Save a prayer for me now
Today…
We are having a series of back-to-work-back-to-school fires. The soon-to-be 11yo started “summer bridge,” a half-day program geared toward getting 6th grade ready for middle school. Naturally, and despite my best efforts, she didn’t get out of bed until the last minute, couldn’t find her password, her Teams meeting room or her sketchbook.
In happier news…
I’ll be a little more together tomorrow. Probably. Maybe. We’ll see.
Abortion
The Anti-Abortion Movement Prepares to Build a Post-Roe World
Emma Green | The Atlantic
As activists move closer to their goal of making abortion illegal, they have started planning for the infrastructure needed for a world with more babies—and recruiting major CEOs to bankroll their cause.
Abortion By Telemedicine Remains Out Of Reach In Many Coronavirus Hot Spots
Melissa Jeltsen | HuffPost
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, patients should be able to obtain medication abortion pills through the mail. But that’s not the reality yet.
Kanye West is 'Most Compelling' Voice Against Abortion Says Tucker Carlson
James Walker | Newsweek
Fox News host Tucker Carlson said Kanye West was the "most compelling voice" against abortion and Planned Parenthood on Friday night as he accused Republican lawmakers of being "afraid" to talk about the issues.
Arkansas
Remember When People Thought the June Medical SCOTUS Ruling Was a Win for Abortion Rights? Think Again.
Becca Andrews |
A court ruled on Friday that a strict abortion ban in Arkansas can move forward—and it used the recent Supreme Court decision regarding abortion rights, the one so many celebrated as a victory, to do it.
AP | Court lifts ruling against 4 Arkansas abortion restrictions
CNN | Judges cite John Roberts' opinion in reversing block on Arkansas abortion laws
Slate | John Roberts’ stealth attack on abortion rights in June Medical v. Russo just paid off.
New Hampshire
Sununu vetoes four more bills, including 'red-flag' measure
Holly Ramer
The batch of rejected bills also included one that would have required insurance plans that cover maternity benefits to also provide coverage for abortions.
LGBTQ
The Wedge Issue That’s Dividing Trumpworld
Gabby Orr | POLITICO
A group of social conservatives wants the president to embrace anti-transgender issues to reverse his sagging poll numbers. Some Trump advisers think it’s political suicide.
Daily Kos | GOP activist says hating on transgender people can boost Trump to victory. He's despicable and wrong
Jezebel | Of Course Transphobic Republicans Are Urging Trump to Double Down on Hurting Trans Kids
The Washington Blade | Trump’s own AIDS council opposes his anti-trans health rule
More states are watching out for LGBTQ health care disparities during the pandemic
Casey Quinlan | The American Independent
Advocacy groups and lawmakers have called on the federal government and state governments to collect the data to better understand the impact of the virus on LGBTQ people.
‘Honest' cultural assessment may be needed in wake of LGBTQ ruling
Judy Stringer | Crain's Cleveland Business
Even before the Supreme Court ruled that employers can't terminate workers based on their LGBTQ status, companies were moving toward nondiscrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, according to two local employment attorneys and an LGBTQ advocate. Still, they said, now that it's officially the law of the land, employers should redouble efforts to protect LGBTQ workers.
Black LGBTQ community hit hard by virus' economic impact
Biba Adams | theGrio
While studies have confirmed that the virus disproportionately kills African Americans, Black members of the LGBTQ community are facing both health and economic impacts.
First hospital in the US apologizes for performing cosmetic genital surgery on intersex children
Alex Bollinger | LGBTQ Nation
A children’s hospital just became the first in the nation to apologize for performing cosmetic surgery on intersex babies. “We empathize with intersex individuals who were harmed by the treatment that they received according to the historic standard of care and we apologize and are truly sorry,” said the Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago in a statement this week.
More Anti-Discrimination Protections Possible After Bostock
Lainey Millen | Qnotes
A new report by the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law finds that millions of LGBTQ individuals could gain additional non-discrimination protections if courts interpret state laws consistent with the Supreme Court’s ruling in Bostock v. Clayton County.
Arizona
Transgender teens file class-action suit over Arizona surgery ban
Tim Fitzsimons | NBC News
Two transgender teens sued Arizona's Medicaid agency Thursday, alleging their civil rights are being violated by the state health insurance program's ban on gender-affirming surgeries.
California
This queer Brown woman is running for Congress to dismantle the system
Molly Sprayregen | LGBTQ Nation
Georgette Gomez is currently the San Diego City Council President and the first out LGBTQ Latina to hold the position. Running for U.S. House in California’s 53rd District, she would also make history as the first out LGBTQ Latina member of Congress.
QAnon Sends Death Threats to Gay Senator for Trying to Make Sex Laws Less LGBTQ-phobic
Daniel Villarreal | The New Civil Rights Movement
Democratic California State Senator Scott Wiener has received death threats from far-right supporters of the QAnon conspiracy theory after he introduced legislation to reform the state’s sex offender registry to be less queerphobic.
Florida
11th Circuit rules trans students must be able to access restrooms matching their gender identity
John Riley | Metro Weekly
On Friday, the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that a suburban Jacksonville school district must allow transgender students to access restrooms that match their gender identity.
