Boston Walk For Choice

The Anti-Choice Plot to Lure Desperate Women to Christian Pregnancy Centers

Tue, 23 Aug 2011 11:53:05 -0400

The Anti-Choice Plot to Lure Desperate Women to Christian Pregnancy Centers:

This is terrifying. And important.

New York City Has a New Mandate for Sex Education

Tue, 23 Aug 2011 10:29:06 -0400

We at Repro Health Daily think this is great news! More comprehensive sex education that teaches students not only how to use contraception but talks about how and when someone can assess their readiness for sexual activity is certainly needed. Students will now take a semester in 6th or 7th grade, with a refresher in early high school. We look forward to some more talk about what these courses will cover - so far there is talk about including role-plays with students about condom negotiation and stats that show while students may think their peers are all having sex, most middle schools aren’t! Tell us - what do you think should be added to sex education?

"How tragic that we lavish money on our daughters’ educations and on after-school activities from..."

Mon, 22 Aug 2011 17:36:05 -0400

“How tragic that we lavish money on our daughters’ educations and on after-school activities from cheerleading and Chinese brush painting to field hockey and dance; we encourage them to excel academically and to find fulfilling careers; we send them to Paris and Israel to study culture; yet we spend no time or money teaching them how to have great, healthy adult sex lives. Instead, we merely mention menstruation and throw bras on them when they’re thirteen. Or maybe we talk about the importance of birth control and tell them not to have sex. And then we never talk to them about it again.”

- Kelly Cutrone from Normal Gets You Nowhere (via ohhheyshannon)

We also spend no time on gender identity and sexual orientation and leave it to everybody to figure out alone, and to develop misconceptions about everyone else.

avalichauco: “Cut corporate welfare. Cut corporate...

Mon, 22 Aug 2011 16:16:06 -0400

avalichauco:

“Cut corporate welfare. Cut corporate entitlements. Save Planned Parenthood.” I LOVE YOU WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY.

Because it is OUR right to choose… OUR right to our own bodies… NOBODY can tell us what to do and what not to do with our PERSONAL lives…

Sadly, right-wing ideologues, we don’t live in a society where everyone abstains from sex. It is a perfectly human characteristic that no speech nor any regulation can abate. Giving the rights to sex education, contraceptives, and abortion will sure as hell put our country on a clearer pathway to freedom. After all, that IS the basis of our nation’s ideology, right?

STAND UP AND PROTEST.

Why Men Must Get Involved in Pro-Choice Movement

Mon, 22 Aug 2011 14:44:05 -0400

Why Men Must Get Involved in Pro-Choice Movement

walk4choicesea: 4000 Years for CHOICE!

Mon, 22 Aug 2011 13:19:06 -0400

walk4choicesea:

4000 Years for CHOICE!

"I cannot understand anti-abortion arguments that centre on the sanctity of life. As a species, we’ve..."

Mon, 22 Aug 2011 11:52:05 -0400

“

I cannot understand anti-abortion arguments that centre on the sanctity of life. As a species, we’ve fairly comprehensively demonstrated that we don’t believe in the sanctity of life. The shrugging acceptance of war, famine, epidemic, pain and life-long, grinding poverty shows us that, whatever we tell ourselves, we’ve made only the most feeble of efforts to really treat human life as sacred.

I don’t understand, then, why, in the midst of all this, pregnant women - women trying to make rational decisions about their futures and, usually, that of their families, too - should be subject to more pressure about preserving life than, say, Vladimir Putin, the World Bank, or the Catholic Church.

”

- How To Be a Woman, Caitlin Moran (via petitefeministe)

"What Can I Do?" - Suggestions for Feminist Activism

Mon, 22 Aug 2011 10:26:05 -0400

"What Can I Do?" - Suggestions for Feminist Activism:

mylifeasafeminista:

mylifeasafeminista:

keepyourboehneroutofmyuterus:

Anonymous asked you:

I love this blog so much, but when I read all the articles about states efforts to close down planned parenthood, or articles about how men should have a right to veto an abortion, I start to see red. What can I do? How can I help?

Thanks, Anon.

The eternal question when it comes to this issue, it appears. I have been asked this before (and more than once) and so am just going to repeat myself again.

