California Democratic US House candidate Lois Capps is appearing in an ad declaring her stance as a pro-choice candidate. In the ad, Capps claims, “outside interest groups are now attacking me … So let’s be clear: I am strongly pro-choice. My opponent opposes a woman’s right to choose.” The commercial, now airing, is a direct […]
The Promise Keepers, a male-only, right-wing Christian group, announced that it will fire its entire staff due to a financial crisis. “Promise Keepers today gave its staff six weeks notice that they will be paid until March 31 and no further. As stable and sufficient donations are received, re-staffing will occur,” said a statement from […]
British officials are putting pressure on the Caribbean colonies to eradicate laws criminalizing homosexuality. The request comes after Cayman Islands authorities refused to let a cruise ship carrying gay vacationers to land because they “could not be counted on to uphold the standards of appropriate behavior expected of visitors.” Anguilla’s chief minister Hubert Hughes said, […]
A study conducted by the Women’s Media Centre of Cambodia found that the Cambodian media consistently degrade women through stereotypes. Researchers found that women are the focus of only seven percent of the stories in newspapers, but are featured in 20 percent of the photographs and 92 percent of the cartoons and drawings. Eighty percent […]
The European Court of Human Rights ruled in favor of allowing British campaign groups to spend unrestricted sums on leafleting and broadcasting before an election. Unlimited spending on propaganda will enable groups to support a specific candidate or deprecate a rival for their views on issues such as abortion and gay and lesbian rights. Previously, […]
More than sixty percent of parents in the UK want to see firmer childcare regulations, according to a survey conducted by the magazine Right Start. Colette Kelleher, director of the Daycare Trust, said, “British parents pay the highest childcare bills in Europe. Much more could be done by the Government and employers to help parents […]
Tipper Gore urged Americans to get screenings for eating disorders. Free anonymous screenings will be offered starting next Monday through the 28th of February. The National Eating Disorders Screening Program is sponsoring free screenings at hospitals, colleges, and treatment centers throughout the United States. More than 5 million Americans, mainly women, are affected by eating […]
Gays and lesbians in the military face increasing harassment, according to an annual report released by the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network. The report cited 563 “command violations,” during which commanders harassed, pursued and asked members about their sexual orientation in violation of a “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy put in place by President Clinton. Harassment […]
A study issued by the National Institutes of Health reports significant barriers for women on Medicaid who desire tubal ligation. The study found that only 59 percent of the 1,200 pregnant women on Medicaid obtained the sterilization procedure after filling out the required forms. Medicaid recipients who want a tubal ligation must first attend two […]
Maryland state senators are gearing up to vote on a bill that would ban D&X abortions. The bill, which has been introduced three times by Sen. Larry E. Haines, is supported by seven of the eleven members of the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee. Maryland Governor Parris N. Glendening (D) promised to veto the resolution if […]
A study by the United Nation’s International Labour Organization (ILO) reports that working mothers in the United States are given the least generous maternity and nursing benefits in the industrialized world. ILO researchers investigated maternity leave and health benefits required by law in 152 countries. Eighty percent of the countries offer paid maternity leave to […]
Riffat Affridi, a Pakistani woman, is in hiding after being sentenced to death for marrying a man who is part of a different ethnic group. A Pathan council of tribal elders ruled that Affridi must be shot or stoned to death for violating Pathan “honor.” Affridi’s husband, Kanwar Ahson, is a member of the Mohoajir […]
The Iowa House Judiciary Committee ruled in favor of a bill opposing same-sex marriages. The law denies legal recognition of same-sex marriages obtained in another state. Anti-gay forces cite worries that traditional marriage will be devalued as reasons for the law. The University of Iowa’s student government passed their own resolution the next day supporting […]
Houston Mayor Lee Brown signed an executive order prohibiting city service and employment workers from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation. The order overturns a 1985 election decision that defeated an ordinance protecting gay and lesbian workers. Previously, there was no protection from discrimination in local, state or federal law. Former Mayor Jim McConn […]
Peter Howard pled guilty and was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for attempting to blow up an abortion clinic. Howard drove a pickup truck into the Family Planning Associates clinic in Bakersfield, California at night and attempted to light containers of fuel in the truck on fire. Howard was stopped by a security […]
Flip Benham, director of the anti-abortion group Operation Rescue National, was sentenced to a year in jail by Lynchburg, Virginia Circuit Judge Richard Miller for organizing a religious demonstration at a public school. Benham led more than 150 Liberty University students in an anti-abortion demonstration outside E.C. Glass High School. Groups stood outside the school, […]
Two weeks after the incident was reported, authorities in Prince George County, Maryland arrested D.C. police officer Daniel Girard Coles, Jr. for second-degree rape. Coles, an eight year police veteran, is charged with raping a 13-year-old girl in his home and in his van. Coles was released on a $1,000 bond and ordered not to […]
Women’s groups in Honduras are asking Honduran men to undergo vasectomies. “After all the history of planning by women, it’s only fair that men start planning as well, and I recommend that it be through the vasectomy,” said Alba de Mejia, a leading feminist in Honduras. The Honduras government supplies the population with condoms for […]
A study reports that cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for women in the United States. According to a study released by Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, 45 percent of women in the United States are stricken with a heart-related illness during their lives, while 35 percent die from heart disease. Diana Pettiti, director […]
Incidents of female genital mutilation are increasing in the United States. Researchers and doctors in the Denver, Colorado area report that at least 6,000 immigrants from African countries that practice genital mutilation have moved to the area. “I know of one patient where it was clear it was performed in this country,” said Dr. Terry […]
