C is for...
Today…
is Caesarean Section Day, marking what’s considered the first successful C-section in the U.S. on January 14, 1794. An emergency C, to be sure, as Dr. Jesse Bennett performed it on his wife Elizabeth after prolonged and difficult labor. It’s a harrowing story that I will spare you here, but I’ll at least tell you that Elizabeth and baby survived, both living into old age.
There’s a marker for him, but how about one for the woman whose husband says to her after God-only-knows how many hours of laboring at home, “Okay, so here’s I think we should do…” and goes through with it and survives. Fucking hero.
Abortion
CNN | Abortion drug ruling highlights Trump's wins on the Supreme Court 'shadow docket' | Joan Biskupic
The Lily | This week’s SCOTUS ruling sends a ‘chilling signal’ on the future of abortion rights | Caroline Kitchener
Marie Claire | Telemedicine Revolutionized Abortion Access—Then the SCOTUS Ruling Happened | Susan Rinkunas
Ms. | SCOTUS Blocks Access to Abortion Pill By Mail During Pandemic. Advocates Look to Biden Administration to Reverse Trump Policy | Carrie Baker
Refinery29 | The Supreme Court Just Reinstated An Abortion Pill Restriction | Elizabeth Gulino
Romper | Supreme Court's Ruling On Abortion Pill During Pandemic "Rejects Science, Compassion" | Morgan Brinlee
SELF | The Abortion Pill Must Be Picked Up In Person-Even In a Pandemic, Supreme Court Rules | Sarah Jacoby
The Mary Sue | Pro-Choice Ossoff and Warnock Winning Georgia Shows We Don’t Need to Sacrifice Abortion Rights to Win | Kylie Cheung
Rewire News Group | What the United States Can Learn From Argentina’s Abortion Victory | Kylie Cheung
Arkansas
The American Independent | A victory for abortion rights in Arkansas is not all that it seems | Lisa Needham
North Dakota
The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead | North Dakota bill aims to make performing an abortion a felony | Jeremy Turley
New Mexico
NM Political Report | Legislators will again try to repeal antiquated abortion ban | Susan Dunlap
Texas
Austin Chronicle | Women's Health Advocates Brace for "Perfect Storm" at Texas Legislature | Mary Tuma
LGBTQ
Changing America | Following DeVos's departure, Trump administration doubles down on 'biological sex' in guidance to educators | Anagha Srikanth
Metro Weekly | Federal judge blocks Trump rule that would turn away LGBTQ asylum seekers | John Riley
Out | Two Weeks Into 2021, Two Trans Americans Have Been Killed | Donald Padgett
LGBTQ Nation | Transgender people killed in Chicago & Puerto Rico as wave of violence continues | Bil Browning
Queety | Trump admin. kills LGBTQ nondiscrimination protections on his way out the door | David Reddish
USA Today | Why haven't more high-profile athletes come out as gay? Will Joe Biden's presidency spark LGBTQ breakthrough Trump era couldn't? | Scott Gleeson
VICE | States Are Gearing Up to Attack Trans Kids' Rights in 2021 | Carter Sherman
The New Yorker | We Need to Change the Terms of the Debate on Trans Kids | Masha Gessen
Washington Blade | Biden's LGBTQ promises complicated by coronavirus, impeachment crises | Chris Johnson
LGBTQ Nation | Joe Biden said “there are at least three” genders & shut down a conservative activist | Alex Bollinger
Alabama
Alabama Political Reporter | Sponsored hate has taken a beating. You can help kill it | Josh Moon
Arkansas
Arkansas Democrat Gazette | Governor touts businesses' support of hate crime bill | John Moritz
California
Bay Area Reporter | CA bill aims to end deadnaming trans college students | Matthew S. Bajko
Georgia
Project Q Atlanta | Kim Jackson takes office as Georgia’s first LGBTQ state senator | Matt Hennie
Indiana
NBC | Conversion therapy ban introduced in Mike Pence's home state of Indiana | Dan Avery
Minnesota
Edge Media Network | Trans Athlete Sues After Being Denied Right to Compete | Kilian Melloy
The Hill | USA Powerlifting sued by transgender powerlifter over competition ban | Justine Coleman
NBC | Transgender athlete sues USA Powerlifting over competition ban | Sakshi S. Venkatraman
New York Daily News | Transgender woman sues USA Powerlifting for discrimination due to ‘categorical’ competition ban | Nancy Dillon
