Teresa C. Chambers, former chief of police in Durham, NC and a top-ranking officer in Maryland’s Prince George’s County Police Department, has been named the first female police chief of the U.S. Park Police. Secretary of Interior Gale Norton, who was present at the swearing-in ceremony, said “the time has come” for a woman to […]
Just days after a University of Montana professor filed a lawsuit alleging that the university health insurance system discriminated against gays and lesbians by withholding health insurance and other benefits from same-sex partners of employees, her home was set on fire. Carla Grayson, her partner Adrianne Neff, and their 22 month-old son escaped through a […]
Despite the fact that emergency contraception (EC) is extremely safe and the American Medical Association has advocated to make them available over the counter, the Food and Drug Administration has yet to respond to a Citizens Petition filed last year by the Center for Reproductive Law and Policy (CRLP) requesting over-the-counter EC. Currently, Washington and […]
The Bush Administration’s plans for the nation’s welfare system include $100 million for states to encourage their poor to marry. Assistant Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary of Children and Families Wade Horn indicated that the funds could be used to promote pre-marital education and initiatives to “talk about the importance of marriage.” Critics of […]
National Geographic yesterday premiered a documentary on its cable television channel focusing on honor killings in Pakistan. Every day three women in Pakistan become victims of honor killings, usually murdered by male members of their families, including their husbands, fathers, and brothers. Honor killings, however, are not contained to Pakistan. Victims can be found all […]
A study published in today’s issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association suggests that large numbers of young adults in the U.S. may be infected with gonorrhea or chlamydia but are not being diagnosed or treated. Researchers interviewed men and women aged 18 to 35 in Baltimore, MD and then tested these adults […]
The Army of God, a clandestine network of anti-abortion extremists based in the U.S., sent a threatening letter to a British law firm, George Green & Co., whose clients include a women’s reproductive healthcare clinic that provides abortion services in England. The letter read, “George Green SolicitorsÉare acting for baby killers. George Green staff are […]
While reports of the Taliban’s involvement in the trafficking of Afghan women was long reported by Afghan refugees fleeing Afghanistan during the Taliban’s rule, more detailed and numerous accounts continue to emerge following the collapse of the brutal regime. According to a report in Time magazine, government officials and witnesses have revealed that the Taliban […]
Rev. Jeffrey Windy of the Catholic Diocese of Peoria, Illinois was charged last month with helping to make and distribute gamma hydroxybutyrate (GHB), the “date rape” drug. A spokesperson for the Catholic Diocese announced that Windy, who has been released to his parents and is awaiting trial, has been suspended from his duties. Windy allegedly […]
Women in Minnesota and South Dakota are beginning to use emergency contraception (EC) in increasing numbers. According to the Minnesota and South Dakota Planned Parenthoods, prescriptions for EC have increased more than five times between 1998, when the FDA approved EC, and 2001. Kaiser Family Foundation, however, notes that nationwide, only 2 percent of American […]
In celebration of the upcoming Women’s History Month, Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) called on the U.S. to ratify the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). “As we celebrate the many accomplishments of American women and work for full equality at home, we must never forget the women around the […]
The Mexican High Court ruled last Wednesday that women in Mexico City may obtain abortions to preserve their health or in cases of rape. While a very limited victory, abortion rights supporters were encouraged by the Court’s decision, which would make these exceptions constitutional in all 32 Mexican states. Of the ruling, Pedro Marales, counsel […]
Returning from a week-long trip to the Vatican, Cardinal Bernard Law of the Roman Catholic Boston Archdiocese announced yesterday that he has no plans to resign after knowingly allowing alleged pedophiles to remain in their posts as priests for decades. Of his refusal to resign, Law said, “I think that it would not serve the […]
A study of women’s impressions after undergoing cosmetic surgery found that women do not experience a change in overall body image following their procedures. Women did report that they were pleased and satisfied with the appearance of the specific feature that had been surgically altered. Generally, however, women did not feel better about their overall […]
The Board of Directors of the National Education Association (NEA) is developing a set of recommendations to help schools meet the needs of lesbians and gays. The recommendations are meant to combat harassment and discrimination in the school system for both students and teachers. Recommendations will be “provided in accordance with local school district policies” […]
During an arrest for a suspected DUI in Mississippi, Randy Maske confessed to police that he had firebombed an abortion clinic in Peoria, Illinois in 1993. Arresting officer Tim Bell made a sarcastic remark to Maske while taking him into custody, saying “Come on inside hero.” Maske responded, “I am a hero. I bombed an […]
The U.S. House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution yesterday approved the Child Custody Protection Act (CCPA), which will now be considered by the full Committee. CCPA is an anti-choice piece of legislation that would make it a crime for an adult, who is not a parent, to assist a minor in crossing state lines to […]
During an ongoing review of church personnel records, the Boston Archdiocese identified at least 60 priests who have allegedly molested and abused children over the span of forty years. The names of these priests have been turned over to civil authorities and 38 names have been forwarded to a total of six district attorney offices. […]
The Department of Justice (DOJ) filed an amicus brief with the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals this week, asking the Court to reverse a District Court decision overturning an Ohio law banning late term abortions. In 2000, the U.S. Supreme Court, in Stenberg v. Carhart, ruled that a late-term abortion ban, which did not provide […]
The Congressional Black Caucus, LA Times, and Atlanta Journal-Constitution have joined the Feminist Majority, along with a coalition of other progressive and women’s rights groups, including Alliance for Justice, People for the American Way, National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League (NARAL), Leadership Council on Civil Right (LCCR), and the National Abortion Federation (NAF), among […]
