My life as a goddess
Today…
in 1912, Juliette Gordon Low and 18 girls gathered for the first-ever Girl Scouts (née Girl Guides) meeting. (I sometimes regret not keeping the 10yo in Girl Scouts, but the first time they mentioned cookie sales, I ran like hell.)
is National Popcorn Lovers Day.
I’m loving the audiobook My Life as a Goddess written and read by Guy Branum.
Abortion
The anti-abortion abolitionist movement is dangerous. Here's what you need to know
Cloee Cooper & Tina Vasquez | Prism
June Medical Services v. Russo, the Supreme Court case regarding Louisiana’s 2014 admitting privileges law, has serious ramifications for the future of abortion rights in the United States. But there is a segment of the anti-abortion movement that doesn’t appear all that concerned with the outcome.
Should I Crowdfund My Abortion?
Ray Levy-Uyeda | Rewire.News
People who turn to crowdfunding to pay for an abortion aren't meeting their fundraising goals—what options do those who can't afford the procedure have?
Down syndrome abortion fight in Ohio takes legal twists
Associated Press
A federal court in Cincinnati will hear complex legal arguments for and against Ohio’s Down syndrome abortion ban Wednesday, in a case viewed as pivotal in the national debate over the procedure.
Utah female senators walk out before abortion bill passes
Associated Press
All six women* in the Utah Senate walked out in protest and refused to vote before the chamber passed a bill mandating that a woman be shown an ultrasound before receiving an abortion. Republican Sen. Deidre Henderson said the walkout late Tuesday was a spontaneous decision to underscore concerns about the “invasive nature” of the bill. The six women lawmakers — two Republicans and four Democrats — would not have changed the outcome.
*Surely I’m not the only reading shade in “all six women.” Alllll the women of the Utah Senate. All six of them.
Utah's Women Senators Walk Out As Male Peers Pass Bill Forcing Pregnant Women to Sit Through Ultrasound to Get Abortion
Chantal da Silva | Newsweek
Six women in Utah's Senate, from both sides of the aisle, walked out on their male peers Tuesday, as they passed a bill requiring pregnant women to sit through an ultrasound before being able to undergo an abortion. House Bill 364 was passed entirely by male senators as their six female colleagues walked out on the vote.
Parenting & Caregiving
Quarantined Grandparents Will Reveal A Major Faultline In Child Care
Elliot Haspel | Romper
Quarantines, social distancing, and school closings have turned the U.S. into a real-time social experiment: grandparents provide childcare for a quarter of children under age 5, as well as many school-aged kids, and are the most vulnerable population in the COVID-19 outbreak. When grandparents can’t provide care, what happens to working families across the nation? We may be about to find out.
LGBTQ
Lena Waithe’s Cameo in “Onward” Isn’t Progress for the LGBTQ Community
Rachel Lewis | Bitch Media
When I learned that Onward would feature Pixar’s first openly lesbian character, it piqued my interest. After all, Pixar has released more than 20 animated films, so it has already taken far too long for the film studio to introduce a LGBTQ character. But then the details about Onward’s representational feat became clearer: Lena Waithe would be voicing a character with a minor role, and on top of that, the character is a cop. That’s when my interest devolved into confusion: Why are there so many lesbian cops onscreen?
The Importance of Calling Portrait of a Lady on Fire a Lesbian Movie
Princess Weekes | The Mary Sue
I am of the generation of LGBTQ youth that is comfortable calling myself queer as well as bisexual. For a lot of us, the broadness of the term delivers shorthand communication of who we are, especially if we have multiple terms under multiple parts of the queer umbrella. At the same time, that does not mean we need to force everything into that term and ignore the labels that people use for themselves. That is why it is important to call Céline Sciamma’s Portrait of a Lady on Fire a lesbian movie.