OutSports | Trans athlete JayCee Cooper to USA Powerlifting: See you in court | Karleigh Webb
them. | Trans Athlete Sues USA Powerlifting for Banning Trans Women from Competing | Derrick Clifton
Montana
Northern Broadcasting System | Transgender Bill To Come Before Montana State Legislative Session This Year Addressing Potential Title 9 Violations | Brian Bennett
Montana Sports | Montana House committee to hear bill aimed at restricting transgender athletes | Slim Kimmel
North Carolina
News & Observer | Chapel Hill joins neighbors, becomes 3rd NC town to pass LGBTQ discrimination protection | Tammy Grubb
New York Daily News | Small N. Carolina town becomes first in state to enact LGBTQ protections after end of ban on anti-discrimination ordinances | Muri Assunção
Outsports | NC town restores LGBT protections; North Dakota targets trans athletes | Dawn Ennis
North Dakota
Grand Forks Herald | North Dakota lawmakers propose bill that would limit transgender athletes | Adam Willis
KFYR-TV | Bill aims to ban transgender athletes | Jacob Notermann
Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh City Paper Monessen passes LGBTQ nondiscrimination ordinance, becomes first town in Westmoreland County to offer such civil rights protections | Ryan Deto
Washington
Metro Weekly | Gay professor sues Christian university for discrimination after being denied full-time position | John Riley
Pregnancy & Parenting
Kansas
KSNW-TV (Wichita, KS) | Group of legislators wants better data to prevent maternal deaths | Alec Gartner
Massachusetts
WCVB-TV (Boston, MA) | Gov. Baker signs bill creating maternal health commission
Everett Independent | Legislature Passes Racial Justice and Maternal Health Equity Resolve
Reproductive Health & Justice
New York Times | Many Lack Access to Pads and Tampons. What Are Lawmakers Doing About It? | Emma Goldberg
The Progressive | Pregnant People of Color are Bearing the Brunt of the War on Drugs | Eleanor Bader
Teen Vogue | These Are the Teens Ending Period Poverty | Megan McGibney
Texas
Austin Chronicle | Will Texas expand Medicaid? Long-running health care debate looks different through a pandemic prism | Beth Sullivan
Work & Money
1A | Why Wealth Inequality Is Growing In The Pandemic | Michelle Harven
Global Citizen | Roadblocks to Vaccinating Women Frontline Workers Could Threaten COVID-19 Recovery in the US | Leah Rodriguez
The Keystone | Data from December’s Job Losses Show Black and Latina Women Were Impacted the Most | Elle Meyers
BeLatina | New Report Shows Women Are The Only Ones Who Lost Jobs Last Month | Maritza Zuluaga, Lisa Cavalli
Jezebel | Biden Plans to Majorly Expand Child Tax Credit in His Relief Plan Proposal | Lauren Evans
The 19th | How child care loss forced roughly 700,000 parents to leave the workforce | Chabeli Carrazana
KTVT-TV (Ft. Worth, TX) | ‘I Think It’s Going To Impact Us For Decades’: Women Bearing Brunt Of Job Losses During Pandemic | Caroline Vandergriff
The Tennessean | From hate crimes to robots, the most impactful laws in the South in 2021 | Andrew Yawn
DC
WUSA-TV | 'It seemed as though my child never existed' | DCPS teacher says she was denied paid family leave after delivering stillborn baby | Delia Gonçalves
Illinois
WJPF-TV | Economic equity legislation passed by lawmakers | Robert Thies
Missouri
St. Louis Post-Dispatch | Prostitution emerges as a campaign issue in St. Louis mayoral race | Mark Schlinkmann
St. Louis Post-Dispatch | St. Louis mayor candidate calls for 'decriminalizing' sex work; opponents disagree | Mark Schlinkmann
“Opponents disagree.” If they agreed, they… wouldn’t be… so much… opponents
Ohio
Cleveland.com | Gov. Mike DeWine signs bills regulating electric scooters, overhauling Ohio’s workplace discrimination laws | Jeremy Pelzer
National Law Review | Ohio’s HB 352 Simplifies and Clarifies Anti-Discrimination Statute | Jan E. Hensel
More, More, More
Bustle | Is Girl Code A Thing? Cases For & Against The Unwritten Rule | Carolyn Steber
Vogue | On Stacey Abrams and the Persistent Problem of Leaning Too Heavily on Black Women | Rachel Lewis