Other than raising awareness about reproductive rights, what can we do to fight the good fight?

First, maybe I’m not the best person to ask, as my response to my un-ending anger and shock at the full-frontal attack conservatives are making against reproductive rights was to start a Tumblr. And originally it was just going to be images making fun of John Boehner. But here I am now so I am going to do my best to answer this request.

If you out there in the Tumblr world have resources you’d like me to post, you can either answer this post or submit a link (over there on the left side menu). You can also shoot me an email at scatx [at] scatx [dot] com. Also, you can simply respond to this post.

I firmly believe that the more information you have, the better. Hands down.

So, what can you do?

NARAL’s “Take Action” page

Abortion Clinic Escort Blog has a FAQ page with some info.

NOW’s “Take Action” page

Planned Parenthood’s “Jobs & Volunteering” page

Planned Parenthood’s Action Center

For endless information on reproductive health, see RH Reality Check’s website.

Walk For Choice

Donate to an Abortion Fund (or get involved with one)

Contact your local or federal representatives and let them know how you feel about these issues.

That’s what I’ve got for now.

Let’s hear it, defenders of the uteri/defenders of reproductive rights/defenders of PP/defenders of bodily autonomy.

What resources or sites would you recommend for people who want to be out there doing something on behalf of reproductive, abortion, bodily autonomy and women’s (really, anyone who is not a cisman’s) rights?

I really love that this is being addressed because I think it is extremely important that people recognize how they can transform their feminist thoughts into action. All of the examples listed above are really great and I encourage everyone to get involved with those organizations in any way they can: volunteer at your local clinic, donate money, contact your representatives, and stay informed about political issues. Although this list is absolutely fantastic, I wanted to add a few more ideas:

Volunteer for a local non-profit organization that supports the rights of women and the LGBTQ community. This includes abortion clinics, health centers, domestic violence shelters, LGBTQ youth programs, etc. If you can’t get transportation to one of these places, see what you can do over the phone or the internet. Some examples include: volunteering to answer the telephones at your local domestic violence shelter, contributing to blogs/zines/online magazines/newspapers, and organizing the social media components for a non-profit organization.

Make your voice heard. Participate in rallies or protests. Create, sign, and/or share petitions.

If you can, be a conscious consumer. Support organizations and businesses that respect the environment, treat their workers well, and give back to the community. **This is inextricably linked to class and geographic location. Choosing where to give your dollars is a privilege, as the structure of our society, specifically our economic system, is not based off a model of conscious consumerism. For example, health and organic foods are much more expensive than genetically modified and processed foods. Because there is such a discrepancy in the costs, the latter is much more accessible.**

Make feminism your lifestyle. When someone makes a sexist comment or laughs at a rape joke, confront them. If someone is policing another person’s body or identity, explain to them why this is a problem. Every time you take a stand against this type of behavior, you are educating those around you. A lot of times, people worry that these types of actions are insignificant, but I strongly disagree with that. Any and all positive changes are worth recognizing, as they contribute to making a difference.

Check your own privilege. Each and every one of us have been influenced by the media, our parents, friends, our educational institutions, etc. Confront your own internalized sexism and dissect the way you think, act, and behave. You may call women “sluts” or oppose third-trimester abortions, but why do you think and act in this way? Question how you have been shaped by dominant ideologies and challenge yourself to see things from a different perspective.

If anyone else has any other suggestions, I would love to hear them!

Planned Parenthood to end abortions in 3 Arizona cities

Sun, 21 Aug 2011 17:35:05 -0400

Planned Parenthood to end abortions in 3 Arizona cities:

fuckyeahplannedparenthood:

onwardtorivendell:

esmeweatherwax:

thecountessofclockwise:

mfnher:

FLAGSTAFF - Planned Parenthood says it’s ending abortion services in three Arizona cities to comply with state laws that placed restrictions on abortions.

Women [or any person] no longer can get abortions at Planned Parenthood clinics in Prescott Valley, Flagstaff and Yuma, starting Friday. Those clinics had been providing the service through medication.

The move came a week after an Arizona appeals court allowed key parts of a 2009 state law restricting abortions to take effect. That includes a requirement that women see a doctor in person the day before getting an abortion to hear about risks and alternatives.
This is what happens, people.

