Just you wait
Today…
in 1996, the Supreme Court decision Romer v Evans struck down a Colorado constitutional amendment that specifically excluded sexual orientation from discrimination protections. (Also? I never cease to be amazed at how recent LGBTQ-related Supreme Court decisions are (she says, as we literally wait for another).)
is the birthday of Cuban writer, activist and ethnographer Lydia Cabrera (1899–1991).
is Eliza Doolittle Day. (You thought the subject line was a Hamilton reference, didn’t you. Safe assumption, but not this time.)
All I want from this room somewhere – to get outside in the warm spring air. To write my newsletter and have you share. Aw, wouldn't it be loverly?
Abortion
Jane Roe’s Deathbed Confession: Anti-Abortion Conversion ‘All an Act’ Paid for by the Christian Right
Cassie Da Costa | The Daily Beast
The new FX documentary “AKA Jane Roe,” out May 22, contains a shocking revelation: Roe (of “Roe v. Wade” fame) played the part of an anti-abortion crusader in exchange for money.
The Daily Beast: How Nick Sweeney Got Jane Roe’s Shocking Deathbed Confession
HuffPost: Jane Roe Said She Was Paid To Become An Anti-Abortion Crusader
Los Angeles Times: The woman behind 'Roe v. Wade' didn't change her mind on abortion. She was paid
The Mary Sue: The Reveal About Jane Roe’s Anti-Choice “Conversion” Is Infuriating
Mediaite: Jane Roe Claims Right Wing Groups Paid Her to Go Against Abortion
Mic: A new documentary reveals Jane Roe's anti-abortion pivot was "all an act"
NBC: Anti-abortion movement paid 'Jane Roe' thousands of dollars to switch sides, documentary reveals
New York Times: Roe v. Wade Plaintiff Was Paid to Switch Sides, Documentary Says
Reuters: Plaintiff in Roe v. Wade U.S. case says she was paid to switch sides
Washington Post: AKA Jane Roe: Norma McCorvey, Roe v. Wade plaintiff, got paid to be antiabortion activist, FX documentary reveals
The Wrap: Norma McCorvey, 'Jane Roe' of Roe v. Wade, Says She Was Paid to Become Anti-Abortion Activist
U.S. rejects WHO coronavirus resolution's language on abortion, IP
Stephanie Nebehay | Reuters
The United States rejected language about reproductive healthcare and intellectual property rights in a WHO resolution on the coronavirus pandemic on Tuesday, hours after President Donald Trump threatened to quit the body.
LGBTQ
#PridePledge Asks Brands to Pivot LGBTQ Budgets for Covid
Mary Emily O'Hara | Adweek
Every June, LGBTQ Pride hits streets across the world in the form of parades, festivals and other celebratory events. Those are paid for largely through corporate donations. And this week, influencer and LGBTQ advocate Ashlee Marie Preston is asking: What’s happening to all that money now that Pride has effectively been canceled for the first time in decades due to the pandemic?
Ikea Spot Takes Stand Against Homophobia and Transphobia
Sara Spary | Adweek
Ikea has rolled out a new global campaign rallying support for the LGBTQ community by saying everyone deserves to feel “at home.”
So when you see your asshole neighbor dragging his Billy bookcase to the curb, you’ll know why.
Defining Safe: Threats to Trans Healthcare Amplified During COVID-19
Molly Lubbers & Alex Chun | Daily Northwestern
Amid COVID-19, non-essential healthcare has been delayed, causing many transgender patients to lose access to gender-affirming care like hormone therapy, surgeries, and more. And this isn’t a new problem — healthcare discrimination has disproportionately affected trans people for a long time.
Religious exemptions are gutting civil rights protections, advocacy groups warn
Julie Moreau | NBC
The Trump administration's expansion of religious exemptions is undermining civil rights protections and codifying discrimination against marginalized groups — particularly LGBTQ people — according to a new report by the ACLU, Center for American Progress and the Movement Advancement Project.