Reproductive Health & Justice
When the Government Tells You to Have Kids
Helen Lewis | The Atlantic
The existence of pro- and anti-natalist policies bolsters one of the cornerstones of feminist analysis: Throughout history, and across cultures, women’s bodies have been treated as a communal resource for creating the citizens of the future—and therefore states try to control women’s lives to influence their reproductive capacity. Formerly, that control largely took the form of restricting women’s access to education, or banning them from certain jobs. Today, it manifests more subtly as social pressure which suggests that “fulfilment” comes only from marriage and children.
Tampons, Pads And Politics Mesh In New Push For Access To Menstrual Supplies
Kate Ruder | California Healthline
Davis works on the front lines of the movement known as menstrual or period equity, which focuses on getting tampons and pads into homeless shelters, schools and prisons — as well as eliminating taxes on these products. Supporters argue that not having affordable access to the supplies stigmatizes the girls, women and nonbinary and transgender people who menstruate. It can keep them from attending school or jobs — and even lead to health problems such as infection, including toxic shock syndrome.
Justice In America Episode 23: Criminalizing Mothers
The Daily Appeal
One of the most devastating collateral consequences for someone involved in the criminal justice system is the potential destruction of their family – most commonly parents losing custody of kids and children being forced into foster care. On this episode of Justice in America, Josie and her guest co-host Zak Cheney-Rice look at the relationship between the criminal justice system and family court, and examine how together they can wreak havoc on American families.
Workplace Equality
American women hide US Soccer logo during anthem in protest
Associated Press
The increasingly bitter dispute between American women’s national soccer team and the U.S. Soccer Federation spilled onto the field Wednesday night when players wore their warm-up jerseys inside out in a protest before their 3-1 victory over Japan.
U.S. Soccer chief apologizes for 'offense and pain' as USWNT protests
Graham Hays | ESPN
Even as they were earning their third SheBelieves Cup title on the field Wednesday, U.S. women's national team players also won an apology from the president of their own federation in the midst of their ongoing wage discrimination lawsuit.
US Soccer apologizes for arguments in equal pay case
Anne M. Peterson | Associated Press
The U.S. Soccer Federation apologized Wednesday night after it made claims in court documents that women on its national team had lesser responsibilities and physical abilities than their male counterparts, an assertion that drew widespread criticism and sparked a player protest.
Megan Rapinoe And U.S. Women's Soccer Players Protest Unequal Pay
Josephine Harvey | HuffPost
In a pointed message about unequal pay, the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team wore their warm-up jerseys inside out during the national anthem before their match against Japan on Wednesday. When worn inside out, U.S. Soccer Federation’s logo is obscured, but the four stars ― representing each of the team’s World Cup victories ― remain visible.
U.S. Soccer Argued Biological Differences Justify Paying the Women's Team Less, According to Court Filings
Abby Gardner | Glamour
Last summer when the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team won the World Cup (their fourth) in France, the stadium erupted into chants of "Equal pay!" Despite the women's team's total dominance, they're paid less than their male counterparts, an issue that came to a head in March 2019 when the players sued U.S. Soccer for gender discrimination. Back in August 2019, we learned talks between the two parties had broken down—and a new court filing this week gives us insight, perhaps, into why.
US Soccer Says the USWNT Don't Deserve Equal Pay and It's Bullsh*t
Christopher Luu | InStyle
On Tuesday it was revealed in court documents that the organization did not believe that the female athletes had the same level of skill and responsibilities as their male counterparts — and thus didn't deserve to be paid equally. Tuesday's filings show that U.S. Soccer is basically willing to toss their best asset to the sidelines. For fans like myself, it's a distraction and a disgrace, especially when the USWNT has the hardware to back up their worth.
Words matter, and U.S. Soccer exposed its sexism in its latest legal filing
Jerry Brewer | Washington Post
In the complex and litigious fight between the U.S. women’s national soccer team and its governing body over equal pay, one thing is free, supposedly: words. In reality, they are priceless, so immeasurably valuable despite their abundance.