Plus ça change
Today…
is the birthday of Gloria Steinem (1934). You’ve heard of her. ;)
in 1911, a fire broke out on the top floors of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in New York City, killing 146 workers – most of them Italian and Jewish young women in their teens and 20s, recent immigrants who spoke little English.
I’m super-behind because there were around 873 articles on the GOP’s latest efforts to ban abortion. What did they do in Texas? Go after abortion. And in Ohio? Go after abortion. What do they all do? Go after abortion.
Abortion
Thanks to Coronavirus, Abortion Clinics Are under Attack—Again
Lauren Rankin | Bitch
Many abortion patients are now at greater risk of uninterrupted, hostile behavior from anti-abortion protesters. At APWHC in Charlotte, the protesters seem more than willing to disregard the risks associated with gathering with a large group of people. Patients who need abortion care can’t forgo their appointments, but now, they have to put themselves at greater risk of contracting COVID-19 because abortion opponents are unwilling to yield to a public-health crisis.
Trump’s GOP: The Old Should Die and the Women Should Breed
Danielle Tcholakian | Daily Beast
Top Texas Republicans have made their coronavirus priorities clear: Grandparents should die so that wealth can persist, and a pandemic’s as good a time as any for a craven threat to abortion access. The Texas AG is threatening abortion providers with 180-day jail sentences in a cowardly attempt to use Gov. Abbott’s “executive order on medically unnecessary surgeries and procedures,” which is meant to free up hospital beds amid the pandemic.
The Coronavirus Pandemic Is Forcing Abortion Providers to Make Impossible Decisions
Molly Osberg | Jezebel
In interviews, three clinic managers from different parts of the country expressed anxiety about future staffing issues and safety measures given the lack of masks and gloves. Many had rescheduled or pushed off visits like pap smears and breast exams; some were encouraging telemedicine visits for transgender and abortion care follow-ups. Given the relatively small number of doctors who perform abortions in the Midwest and the South, there is a deep concern that the pandemic will further impact patient access as demand remains the same. “You know, abortion and birth is not optional,” says Leopard. “It’s very time-sensitive.”
Republicans Are Trying to Use Coronavirus to Ban Abortion
Jessica Valenti | Medium
Surgical abortion should remain legal and accessible, and medication abortions should become even easier to get. ... There’s no medical reason for a woman to have to be in a clinic or hospital to get or take abortion medication; in fact, OBGYNs increasingly believe the medicine should be available over the counter.
This #ProLife Texas Republican Wins With the Worst Coronavirus Take (At Least So Far This Week)
Becca Andrews | Mother Jones
After Texas Gov. Abbott declared abortions as nonessential care during the coronavirus outbreak, a Republican running for Congress in the state posted a hell of a take on the matter. Kathaleen* Wall, who is running to replace retiring Republican Rep. Pete Olson in Texas’ 22nd congressional district, thanked the governor for his action and claimed on Facebook that because of the order, “#COVID19 will save more lives this week than it takes! #ProLife.” Right.
*I had to look that up – yes, it’s the correct spelling. You know her whole life has been “No, Kath-A-leen. The name Katha, then l-e-e-n.”
GOP using pandemic as an excuse to block abortion - which is essential health care
Amanda Marcotte | Salon
Whatever the "official" excuses may be, it's really all about the desire to demonize and punish sexually active women to the greatest possible extent. How can we know this for sure? Because none of the people trying to block abortion access right now are talking about the necessary preventive care that can help people get through this crisis without experiencing unwanted pregnancy: contraception.
How Anti-Abortion Activists Are Taking Advantage of the Coronavirus Crisis
Robin Marty | Time Magazine
In just two weeks the novel coronavirus managed exactly what anti-abortion activists struggled for nearly five decades to accomplish: it is the biggest threat to legal abortion in America ever imagined.
ABC News: Are abortions considered 'essential' medical procedures amid COVID-19 outbreak?
Bustle: Abortion Access Is “Non-Essential” In 2 States, Leaving Pregnant People Stranded
GQ: How Republicans Are Cynically Exploiting the Coronavirus to Illicitly Ban Abortion
The Intercept: Anti-Abortion Politicians Exploit Coronavirus Outbreak to Shutter Health Clinics
Ms.: Here’s How Ohio Women Legislators Are Working to Keep Abortion Clinics Open
NPR: Anti-Abortion Rights Groups Ask HHS To Urge End To Abortion During Pandemic
Rewire.News: Anti-Abortion Groups Ask Trump’s HHS to Use COVID-19 Outbreak to Stop Abortion
Romper: Advocates Stress Abortion Care Is "Essential" After States Bar Procedure Amid COVID-19
Washington Post: Abortion providers in Texas scramble after state tells them to stop during pandemic
LGBTQ
LGBTQ Youth Among the Most Vulnerable as Homeless Centers Close
David Artavia | The Advocate
As COVID-19 continues to invade our lives, keeping the majority of Americans (and much of the world) in self-isolation in hopes that it will slow the rise in cases, one specific population is at exceptionally high risk: LGBTQ youth. A new report by Reuters shines a light on the closures of homeless centers across the U.S., many of which have been forced to "follow safety precautions over social distancing." These closures put LGBTQ people experiencing homelessness at increased risk of suicide, hate crimes, and health complications.
The Lesbian Fighting for All Women to Earn What They Deserve
Trudy Ring | The Advocate
Anyone who’s been paying attention for the last few, well, decades, knows that women, on average, earn less than men. But there’s less awareness of how sexual orientation, gender identity, race, and other factors affect the gender pay gap. The Institute for Women’s Policy Research is out to change that.