This is unimaginable.

THIS IS BULLSHIT

FUCK YOU ANTI-CHOICERS

When Roe v. Wade becomes a moot point.

This is truly upsetting..

“Planned Parenthood President Bryan Howard said his group will most likely appeal the court’s decision, but said in the meantime, his agency has no choice but to comply with the law.”

Here’s hoping for the best.

bebinn: Abortion Laws That Didn’t Make the News As state legislatures start closing up for...

Sun, 21 Aug 2011 16:21:06 -0400

bebinn:

Abortion Laws That Didn’t Make the News

As state legislatures start closing up for the year, there are a number of abortion-related bills that didn’t make big headlines. In the first six months of 2011 alone, there were 162 abortion or reproductive-related bills enacted by state legislatures, so it was inevitable some wouldn’t make it past the local paper. Here are a few I thought were noteworthy.

Arizona: HB 2384 revoked public funding to any organization that “pays for, promotes, provides coverage of or provides referrals for abortions.” This would stop the use of student fees and tuition to train OB/GYN students to perform abortions. In addition, it would revoke atax credit for donations to organizations that provide abortions, like Planned Parenthood, as well as to any institutions that might refer clients to Planned Parenthood, like domestic violence shelters.

Nebraska: LB 22 dictates that private insurance plans in Nebraska not cover abortion except for in cases where the woman’s life is in danger. Any woman with private insurance desiring an abortion coverage must buy a separate “rider” for it out of her own funds, assuming her carrier has one. The bill carried no exceptions for rape or incest. This is especially burdensome for young women, as the state also passed a bill changing its parental notice law into a parental consent law.

Oklahoma: The state passed a bill that banned abortions after 20 weeks on the belief that fetuses can feel pain at that age. But the state also passed smaller, less flashy bills. HB 1970added the phrase “or any abortion-inducing drug” to a bill that already required doctors use RU-486 only for FDA-approved (not off-label) purposes. This was to ensure doctors and clinics like Planned Parenthood were not able to prescribe Cytotec (misoprostol) for first-trimester medical abortions, even in conjunction with RU-486, and even though doctors often prescribe medications for off-label use when proven safe by scientific trials. The bill would effectively end most medical abortions, leaving clients to pursue riskier surgical abortions instead.

North Carolina: HB 854 was vetoed by the governor, but the veto was overridden. As a result this bill required women to wait 24 hours for an abortion, and required doctors to perform an ultrasound before the procedure. If the women refused to view the ultrasound, her refusal was kept on file for 7 years. But here’s the under-covered part of the bill: it would also allow the father of the fetus and the spouse, parent, sibling, current health care provider, or former health care provider of the woman getting the abortion to sue the doctor if they believe any part of the bill has been violated. A woman’s ex-boyfriend or childhood pediatrician, for example, could sue a clinic if they believed the performing physician had not done an ultrasound as required.

Tennessee: This bill wasn’t specifically about abortion, but expanded fetal personhood, which can be a slippery slope. SB 633 expanded the definition of “fetal homicide” to include the fetus at any stage of development, not just when the fetus is viable as previously. Fetuses are now considered victims of assault whenever the mother is assaulted.

The War on Information — Feministe

Sun, 21 Aug 2011 14:45:05 -0400

The War on Information — Feministe:

maehemsez:

So, what if I hadn’t lived in NYC? What if I had lived in the middle of Texas and needed to get a ride to a Planned Parenthood that was 50 or even 100 miles away? What if I lived in South Dakota or Idaho or North Carolina? What if I didn’t have the money? What if some bullshit (that has happened to three of my friends) happened where I went and they said “I’m sorry – we are out of Plan B. We will have it in two days and you can come back then.” (I’ll give you a hint, its not called the “two days after you fuck” pill). What if I had been alone and my sheer embarrassment had gotten in the way? What if my boyfriend just straight up hadn’t had access to that key information and I was just doomed to being pregnant because no one else had ever bothered to tell me anything?

Accurate, honest, non-judgemental information about reproduction, contraception, and sexuality MUST be offered to all US students. To offer anything less is negligent.

