The American Bar Association’s Commission on Domestic Violence has published a safety guide for victims of domestic violence and has asked corporations to distribute it to their employees and the general public. The guides will be available in public restrooms and other places where women can easily obtain the information while retaining anonymity. Anti-domestic violence […]
A study conducted by Canadian and U.S. researchers reveals that young women with abnormally high levels of an “insulin-like growth factor” called IGF-1 have seven times greater risk of breast cancer than do other women. IGF-1 is produced by many of the body’s tissues and is important for normal growth. Unfortunately, it fosters the growth […]
Rep. John Kasich (R-OH) announced that he will propose eliminating or lessening the “marriage tax penalty” at a cost of $50-100 billion over a five-year period. The “marriage tax penalty” refers to the higher income taxes some married people pay compared to what they would pay if they were single. In general, married people have […]
The New York Court of Appeals ruled that a Long Island woman cannot use eggs fertilized by her former husband without his permission. The court reaffirmed a contract that Maureen and Steven Kass signed at the time the eggs and sperm were donated, which stated that the fertilized eggs would not be released without written […]
An alliance of humanitarian aid agencies called the Afghan Donor Support Group issued a statement urging the Taliban to remove blockades in northern, opposition-held sections of Afghanistan* and to improve security conditions for humanitarian aid workers. Thousands of Afghans are near starvation because the Taliban’s blockades and dangerous conditions make it impossible for aid workers […]
The House National Security Committee rejected Rep. Jane Harman’s (D-CA) amendment to reverse the 1995 ban on privately-funded abortions for military women stationed overseas. NARAL president Kate Michelman said, “Many of the countries where servicewomen are stationed do not have the same quality of health care that we have in the United States. This ban […]
An amendment offered by Rep. Frank Riggs (R-CA) in the House yesterday was defeated by a vote of 249 to 171. The amendment would have prohibited federally-funded colleges and universities from considering race or gender in admissions policies. This is the second time the House has defeated an anti-affirmative action bill in the past two […]
The University of California is considering raising its “automatic enrollment” standards to include only the top 4% of graduates in an effort to increase minority enrollment. Currently, any applicant who is ranked in the top 12.5 percent of her or his graduating class is automatically admitted to the school. Since affluent, largely white schools send […]
The IRS reversed its decision to deny tax-exempt status from Kathy’s Group, a cancer support group for lesbians in Rhode Island. The IRS had previously argued that the group was not eligible for tax-exempt status because the group is designed to serve a specialized group of women, and not all women. Lawyer David Buckel, who […]
United Methodist pastor Rev. Jimmy Creech was fired from his job at First United Methodist Church in Omaha, Nebraska, for performing a lesbian “unity ceremony” last fall. Many United Methodist church members left Rev. Creech’s congregation, and division and dissension still abounds. Bishop Joel Martinez reportedly told Rev. Creech that he was fired because this […]
ABC’s Primetime Live will feature an interview with Ellen Degeneres tonight at 10pm ET. In the interview, DeGeneres speaks openly with Diane Sawyer about ABC’s decision to cancel her television show, Ellen, and her anger over parental advisory warnings that accompanied several of this season’s episodes. Ellen made television history last year when the show’s […]
In the second year after affirmative-action admissions policies were dismantled at Berkeley law school, minority admissions remain dangerously low, despite modest increases. Boalt Hall School of Law extended admissions offers to 32 blacks this year, doubling last year’s numbers. However, none of the 15 blacks who were accepted last year agreed to attend the school. […]
Army civilian lawyer Kelly Theriot alleges that top Army officers joined forces to protect the man she accused of sexual harassment and to retaliate against her for making the complaint. Theriot has filed a lawsuit and testified to a federal jury that several top officials lessened her duties and powers, staff and other resources, and […]
A Ypsilanti, Michigan anti-discrimination ordinance that includes protection for lesbians and gay men was upheld in a 56 to 44% vote, despite a well-financed anti-gay rights campaign featuring Green Bay Packers football player Reggie White. The ordinance was unanimously approved last December but was suspended three months later after significant numbers of people signed a […]
The FBI has named Birmingham, AL clinic bombing suspect Eric Robert Rudolph to its Ten Most Wanted Fugitives List and increased the reward for his capture from $100,000 to $1 million in an attempt to gain more tips and leads from the public. Attorney General Janet Reno, FBI Director Louis Freeh, and John W. Magaw, […]
A sex discrimination suit filed by eight female employees in February 1997 was settled yesterday. The plaintiff charged that they were systematically deprived of training, support staff, and other resources because of their sex. They also alleged that many women had returned from maternity leave to find their positions either eliminated or demoted. Under the […]
A South Korean woman who was forced, along with an estimated 200,000 others, to work in Japanese military brothels during WWII has rejected South Korea’s offer of $25,000 in compensation. Lee Yong-soo, who is now 71 years old, said that the Japanese government should be forced to pay, and that is why she will not […]
The “Kids Count” survey, released by the children’s advocacy group Annie E. Casey Foundation, reveals that quality childcare is often either difficult to find or too expensive, especially for low-income parents and parents who work non-traditional hours. The study argued that children in low income families are the ones who can benefit most from quality […]
A new medical test that determines whether pregnant women are at risk for premature labor has been approved by the FDA and is expected to become available for general use within six weeks. The test costs about $100 and is intended for women who are already at least 5 1/2 months pregnant. The test, which […]
A recent study published in Cancer suggests that women who have been treated for breast cancer suffer post-menopausal hot flashes that are more intense, lengthy, and frequent than those experienced by healthy women. 114 postmenopausal women who had been treated for breast cancer were surveyed about the frequency and severity of their hot flashes. Fifty-four […]