IWPR was looking for a new comms director recently, and for reasons, I shied away from applying. Now, of course, I gotta wonder…
When Will the Census Count Everyone?
Christine Grimaldi | DAME Magazine
As 2020 census outreach to U.S. households begins this month amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government will try to count every person in the United States and the demographic snapshots that help portray who they are. The decennial survey captures our ages and races; but as of now, what it doesn’t include is sexual orientation and gender identity.
LGBTQ People Understand Authoritarian Movements
Scot Nakagawa | LA Progressive
Anti-democratic and authoritarian movements aren’t just about bigotry, but they most definitely drive down avenues of race and gender. The 2016 election showed us that with absolute sparkling clarity. It’s time for all of us to realize that addressing sexism and racism is a we thing, not a me for you thing. And when it comes to that, LGBTQ people, especially LGBTQ people of color, have something to teach us.
2020 census: What LGBTQ Americans should know
Tim Fitzsimons | NBC News
As households across the United States start to receive their 2020 census packets, LGBTQ advocacy groups are ramping up efforts to ensure lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people living in the country are counted and understand what’s at stake when it comes to the decennial survey.
Reproductive Health & Justice
What To Know About Food & Drug Shortages During The Coronavirus Pandemic
Caroline Burke, Kaitlyn Wylde, Mia Mercado | Bustle
It's possible that you won't be able to stockpile extra months of your birth control prescription because of supply shortages, the Guttmacher Institute warned. If your specific brand of oral contraception can't be found, your pharmacist should be able to prescribe you an equivalent brand.
When the Country Sneezes, Black Women Catch the Flu. What Happens With COVID-19 in the United States?
Dorianne Mason | Rewire.News
The world’s focus right now is on COVID-19, and it’s exposing the many flaws in our health-care system that Black women have known for too long: Our health-care system and health-care reform efforts have always carelessly or purposefully excluded us.
Why the battle over women's bodies persists into the new decade
Erin Bunch | Well+Good
Women were barred from voting 100 years ago, from using contraception outside of marriage 48 years ago, and from opening credit cards in their own names 45 years ago. Much of this immense progress has happened in my still-living grandmother’s lifetime. In one arena, however, progress seems to be actively backsliding: reproductive freedom, or the right of every person to make their own decisions regarding their bodies and their reproductive health.
Workplace Equality
U.S. Soccer working to rebuild reputation with women's team
Amy Tennery | Reuters
U.S. Soccer hopes that resolving an ongoing pay equity lawsuit with its women’s national team will be a first step in a “long process” to rebuild its reputation, the body’s president and CEO told reporters on Tuesday. President Cindy Parlow Cone took over from Carlos Cordeiro less than two weeks ago after he resigned having taken responsibility for language used in a court filing that prompted public outcry, an on-field protest by players and rebukes from commercial sponsors.
AP: New US Soccer leadership: Settling women’s lawsuit priority
ESPN: New U.S. Soccer leadership Equal pay 'top priority' but no settlement talks yet
Sports Illustrated: U.S. Soccer's New Leaders Make Settling USWNT Lawsuit 'Top Priority'
Workplace age discrimination could become even harder to prove in court
Catherine Harnois, Vincent J. Roscigno | The Conversation
While most incidents go unreported, over 15,000 workers filed a claim of workplace age discrimination with the EEOC in 2019 alone, making ageism one of the most commonly reported forms of workplace discrimination. Along with a general reluctance to report their employers for unfair treatment, aging workers face notable obstacles when and if they do decide to move forward with legal action. Cases, for instance, rarely go to trial, and studies suggest that when they do employers are twice as likely to win, given the difficulties victims face in proving their claims. And now, the Trump administration is trying to further curtail the protections afforded to aging workers.
Living Into Leadership As A Woman Of Color: Sexism And Subtle Bias
Anu Kumar | Forbes
Discrimination limits personal, professional and organizational growth, but it is the personal impact that I have found most surprising.
Discrimination limits personal, professional and organizational growth, but it is the personal impact that I have found most surprising. Like so many women of color, I’ve been passed over for jobs that I know I’m qualified to do. The realization that hard work and high performance isn’t enough has been a bitter pill— I hit a wall, and I didn’t know why. At the same time, I’ve watched as men without qualifications, but with an irrational exuberance of self-confidence, are rewarded with jobs and called leaders. Ambitious women, however, are seen as aggressive and power-hungry. And for women of color, especially African-American women, society doubles down on the double standard — they’re called angry, pushy or worse.
Guess What? Women May Be Equally Eligible for the Draft Before We Achieve Equal Pay
Maiysha Kai | The Root
As of 2013, more than 200,000 women served in active duty, over 14% of the active-duty force. And to be clear, this is not a dispute of the need for the military, the honor of serving your country should you so choose, or the right of women to do so in whatever capacity they choose. But doesn’t anyone find it the least bit...odd that women aren’t yet entitled to equal pay in America, but could soon be obligated to fight alongside the same men who currently out-earn them for the same jobs?
Disabled People Explain How Coronavirus Is Exposing Ableism at Work
Danielle Campoamor | Teen Vogue
It’s often up to people with mental or physical disabilities to advocate for themselves in situations that can be taxing, purposefully confusing, and aren’t guaranteed to end in the employee’s favor. So, watching the world swiftly alter office work environments and provide education alternatives for able-bodied people can be both exciting and infuriating. If anything, the drastic social changes we’ve made in a short time to stymie the spread of the virus show just how capable we are to address the inequalities disabled people face, and expose exactly how much we don’t do.