that is the hallmark of the […]
The Fight for Paid Leave Takes Center Stage in House Oversight Hearing
The House Committee on Oversight and Reform, chaired by Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), held a hearing yesterday on the critical lack of paid leave for employees who need to take time off to care for a new child, a sick family member, or their own health. Committee members and witnesses discussed the ongoing need […]
House Committee on Oversight and Reform to Hold Hearing on Paid Family Leave
The House Committee on Oversight and Reform will hold a hearing tomorrow on the critical lack of access to universal paid family and medical leave across the country. Chaired by Rep. Carolyn Maloney, sponsor of the Federal Employee Paid Leave Act, the committee will hear testimony from key witnesses regarding the impact and possible long-term […]
Representative Carolyn Maloney Elected to Lead House Committee on Oversight and Reform
New York Representative Carolyn Maloney was elected chairwoman of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform Wednesday after winning a caucus-wide vote for the position, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a news release. As the most senior member of the panel, Maloney has been serving as acting chairwoman since the October 17th death of […]
Congressional Democrats Eye Ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment After Virginia Elections
House Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler, a Democrat from New York, announced Friday that the House Judiciary Committee would be marking up a bill eliminating the deadline for states to adopt the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), which was one state short of the 38 needed for ratification when the deadline passed in 1982. The markup of […]
Democrats Win Control of Virginia Legislature and Claim Narrow Victory in Kentucky Governor’s Race
Democrats won complete control of the Virginia government for the first time in more than two decades Tuesday and claimed a narrow victory in Kentucky’s governor race, as Republicans captured the governor’s mansion in Mississippi. In winning majorities in both chambers of the Virginia legislature, Democrats have cleared the way for Governor Ralph S. Northam […]
Pete Buttigieg Releases Plan to Boost Women’s Economic, Social and Political Empowerment
Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg unveiled a 26-page agenda focused entirely on women’s rights Thursday, one of the most detailed plans focused on women so far in the Democratic primary. The Indiana mayor’s agenda promises to close the gender pay and wealth gaps by guaranteeing equal pay for equal work while also addressing the ways […]
Hillary Clinton Drops Out Of Fortune Women’s Conference Featuring Kirstjen Nielsen
Hillary Clinton dropped out of the Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit, which is controversially featuring former Secretary of Homeland Security, Kirstjen Nielsen. Fortune’s summit is a conference of powerful women from a range of industries that is set to take place in Washington, D.C. Clinton’s name was removed from the Fortune website on Friday after […]
Pelosi and Bipartisan Congressional Delegation Make Unannounced Trip to Afghanistan After Trump’s Decision on Syria
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi led an unannounced congressional visit to Afghanistan over the weekend, Pelosi’s office said Sunday evening. The secret trip was made as Pelosi led a congressional delegation to Jordan, where her office says they discussed Middle East peace and Syria with members of the country’s royal family. “This evening, our bipartisan delegation […]
Planned Parenthood Super PAC Announces 2020 Push to Back Pro-Choice Candidates
On Wednesday, Planned Parenthood announced its’ plans to spend at least $45 million to support pro-choice candidates in local, state and national races. “This year what we’re finding is that people really understand exactly what’s at stake. The stakes are higher than ever, and our donors and our supporters understand that very clearly,” said Kelly […]
Nepal’s Parliament Speaker Krishna Bahadur Mahara Resigns after Rape Accusation
The speaker of Nepal’s lower house of Parliament, Krishna Bahadur Mahara, stepped down from his position on Tuesday after a parliamentary employee accused him of raping her on Sunday in her own apartment. The lawmaker, Krishna Bahadur Mahara, a prominent figure within the country’s governing Nepal Communist Party, denied assaulting the woman who accused him […]