Tampa Bay Times | Florida student wins transgender rights case in federal appellate court
The Washington Blade | Court rules for Fla. student on bathroom access in major win for trans rights
Idaho
Courts Deliver Two Victories for Trans Americans
Trudy Ring | The Advocate
One court affirms Florida trans students' right to use the restroom matching their gender identity; another strikes down Idaho's ban on gender changes on birth certificates.
NCAA delays decision on moving men's basketball tournament from Idaho in response to anti-trans athlete law
John Riley | Metro Weekly
The NCAA has postponed a decision on whether to punish Idaho for a law that critics say singles out transgender athletes for discrimination by moving the 2021 NCAA Men’s Basketball tournament from Boise next year
Kansas
Kansas poised to elect its first openly transgender lawmaker
Roxana Hegeman | AP
A retired music teacher would become the first openly transgender member of the deeply conservative Kansas Legislature if she’s elected from a Democratic-leaning district she’s expected to win.
New York
A rural New York county has adopted one of the most progressive trans prison policies in the US
Katelyn Burns | Vox
Steuben County, New York, seems like an unexpected place to find one of the nation’s most progressive transgender prison policies. … But thanks to a recently announced legal settlement, it now has a trans jail policy that could serve as a model for other prison systems throughout the state — and even the rest of the country.
Metro Weekly | New York county prison settles lawsuit, agrees to adopt transgender-affirming policies
them. | A Trans Woman’s Lawsuit Led This N.Y. County to Create Historic Reforms for Trans Inmates
Pandemic Parenting
Know Your Pandemic Schooling Options
Katherine Cusumano | The New York Times
As districts decide how to handle the fall semester, parents are podding up, scheduling tutors and enlisting relatives.
The Washington Post | Back to school: Parents search for other families to join their pandemic bubbles as fall approaches
Vogue | I'm Not Ready for the Schools to Reopen This Fall. Why Should Any Parent Be?
What to do when schools are closed and work wants you back
Lila MacLellan | Quartz
As more companies reopen their offices and other job sites, and as more school districts announce plans for remote or partially remote education, will some parents have to choose between supervising housebound children and collecting a paycheck?
Working Mother | Why Daycare Might Be the Perfect Place for Kids When Schools Close
WQCB-FM (Brewer, ME) | The New Normal for Parents - Less School, More Daycare Costs
‘Child care dilemma:‘ Lawmakers urge Esper to find more options for military families
Karen Jowers | Military Times
In light of child care shortages that are being exacerbated by COVID-19, lawmakers are urging Defense Department officials to take steps to help the many military families who may be in desperate need of child care this fall. A bipartisan group of 35 lawmakers have written to Defense Secretary Mark Esper, citing concerns that this “child care dilemma” could affect DoD’s readiness.
Job insecurity, child care: Moms reporting psychological distress amid coronavirus pandemic
Shefali Luthra | USA Today
Both depression and anxiety were already far more prevalent in women and, as early data pours in, it’s becoming increasingly clear that the pandemic has exacerbated that disparity.
Richard Nixon bears responsibility for the pandemic's child-care crisis
Anna K. Danziger Halperin | Washington Post
Today’s child-care crisis may have been fueled by the outbreak, but it is not new. It has been simmering below the surface for decades and can be traced back to President Richard M. Nixon’s 1971 veto of federally funded universal child care, which created our bifurcated approach to child care that considers the needs of some and not others.
America is in a parenting crisis. The party that solves it will reap huge rewards.
David Byler | The Washington Post
Advocating for parents and families isn’t just a way to win a few news cycles. In the long term, both parties would benefit — in distinct ways — from actively pursuing broader solutions to the problems families face.
Pregnancy & Parenting
Rep. Ilhan Omar Speaks On The Importance Of Addressing Racial Bias In Black Maternal Care
Nylah Burton | Essence
In the U.S., Black women die in childbirth at a rate three to four times higher than white women, a horrifying statistic that remains consistent among demarcations of class, income, and education — social markers which so many Black people have been told will shield us from racial bias. But for Black women giving birth, racial bias is prevalent and sometimes fatal.
CDC launches 'Hear Her' campaign on maternal mortality
Mackenzie Bean | Becker's Hospital Review
The CDC unveiled its "Hear Her" campaign this week to raise awareness about pregnancy-related complications and risk.
Health Affairs | Broadening The Focus During Pregnancy To Total Women’s Health, Not Just Healthy Babies
Is now a good time to get pregnant? As the pandemic rages, many are saying ‘no’
Beth Teitell | The Boston Globe
There could be 500,000 fewer babies next year
California
Chelsea Becker Was Charged With Murder After Her Baby Was Stillborn. California’s AG Has Now Stepped In.
Tarpley Hitt The Daily Beast
For more than nine months, five of them during a global pandemic, a 26-year-old woman named Chelsea Becker has been sitting in Kings County Jail, under a $2 million bail, for giving birth to a stillborn baby. Becker has been there since November, when police arrested her and prosecutors charged her with murder.
