The Indiana state House Public Policy Committee passed a bill that would require doctors who perform abortions to have hospital admitting privileges. The bill has already been passed by the state Senate, according to the Associated Press. Similar measures have stalled in the state legislature in the past because they have passed the Senate, but […]
The Getty Research Institute announced this week that they have acquired thirty to forty boxes of papers that include artwork, documents, and correspondence from the Guerrilla Girls feminist art collective dating between 1985 and 2000. The Guerrilla Girls were founded in 1985 in New York City as a collective that aimed to fight gender and […]
The New Hampshire state House passed a bill yesterday that would make discrimination on the on the basis of “gender identity or expression” illegal under the state’s existing anti-discrimination laws. The bill defines gender identity or expression as “a gender-related identity, appearance, expression, or behavior of an individual, regardless of the individual’s assigned sex at […]
The Washington, DC Council voted unanimously yesterday to recognize the marriages of same sex couples who married in states where same sex marriage is legal. Yesterday’s vote was preliminary and a final vote is expected on May 5, according to United Press International. Councilmember David Catania pushed for an amendment to legislation already under consideration […]
The Women’s Choice Clinic of Oakland, known as the United States’ oldest feminist health clinic, will be closing as a result of the declining economy. Linci Comy, the clinic’s executive director, explained that “To balance the state budget, California has frozen [Medi-Cal] payments for services already provided, and for us, that is a fatal decision. […]
Afghan President Hamid Karzai announced this weekend that the Afghan government, specifically the minister of justice, will review a new Shia family law he signed sometime last month that would severely restrict women’s rights in Afghanistan. Karzai, according to news sources, signed the bill to court the Hazara vote in the upcoming presidential election. In […]
The Vermont state legislature overrode Governor Jim Douglas’ veto of a bill that would allow same-sex marriage in the state this morning. According to the Associated Press, the vote to override the governor’s veto was 100 to 49 in the state House and 23 to 5 in the state Senate. Vermont is now the fourth […]
The North Dakota state Senate rejected a bill Friday that defines a person as beginning at the moment of fertilization and would have required doctors to tell women seeking an abortion that the procedure kills a human being. The bill, which passed in the state House 61 to 31 in February, failed in the Senate […]
A Circuit Court judge issued a temporary restraining order Friday that halts enforcement of an Illinois regulation that requires state pharmacists to dispense emergency contraception (EC). According to the Associated Press, the order applies only to the five pharmacies owned by Luke Vander Bleek and Glenn Kosirog, who filed the original suit. Vander Bleek and […]
Melanne Verveer was confirmed by the Senate Friday as the United State’s first Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues. Several other nominees for state department positions were also confirmed Friday. According to a White House press release, “The President’s decision to nominate an Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues is unprecedented and reflects the elevated importance of […]
Video of Taliban militants flogging a young woman who was accused of having a pre-marital sexual encounter became public this past weekend and Pakistan’s Supreme Court announced an investigation yesterday. According to The Guardian, the flogging took place in the Swat Valley, but the Taliban and some government officials are claiming that the tape is […]
The Vermont House voted 95 to 52 yesterday in favor of a bill that would allow same-sex marriage in the state. A version of the bill was overwhelmingly passed in a 26 to 4 vote by the state Senate in March. After a vote in the Senate today to reconcile changes made by the House, […]
MTV launched a campaign yesterday to promote sexually transmitted disease testing among young people. The Get Yourself Tested (GYT) campaign was launched during the television premier of Pedro, a movie about the life of Real World San Francisco star and HIV/AIDS activist Pedro Zamora. The campaign is backed by a number of celebrities as well. […]
The Iowa Supreme Court ruled unanimously today that the Iowa Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional because it violates the equal protection clause of the state constitution. According to the New York Times, the same-sex marriage licenses could be issued in Iowa in about three weeks. Iowa is now the third state in the US […]
A new study indicates that teenager’s comprehension of emergency contraception (EC) labeling is comparable to that of adults. EC, also known as Plan B, is effective up to five days (120 hours) after unprotected sex, birth control failure, or rape, but it is most effective (95 percent) if taken within 24 hours. The EC label […]
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and US Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice announced this week that the US is seeking a seat on the UN Human Rights Council. In a press release, Ambassador Rice explained that “The U.S. is seeking election to the Council because we believe that working from within, we can […]
A Human Rights Watch report released yesterday found that there are at least 12,669 untested rape kits in Los Angeles County, the largest known backlog of its kind in the US. A September 2008 LA city controller’s audit showed a backlog of approximately 7,000 kits. The report (see PDF) is based on interviews with rape […]
A new Shia family law signed by Afghan President Hamid Karzai sometime last month, but not yet published, would severely restrict women’s rights in Afghanistan. Karzai, according to news sources, signed the bill to court the Hazara vote in the upcoming presidential election. The law has not yet been published, but according to The Guardian […]
Virginia Governor Tim Kaine signed legislation Monday that will enable the sale of a “Choose Life” license plate in the state. According to the Washington Post, $15 of the $25 fee for the license plates will go towards funding crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs). CPCs pose as legitimate health centers and offer “free” pregnancy tests. Some […]
The National Women’s History Museum Act was reintroduced last week in the House of Representatives. Representatives Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL) and Mary Fallin (R-OK) introduced the bill (see PDF). Senator Susan M. Collins (R-ME) is expected to introduce […]