Pregnancy & Parenting
US births fall, and virus could drive them down more
Mike Stobbe | AP
U.S. births continued to fall last year, leading to the fewest number of newborns in 35 years. The decline is the latest sign of a prolonged national “baby bust” that’s been going on for more than a decade. And some experts believe the coronavirus pandemic and its impact on the economy will suppress the numbers further.
Today: Birth rates in the US decline to lowest level in 35 years
U.S. News & World Report: U.S. Births Continue to Fall, Fertility Rate Hits Record Low
Too many Georgia women die pregnancy-related deaths. Will the state be able to fund one life-saving measure?
Matt Walljasper | Atlanta Magazine
One of the most immediate solutions, according to medical experts and the recent bipartisan Georgia House Study Committee on Maternal Mortality, is expanding Medicaid for women who recently gave birth. State lawmakers are pushing for that expansion, though the legislature is currently on pause at least until mid June due to COVID-19.
Reproductive Health & Justice
Fertility Treatments Can’t Be Delayed During Coronavirus, According To Reproductive And Gynecological Specialists
Alice Broster | Forbes
Starting in early May medical centers in 20 states are rebooking non-emergency procedures and reproductive and gynecological specialists say that fertility treatments can’t be delayed. The American College of Surgeons has come together with the American Society for Reproductive Medicine among others to detail which procedures are high priority and emergency.
COVID-19 Puts Girls at Risk of Unplanned Pregnancies, Violence, and Missing Out on School
Leah Rodriguez | Global Citizen
With schools shut down around the world to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, girls are missing out on learning opportunities and are more likely to experience violence and abuse at home, unplanned pregnancies, child marriage, and economic hardship, according to a recent report.
They’re Coming for Our Birth Control-and Lying About It
Andrea Flynn | Ms. Magazine
Mark Rienzi’s arguments are dishonest, damaging and delusional, and should be discounted in the public debate. They ignore the fact that family planning is a fundamental component of women’s health care and disregard the administration’s attacks on both the ACA (which established the state exchanges) and on Title X, the federal family planning program.
Staging a Defense of Reproductive Rights
Eleanor Bader | The Progressive
All of this has prompted Repro Freedom Arts (RFA), a once-live theatrical cabaret to launch an interactive Zoom production that brings reproductive justice concerns to virtual audiences throughout the world.
The Supreme Court Could Make Contraception Access Even Worse on Catholic Campuses
Lexi McMenamin | Rewire.News
While most media coverage of the almost decadelong legal battle against the ACA’s birth control benefit focuses on the impact it might have on workers, I know from personal experience the impact it might have on college campuses, especially Catholic schools.
Pandemic sees spike in demand for birth control
Elise Haas | KOIN-TV (Portland, OR)
Medication provider Nurx reported it has seen a stunning 50% spike in birth control requests since March. Health experts say more and more women are ordering online or through the Nurx app to get prescriptions delivered right to their doors.
Work & Money
5 Women Explain How They’re Dealing With Impostor Syndrome While WFH
Jennifer Gerson | Bustle
“Women work twice as hard in part because [they’re] impressing management, impressing other people, so that their competence and capabilities get recognized. Virtual environments make it much harder to do that,” says Danna Greenberg, Ph.D., a professor of organizational behavior who studies work-life balance. “When you’re sharing your success through coffee conversations, that makes you feel more confident and stronger at your job. ... You can’t do that in a virtual setting.”
Without child care, work and family are impossible
Shauna Shames | The Conversation
I am a political science professor and researcher, but lacking child care, I count myself lucky to work a few hours each day. I am increasingly aware there is no such thing as the so-called work/family conflict. This is not only a personal observation. Scholars have found that good jobs – full-time, with benefits – and family, without help, are simply incompatible. The concept is also wrong.