Tennessee
What Tennessee can do to address infant and maternal mortality rates
Jonathan Joseph | The Tennessean
Too many infants are dying in our great state of Tennessee. Moreover, Tennessee matches the national rate of dying in comparison to white infants; welcome to birthing while Black in the United States.
Reproductive Health & Justice
The Science Behind Period Syncing
Alice Broster | Forbes
Period tracking app Clue teamed up with Oxford University to speak to 1,500 people who menstruate. They found that it’s unlikely people disrupt each other’s menstrual cycle by being around each other. Similarly, a study published in 2006 found that after studying 186 people living in a dorm in China “women do not sync their menstrual cycles.” They put any synchronization down to coincidence.
Work & Money
Gender pay gap may not close "for more than 100 years" for Black and Latina women, and pandemic could make it worse
Michelle Miller | CBS News
During the economic downturn brought on by the pandemic, women have suffered more job losses than men. In July, the unemployment rate for women was 10.5% while the rate for men was 9.4%. Women still in the workforce continue to face a grim reality — they make less than men.
Like You, I Know Working Moms Deserve Better
Sen. Tammy Duckworth | ELLE
From defunding Planned Parenthood to appointing judges who don’t believe in a woman’s right to make her own healthcare decisions, Trump has spent his administration working to undermine the progress generations of American women have made to build a more equitable society.
Mommy For Vice President? The Vote Mama Foundation Resoundingly Says Yes
Christine Carter | Forbes
Vote Mama works to overcome the structural and cultural hurdles mothers face while running for office and legislators face while fighting for family-friendly legislation.
🠲 Ambition Has Always Been ‘Ladylike’
Jessica Bennett | The New York Times
Nostalgic for the sexism unleashed in response to Hillary Clinton’s 2016 run? Welcome to the prolonged Democratic veepstakes.
The Key to an Inclusive Recovery? Putting Women in Decision-Making Roles
Francesca Donner | The New York Times
As the world sketches out post-pandemic plans, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, the head of U.N. Women, explains why having more women in leadership positions could lead to better results. “There’s no gender-neutral pandemic, and this one is no different.”
The 19th* Co-Founder on The ‘Overdue’ Racial Reckoning in Newsrooms
Katie Couric | Wake-Up Call
Ignited by protests nationwide over racial inequality, American newsrooms are having a reckoning of their own. Protests, petitions, and internal complaints about inequalities have come into public view at major publications, including The New York Times and Bon Appétit.
Will It Ever Really Be the Year of the Woman?
Rosalind C. Barnett | Washington Monthly
Despite enormous gains over the last two decades, gender stereotypes are still holding too many women back.
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico Becomes First Jurisdiction to Adopt Law Against Workplace Bullying
Juan Felipe Santos | The National Law Review
In an unprecedented move and without taking into consideration the mass opposition from the private sector, on August 7, 2020, the Governor of Puerto Rico signed into law House Bill 306 to prohibit workplace bullying. This law goes into effect immediately.
Utah
New study shows gender disparity in Utah state leadership
Daedan Olander | Deseret News
Susan Madsen is the founder and director of the Utah Women & Leadership Project, and she and her team released a study highlighting the disparity between the number of men and women in state government leadership positions, with a focus on how Utah’s public sector can improve.
More, More, More
The ERA Is Queer, and It's in Joe Biden's 'Agenda For Women'
Kate Kelly | The Advocate
The ERA isn't just a thing of the past as in the series Mrs. America. It's front and center — and queer-inclusive.
Op-Ed: Now, as in the 1970s, it's men, not women, who will defeat the Equal Rights Amendment
Julie Suk | Los Angeles Times
Fifty years ago, the ERA’s chances were poisoned by the choices of a few powerful male leaders in Washington and in state legislatures. Now similar forces are poised to do it all over again.
🠲 Now Is The Time To Teach Our Girls To Lead
Erin Cutraro | Romper
The frightening events of 2020 … have long-term implications for our children at home, particularly Black girls and girls of color. An atmosphere of helplessness has a lasting impact on what girls — our future leaders — feel they can achieve, which is why we must work to fill the void with fuel for our kids’ imaginations.
When a contagion comes, women bear a heavy burden
Gayathri Vaidyanathan | Salon
While contagions like COVID might kill more men, the impact of a pandemic on women’s lives is vast and understudied
The Backstory: A look at the 19th Amendment, the women who've continued the fight for equality, and why the work is far from finished.
Nicole Carroll | USA Today
The 19th Amendment was ratified 100 years ago this month. Starting next week, USA TODAY launches Women of the Century, a project that details the fight for the right to vote and the women who've continued to make an impact.
Thousands of women fought against the right to vote. Their reasons still resonate today.
Samantha Schmidt | The Washington Post
[A]nti-suffragist women would become a nationwide force that would influence later generations of conservative women. And today, a century after women gained the right to vote, echoes of their message remain.
GOP women warn of eroding support among female voters amid a ‘gender chasm’
Rachael Bade, Seung Min Kim, Scott Clement | The Washington Post
A growing number of Republican women are sounding the alarm about continuing loss of support for President Trump and the GOP among female voters ahead of the November election, warning that the party is in danger of permanently alienating women if it doesn’t change course.