Faith & Feminism: ‘I yam as I yam’

This guest post from Reverend Guo Cheen, a dear friend, continues our Faith & Feminism series. See Reverend Cheen’s full bio after the jump. She would like extend an invitation to the whole Feministing community to join the diverse voices at an upcoming conference which she is co-creating called Alchemy of Our Spiritual Leadership: Women Redefining Power. Register here.

She is not a feminist.

She is a housewife who sits at home and watches soap opera and movies from late afternoon until dawn. She has flawless skin, the latest LV style and an elegant haircut that she gets from special trips to Vancouver. She drives a BMW, wears dark sunglasses and blocks out the sun at every turn.

She is my childhood ...

This guest post from Reverend Guo Cheen, a dear friend, continues our Faith & Feminism series. See Reverend Cheen’s full bio after the jump. She would like extend an invitation to the whole Feministing community to join ...

Men’s stake in reproductive justice

I was so touched by this courageously personal piece by Aaron Traister (yes, related to the Rebecca) on men’s involvement in reproductive justice over at Salon (mentioned yesterday). Traister talked about his own mother’s as well as a former girlfriend’s abortion, in addition to how grateful he is to Planned Parenthood for proving his wife with access to contraception from the time she first became sexually active. An excerpt:

I don’t understand how these issues are still simply referred to as “women’s issues.” The destinies of men and women are intertwined by sex, and pregnancy, and childbirth. It is time for more men to sack up and start taking responsibility for their end of the conversation. These “women’s issues” have ...

I was so touched by this courageously personal piece by Aaron Traister (yes, related to the Rebecca) on men’s involvement in reproductive justice over at Salon (mentioned yesterday). Traister talked about his own mother’s as well ...

What We Missed

Best cartoon ever.

You may have noticed a few changes around the site lately. Namely, you can probably actually read our links now! We’re in the process of making much overdue tweaks and improvements to the site, so stay tuned for those.

Why men should speak up about abortion.

Elissa Strauss emailed Editors at The New Yorker, The New Republic, The New York Review of Books and Harper’s Magazine to ask about the lack of female bylines. Go here to read their responses.

I Am Dr. Tiller just launched The Safe Abortion Project, “which is dedicated to showcasing safe abortion care.” Go check it out!

Best cartoon ever.

You may have noticed a few changes around the site lately. Namely, you can probably actually read our links now! We’re in the process of making much overdue tweaks and improvements to ...

Case contesting “crime against nature” law rocks my world

A lawsuit has been brought against the state of Louisiana for its nonsensical and discriminatory use of an antiquated “crime against nature” statute to arrest and prosecute sex workers.

And it is kind of rocking my world.

According to a recent press release, Women With a Vision (WWAV) has brought its campaign for repeal of Louisiana’s Solicitation of a Crime Against Nature (SCAN) statute to the steps of the federal court with the lawsuit Doe v. Jindal. Calling the SCAN statute “unconstitutional” on equal protection grounds and “cruel and unusual punishment”, the complaint names nine plaintiffs, including a grandmother, a mother of four, three transgender women, and a man, all of whom have been required to register as sex offenders from ...

A lawsuit has been brought against the state of Louisiana for its nonsensical and discriminatory use of an antiquated “crime against nature” statute to arrest and prosecute sex workers.

And it is kind of rocking my world.

According to ...

The Pence Amendment isn’t really about ca$h money

As infuriating as the Pence Amendment is, and as awesome as the rallying it’s inspired is, I wish folks would talk more about the greater legislative process at hand.

The fact is that before the bill can become law, the Senate has to pass its own version of the bill, and then the House and Senate need to reconcile their separate versions. And THEN the reconciled version needs to be signed into law by President Obama. The Democrat-controlled Senate will most reject any effort to de-fund Planned Parenthood, and even if a messed up bill somehow manages to make it to President Obama’s desk (unlikely), he recently announced that he would veto a GOP budget anyway.

Which means ...

As infuriating as the Pence Amendment is, and as awesome as the rallying it’s inspired is, I wish folks would talk more about the greater legislative process at hand.

The fact is that before the ...

Breaking: Obama pronounces DOMA unconstitutional, asks DOJ to cease defending the law

Some great news, for a change:

Moments ago, in a sharp reversal of policy, the Obama administration announced that it believes that Section 3 of the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) — which prohibits the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages — is unconstitutional and will ask the Justice Department to stop defending the law. In a press release announcing the change, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder also argues that laws regarding sexual orientation should be subject to a higher level of review.

From the official DOJ statement by Attorney General Eric Holder:

In the two years since this Administration took office, the Department of Justice has defended Section 3 of the Defense ...

Some great news, for a change:

Moments ago, in a sharp reversal of policy, the Obama administration announced that it believes that Section 3 of the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) — which prohibits ...

AK Rep Sharon Cissna refuses TSA pat-down of her mastectomy scars

All I can say is bad-ass. Alaska Representative Sharon Cissna refused to face a pat-down of her mastectomy scars during airport screening. She left the airport, rented a car and drove from Seattle to Juno Juneau instead. Her comments:

“So last night, as more and more TSA, airline, airport and police gathered, I became stronger in remembering to fight the submission to a physical hand exam. I repeatedly said that I would not allow the feeling-up and I would not use the transportation mode that required it.”

“For nearly fifty years I’ve fought for the rights of assault victims, population in which my wonderful Alaska sadly ranks number one, both for men and ...

All I can say is bad-ass. Alaska Representative Sharon Cissna refused to face a pat-down of her mastectomy scars during airport screening. She left the airport, rented a car and drove from Seattle to Read More

New study shows over-the-counter birth control improves usage

A new study out today from Ibis Reproductive Health, in partnership with New York University and University of Texas, examines what over-the-counter (OTC) access to birth control (BC) might mean for women’s health.

The study is based on a group of women in El Paso/Juarez, a border area in Southwestern Texas.

In Mexico (and many other Latin American countries) you can walk into a farmacia (pharmacy) and get pretty much any prescription drug over the counter, without a prescription from a doctor. I’ve done this myself while traveling.

This reality gave researchers an opportunity to examine what it might look like for women if birth control (specifically oral contraceptives) were available in the US without prescription at pharmacies. This has been

A new study out today from Ibis Reproductive Health, in partnership with New York University and University of Texas, examines what over-the-counter (OTC) access to birth control (BC) might mean for women’s health.

The study is based ...

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