Posts Tagged ‘ reproductive rights ’

Why I’m Sitting Out This St. Patrick’s Day

March 17, 2012
By
Why I’m Sitting Out This St. Patrick’s Day

Today is St. Patrick’s Day, a holiday dedicated to celebrating a patron saint of Ireland who ran the snakes out of Ireland. At least that’s how the myth goes. Patrick was a religous missionary credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland. There were never snakes in Ireland due to the cold ocean waters surrounding the country, so the snake tale is symbolic of Patrick ridding the country of evil ways – perhaps the Druids and the Goddesses. Senator Rick Santorum must fancy himself a modern-day St. Patrick. If he had his way, he would rid our country of the “snakes” he’s identified –  contraception and reproductive rights,  Title X funding for family planning, equal opportunity for women – especially women in the Armed Services,  perhaps even feminists because they, “succeeded in undermining the traditional family and convincing women that professional accomplishments are the key to happiness.” For Irish Americans, St. Patrick’s Day is more about celebrating Irish culture and less about celebrating a religious figure. Still, we’re going to pass on St. Patrick’s Day this year. The ancient myth rings to close to home in the current political climate. But we’re still celebrating…we’re Boston Irish, after all, and today is also Evacuation [...]

Read more »

Heroines of the Week: Nina Turner and Kelly Cassidy

March 6, 2012
By
Heroines of the Week: Nina Turner and Kelly Cassidy

In the ongoing effort to protect men’s health, two legislators have introduced bills designed to make sure men have full and informed consent before seeking medical treatment such as Viagra and other PDE-5 inhibitors for erectile dysfunction. In Illinois, where the State Legislature introduced “The Ultrasound Opportunity Act,” because abortions are “stressful” and women need “full knowledge” of the consequences, State Representative Kelly Cassidy introduced a bill designed to help men with their medical decisions. Cassidy says men seeking Viagra should be required to watch a video showing a common and painful side effect of the drug. Cassidy told CBS Chicago, “She is tired of politicians deciding women are incapable of making their own decisions,” and that laws need to be, “applied equally.” And in Ohio, State Senator Nina Turner proposed legislation that,”would guide men to make the right decision for their bodies.” Turner’s bill would require physicians prescribing PDE-5 inhibitors document the symptoms are not psychological in nature, and require men to seek a second opinion. Turner said, “The men in our lives, including members of the General Assembly, generously devote time to fundamental female reproductive issues—the least we can do is return the favor,” and, “We must advocate for the traditional family, protect the sanctity [...]

Read more »

News From Around the Web

February 16, 2012
By
News From Around the Web

No time to write this week and so much to discuss. So here’s a round up of news from around the web affecting women. Click the links to learn more. Let’s start with Virginia, where this week the legislation passed two disturbing bills. The first gives a fertilized egg rights. The second forces a woman seeking an abortion to undergo a vaginal ultrasound -an invasive probe that is medically unnecessary. The Washington Post reports on Virginia House Deputy Majority Leader Todd Gilbert who believes “the vast majority” of abortions are just “matters of lifestyle convenience.’’ The Frisky’s Jessica Wakeman writes of the bills, “I’m frightened, quite frightened.” We should all be worried. The war on women wages on in Washington as politicians continue to argue about a woman’s access to contraception  – which, we just want to point out, has nothing to do with creating jobs. In fact, if the GOP and the Catholic Bishops had their way, we could be looking at layoffs at birth control manufacturers such as Merck Pharmaceuticals and Bayer Healthcare. Nor, does it have anything to do with religion despite how some try to spin it. This is about controlling women and maintaining a status quo of [...]

Read more »

Heroine of the Week: Constance Johnson

February 10, 2012
By
Heroine of the Week: Constance Johnson

Oklahoma State Senator Constance Johnson is our heroine of the week. Johnson proposed an amendment to Senate Bill 1433, that would criminalize some ejaculation. The amendment read, “any action in which a man ejaculates or otherwise deposits semen anywhere but in a woman’s vagina shall be interpreted and construed as an action against an unborn child.” Senate Bill 1433 declares personhood starts at conception and that, “The laws of this state shall be interpreted and construed to acknowledge on behalf of the unborn child at every stage of development all rights, privileges, and immunities available to other persons, citizens and residents of this state.” Johnson wrote in the Guardian that she offered the amendment, “to draw attention to the absurdity, duplicity and lack of balance inherent in the policies of this state in regard to women.” Johnson’s amendment comes less than a month after Virginia State Senator Janet Howell proposed an amendment that would have required men to undergo a rectal exam and a cardiac stress test before getting a prescription for erectile dsyfunction drugs. This is why we need more women in office.

Read more »

Get Adobe Flash player