What would you tell Obama and McCain?

That’s what we want to know at ThisIsWhatWomenWant.com and in NYC on Tuesday . We’re sending your answers to the media and the candidates all election long.

I know Ann alreday wrote about our This Is What Women Want project in general, but I wanted to give you an update and make sure New Yorkers know about Tuesday’s final live speakout , featuring Kate Bornstein , Kety Esquivel , Shelby Knox , Maegan "la Mala" Ortiz, Betsy Reed, Amy Richards, Deborah Siegel, Carmen Van Kerkhove and numerous other national and community leaders, plus a range of real, diverse women (including you, we hope!) taking advantage of our open mic.
So far, we’ve been to Boston, MA, Oxford, MS, Saint Louis, MO, and Nashville, TN, and in every city we heard from smart, passionate women about what they want from the next President. Hundreds more women have spoken out online, and many thousands have voted on those online speakouts.
It’s been incredibly inspiring to hear a common vision emerge – one in which all Americans have quality health care, equal pay, financial security, free speech, a right to privacy, bodily autonomy, safety in their communities, access to a good education, the ability to decide whom and how they love and to care adequately for their families. One in which we, as Americans, treat people and peoples around the world with all the respect and humanity with which we hope to be treated.
It’s been tougher than we’d hoped to get media attention for the project – seems the corporate media is too busy reporting about winks and lipstick to spend a few minutes listening to women talk about the actual issues. But big props to the CBS affiliate in Nashville for featuring us Monday night. (Also, in the near-miss category, the Nashville FOX affiliate evidently called to invite me to be on a debate response panel last night, but I was already on a plane back to Boston, alas.) Perhaps they’re finally starting to catch up.
It’s not too late to make your voice heard! Speakout Tuesday in NYC or until election day online – we’re sending to media and the candidates ongoing.
I’ll be writing more here in the run-up to the election with stories from the road and speakout montages on some of the key issues. Hope to see and hear from many of you – and I hope I can count on y’all with blogs and other platforms to help us spread the word. This project is only as strong as the number of women who participate.

To get you inspired, here are some of my fave speakouts from the events so far:


Shopping list

Iran

Military Recruitment

Decriminalize Women’s Lives

Immigration

Global Gag Rule

Real Violence Prevention & Sex Ed

See you online and on Tuesday! Here are those New York details:

This Is What Women Want
Pre-Debate Speakout in NYC

Tuesday, October 14 @ 7:00 PM   FREE!

Mainstage Theater, 31-10 Thomson Avenue, LaGuardia Community College, Long Island City, Queens ( subway info )

call 617-876-5310 or email jaclyn@centerfornewwords.org for more info

Click HERE to RSVP on facebook and help spread the word by inviting your networks!

Are you tired of being talked about this election season?

Got something to say about the economy, heath care, the war, or any other election issue ?

Then don’t miss the This Is What Women Want Pre-Debate Speakout !

This Is What Women Want is your chance to cut through the spin and tell the media, the candidates and the world exactly what you want this election season .

We’ve launched a This Is What Women Want Tour of speakouts across the country, taking place in each debate city the night before the debate. At each location, local and national media will sit up and listen to women – from the very famous to the not-yet-known. It could be your voice at that mic!

The NYC event will feature speakouts from Kate Bornstein , Kety Esquivel , Shelby Knox , Maegan "la Mala" Ortiz , Betsy Reed , Amy Richards , Deborah Siegel , Carmen Van Kerkhove and numerous other national and community leaders, plus a range of real, diverse women taking advantage of our open mic.

Come tell us exactly what you want from the candidates, the media and the next President. We’ll be sending the best speakouts to the media and the candidates.

From the crashing economy, to sexism, racism, and other bias in the media’s coverage of the campaign, to immigration, war, poverty, health care, reproductive justice, sexual freedom, worker’s rights, violence, education, environmental concerns and more, this is an unprecedented chance to set the agenda for the country. Whether you’ve got a criticism of the status quo or a visionary idea that no one has yet considered, we want to hear from you.

Our goal is simple: to ensure that the real and varied concerns of women are a force to be reckoned with this election season.

p.s. – Can’t make it? ThisIsWhatWomenWant.com is the place to declare and describe what you want from the candidates and the media online.

Disclaimer: This post was written by a Feministing Community user and does not necessarily reflect the views of any Feministing columnist, editor, or executive director.

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