And to the OP’s friend who questioned her use of the term ‘war’; war is defined by Merriam Webster as, “a state of unusually open and declared hostile conflict.” War fits perfectly with the Conservative Right’s righteous, and unrelenting efforts to undermine, attack, and weaken the rights of women in the United States. It’s a well organized, well funded, and carefully planned attack. There’s no other word BUT war.

ADOPTION IS AN ALTERNATIVE TO PARENTHOOD NOT PREGNANCY!!!!

Sun, 21 Aug 2011 13:20:06 -0400

mstashers:

And personally I am sick and tired of people saying, “well why don’t you just put the child up for adoption instead of aborting it?”

For one, pregnancy and labor are among the hardest things the human body has to go through. It is no walk in the park. It is not easy. It is a huge deal. You have to change your entire lifestyle for 9+ months. You gain weight like crazy. Your immune system is compromised. Your life is at risk. Not to mention the social stigma that comes with being pregnant in certain social situations. Adoption does not fore go any of this. And the costs associated with just an uneventful pregnancy are astronomical let alone a pregnancy with complications. Abortion is the alternative to pregnancy. A person does not want to remain pregnant they get an abortion and that is their right. Their bodily autonomy dictates it to be so.

For two, I cannot speak for all countries, but at least in the U.S., the foster care/ adoption system is severely flawed. Single people cannot adopt. LGBTQ couples cannot adopt. There are thousands of children in the system that will be lucky if they are even considered for adoption. Why in the hell would I want to add another child to that? Why would I go through the trials and tribulations of pregnancy only to place a child in a severely flawed system and leave them with almost no hope of having a loving family? You call that love? You obviously have had no dealings with the system then.

Last but not least, when in the hell did it become the uterus-bearer’s job to carry children for those who cannot have them? Yes. If you cannot have a child of your own I am deeply sorry, but it is not my job nor the job of any other uterus-bearer to carry a child for you. If you want a child, there are children in the foster care/adoption system that need your love. If you don’t want o adopt one of those children, then you obviously do not want children as bad as you say you do.

I am going to leave you with this one more time, ADOPTION IS AN ALTERNATIVE TO PARENTHOOD NOT PREGNANCY!

Feminists for Choice

Sun, 21 Aug 2011 11:52:05 -0400

Feminists for Choice:

What is Choice?
I believe that choice means having the power to make decisions about your own body. These choices include:

When, and if, you want to have sex

Who you want to have sex with

What types of sexual activities are right for you

What type of birth control is right for you

The choice to get pregnant and keep a child or put it up for adoption

The choice to terminate a pregnancy if that is appropriate for you

Access to medically accurate information about reproductive options

The right of transsexuals to change their bodies to fit their gender

The right of intersex children to not have surgery until they know which gender they are

The right to say “no.”

The pro-choice movement encompasses all of these aspects of reproductive health, and so much more.

Maggie Gordon in Tumblr-land: Gestational Limits on Abortion in Canada: Disproving Anti-Choice Rhetoric

Sun, 21 Aug 2011 10:27:05 -0400

Maggie Gordon in Tumblr-land: Gestational Limits on Abortion in Canada: Disproving Anti-Choice Rhetoric:

maggie-gordon:

One of my least favourite anti-choice tactics is the claim that a newly born baby is only one day safe from being murdered by abortion. You see this idea pop up on bill boards and pamphlets all the time, particularly in Canada as we have no federal law regulating abortion. However, all this claim really shows is how misinformed and cruel the anti-choice side can be.

veganemelda: THIS. Someone blogged this earlier and I couldn’t...

Sat, 20 Aug 2011 17:36:05 -0400

veganemelda:

THIS.

Someone blogged this earlier and I couldn’t find who. Sorry folks! But I found it on the googles.

So Rick Santorum said some shit about abortion

Sat, 20 Aug 2011 16:15:05 -0400

daskannnichtsein:

Moderator: Our next question is for Senator Santorum: In June, you said, quote, “I believe that any doctor who performs an abortion should be criminally charged for doing so.” You would allow no exceptions for cases of rape and incest. [Santorum nods.] Polls have long shown that large majorities of Americans support at least some exceptions for abortion. Are your views too much even for many conservatives to support?