Mental Health and Gender Inequality Worries Affecting Women in Lockdown, First 100 Years Finds
Varsha Patel | Law.com
Women in the legal industry are concerned that the COVID-19 pandemic will drive further gender inequality within the profession, and that there are particular mental health issues arising for women currently working at home due to the crisis.
Tina Tchen of Time's Up: Now is the time to commit to diverse and inclusive workplaces
Tina Tchen | NBC News
May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, which is dedicated to paying tribute to the generations of Asian and Pacific Islanders who have enriched America's history. But instead of celebrating our community’s contributions to American society, we have become the new scapegoat for a health and economic crisis that continues to devastate families and economies the world over.
An Alarming 50% Of Parents Are Without Child Care During The Pandemic
Morgan Brinlee | Romper
In an April survey of 246 working parents employed at large enterprise companies, the family support and benefits platform Cleo found that more than 50% reported being without child care as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. What's more, 1 in 5 working parents, or 20%, said that either they or their partner were considering leaving the workforce in order to care for their children.
Frances Sykes: Women in Nonprofit Leadership Deserve Equal Pay
Maggie May | Philanthropy Women
How can philanthropy support gender equality? “I believe we must encourage more people of color to enter the philanthropic field and provide greater access for them to move up in those organizations. It’s been well-documented that there still remain a small percentage of people of color in executive director and CEO roles. This racial leadership gap is solvable. Let’s provide training and connections that will lead to true diverse leadership.”
Hi, Frances, listen, why don’t we take another run at this response. This time let’s use phrases like “pass the mic.”
Asian American doctors and nurses are fighting racism and the coronavirus
Tracy Jan | The Washington Post
There is no comprehensive data measuring anti-Asian bias during the pandemic. An analysis of self-reported incidents by Russell Jeung, chairman of the Asian American studies department at San Francisco State University, shows a steady rise in reports of harassment and assault against Asians since mid-March, with twice as many women than men saying they have been mistreated.
Mercury News (San Jose, CA): Support Asian Americans facing COVID-19-related prejudice
More, More, More
"Reach Out to One Person a Day": Feminist AIDS Activists Reflect on COVID-19
Lauren Herold | Autostraddle
Part of a series exploring the overlaps and divergences between the AIDS epidemic and the COVID-19 pandemic. Many AIDS survivors have spoken out meaningfully about both the echoes of their previous experiences in the current moment, and the critical differences between the current pandemic (and the urgency of response) and the previous one and ways in which they can’t be compared.
Trump's stone-age views on 'women's work'
Jill Filipovic | CNN
Wives and children, in Trump's world, belong in the same category: Minors under the control of, and catering to, the more important man. A man doing his own dishes? That, Trump is sure, would be a waste of time – that's work for women, or dependent children.
A Century of Votes for Women
Kathleen Casey, Leslie Caughell | Coastal Virginia Magazine
A closer look at the history behind the women’s suffrage movement, being marked in 2020 by centennial celebrations in Virginia and beyond.
For the Sake of America, Elect a Black Woman President
Andre Perry | The Crisis Magazine
Black women candidates can help shift a legislative environment that leans away from one that blames Black communities toward one that offers policy solutions.
Coulda shoulda…
Harris gives such good face, I love it.
As NoVo Downsizes, What Next for Women and Girls?
Kiersten Marek | Philanthropy Women
A bombshell was dropped today on feminist funding today: Marc Gunther reports on the Chronicle of Philanthropy that NoVo Foundation has laid off half its staff, backed out of the Women’s Building project, and is otherwise downsizing its operations in the gender equality funding arena. “It’s about time other people ponied up,” said Peter Buffett in the Chronicle interview.
Home Wasn’t Safe. Then COVID-19 Made It Seem Like the Only Option.
Mary Tuma | The Texas Observer
Seeing a “disturbing” decrease in clients and callers amid COVID-19 stay-at-home orders, some domestic violence shelters in rural counties worry this is just the “calm before the storm.”