Santorum: You know, the Supreme Court of the Unites States, on a recent case, said that a man who committed rape could not be killed, would not be subject to the death penalty—yet the child [sic] conceived as a result of that rape could be. That to me sounds like a country that doesn’t have its morals correct. That child [sic] did nothing wrong. That child [sic] is— [pauses for audience applause]. That child [sic] is an innocent victim. To be victimized twice would be a horrible thing.

It is an innocent human life. It is genetically human from the moment of conception—it is a human life—and we in America should be big enough to try to surround ourselves and help women in those terrible situations—they’ve been traumatized already! To put them through another trauma of an abortion I think is, uh, is too much to ask, and I so I would, I would just absolutely stand and say that ONE violence in enough!

Now, the best comment I’ve seen about this comes from Shaker Megpie71.

TW: near-incoherent rage, misogyny

Hang on a minute…

WHERE THE FUCK IS THE WOMAN IN THIS EXAMPLE?

Who got raped?

Who conceived the child?

Whose womb is being inhabited here?

She’s vanished. She doesn’t matter; doesn’t exist save as an abstract concept (“rape victim”) or an incubator. Nobody was traumatised by the rape (except, of course, for the rapist, who was deeply offended by first having been accused of being a rapist, then sentenced with prison time for committing it), nobody was harmed by it (with the exception of the “innocent victim” embryo being threatened with abortion), nobody had their boundaries shattered, nobody got forcibly invaded, nobody was required to sit through multiple levels of validation just to prove the rape happened in the first fucking place.

The depth of contempt shown for women (all women) in this example by the Senator is breathtaking.

Now say it with me everyone!

Your body is a battleground.

subconciousevolution: Queer Feminist & Pro-Choice

Sat, 20 Aug 2011 14:46:05 -0400

subconciousevolution:

Queer Feminist & Pro-Choice

foradayofsky: Banners, Binoculars and Rosary Beads: Anti-Choice Misogyny, Naivete and Invasiveness...

Sat, 20 Aug 2011 13:20:05 -0400

foradayofsky:

Banners, Binoculars and Rosary Beads: Anti-Choice Misogyny, Naivete and Invasiveness On Display in Germantown

As I stood alongside two other clinic defenders at the entrance to the driveway, I heard two teen anti-choice protesters trying strenuously to convince two pro-choice defenders that condoms were actually harmful, evil devices that led to multiple sins; that birth control and condoms, especially “those sent to Africa,” were the cause of the spread of HIV and of abortions; and that “babies have souls from the moment of conception.” I then listened further as both of these teens, a boy of perhaps 15 years of age and a girl perhaps 16, both then tried to tell a married mother of three children how easy and fulfilling marriage and childbearing were, and how women fit in the “proper” scheme of things. There were points where I honestly thought these teens were quoting directly from any number of speeches given by Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ), the man perhaps most directly responsible for needless deaths among women denied care because of the Global Gag Rule.

All I can say is I marveled at the patience my fellow clinic defenders had to engage in this endless discussion that went nowhere. The sight of a couple of privileged white suburban teens telling a mom how easy it “is” to work and raise children was like a scene out of Saturday Night Live only not so funny when you consider that their goal is to make things harder for all women.

Being Pro-Choice

Sat, 20 Aug 2011 11:52:05 -0400

bebinn:

Being pro-choice means more than supporting the right to an abortion. Being pro-choice encompasses all reproductive decisions, from contraception, to sterilization, to IVF, to adoption and surrogacy. It means supporting and respecting people’s choices of where and how to give birth, or whether to give birth at all.

It means acknowledging the variety of life experiences, and working to break down barriers, such as poverty, location, and lack of education, that impede people’s right to control their reproductive destinies. It means working to ensure that no matter what sexual orientation or identity, everyone has equal access to support for their choices.

It means understanding that many are not given choices, or that their choices are limited by their situation. It means helping those people in any way, from offering them a ride to the hospital, to lobbying for their rights in the capitol or online.

It means fighting for everyone’s rights before, during, and after pregnancy, as well as the rights of those who will never be pregnant.

Photo

Sat, 20 Aug 2011 10:26:06 -0400