The trap question for women
Today is…
the last day of session in Oregon, Virginia and West Virginia. Virginia just crushed it. I’m very pleasantly surprised at how much they got done.
my nephew’s 6th birthday. God, don’t let me forget to call.
Sunday is International Women’s Day. The official 2020 theme is "I am Generation Equality: Realizing Women’s Rights.” To mark the occasion, the UN released a report detailing all the ways in which we’re not.
UN Report: Equality for Women Remains a Distant Goal
Women:
Warren
Democrats’ rejection of Elizabeth Warren shows misogyny is still rampant
Emily L. Hauser, Chicago Tribune
It matters that women are so often absent from the halls of power, and it’s well past time for one to be in the White House.
Four women were serious candidates for president. What happened?
Swanee Hunt, CNN
It was promising to see six Democratic women step up to contend for president this time around. Now, the chance that a woman will win the 2020 presidential race has imploded.
Elizabeth Warren defines the gender trap
Maeve Reston, CNN
All of the women who ran for president this cycle saw the darker and more complicated side of sexism in America. As a reporter, one rarely encountered men or women who said they wouldn't vote for a woman or believed that a woman couldn't handle the job. Instead what we heard, too many times to count, from both women and men—including those at Warren events—was the concern that they didn't think "other people" or "the country" or "Trump supporters" would vote for a woman.
'Big dreams never die:' Elizabeth Warren drops out of the race, and women know exactly why
Rebecca Ruiz, Mashable
[L]ogical explanations almost make it possible to believe that sexism didn't doom her run. But women who've been through versions of what Warren just endured know that's a lie.
Elizabeth Warren Dropping Out Is A Loss For Women
Natalie Gontcharova, Refinery29
“My name is Elizabeth and I’m running for president, because that’s what girls do.” This is the introduction that Sen. Elizabeth Warren gave to countless little girls at campaign events, as she locked pinkies with them and asked them to promise to remember her words when they grow up. Hopefully, one day, one of those girls will also run for president. Hopefully, one day, one of those girls will win.
Elizabeth Warren Ran as a Woman
Susan Matthews, Slate
The general perception of Elizabeth Warren’s campaign strategy was that she ran as a wonk. ... But as I watched her campaign, I saw something else, too. She wasn’t just running as a teacher or a wonk. Elizabeth Warren was running as a woman. She was unapologetic about it.
Elizabeth Warren’s Presidential Campaign Was Doomed by Sexism
Samhita Mukhopadhyay, Teen Vogue
It’s hard not to have a bit of 2016 déjà vu at this moment. Here we are again: The most qualified person in the room is no longer a contender to win the election. And it’s probably because she's a woman.
Why the End of Elizabeth Warren's Campaign Feels "Personal" for Women
Michelle Ruiz, Vogue
It didn't matter that they knew it was coming. Elizabeth Warren suspending her presidential campaign on Thursday still elicited a visceral, deeply emotional response from her female supporters.
Elizabeth Warren Is Out. I’m Not Ready to Make Nice
Lyz Lenz, Glamour
The women running for president this time had to walk the Dolly Parton line when it came to running as a women. Talking about sexism on the campaign trail will turn voters off. But not talking about it doesn’t make it disappear. We saw what happened to Hillary Clinton in 2016. We don’t want to get burned.
I’ll save you having to queue it up...
And it is a far better musical choice than what I went for last night, Goodnight Saigon and big “Robin Scherbatsky under the desk” energy.
June Medical Services v Russo
The question no one is asking about the Supreme Court and abortion
Mary Ziegler, Washington Post
While the arguments created a great degree of uncertainty, there is also another issue at play, one receiving far less attention: Who has standing to challenge the constitutionality of abortion laws? The outcome of this narrow, seemingly technical question may actually be the one that helps determine the fate of abortion rights in America.
Planned Parenthood leader speaks out on Supreme Court abortion case
CBS News
Planned Parenthood Action Fund CEO, Alexis McGill Johnson, joins “CBS This Morning” after being in court for arguments on Wednesday.
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg dominates in abortion case
Ariane de Vogue, CNN
If there is any question whether 86-year-old Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who has spent her life steeped in issues concerning women's rights, is slowing down after four bouts of cancer, it was not evident Wednesday morning in Washington.
Inside the Supreme Court for the Biggest Abortion Fight of the New Decade
Rosemary Westwood, ELLE
The bulk of the debate hinged on two points: Were Louisiana’s doctors truly unable to obtain admitting privileges, or did they “sabotage their applications,” as the lawyer for the state, Solicitor General Liz Murrill, argued. And was the court’s previous ruling that admitting privileges provide no medical benefit in Texas somehow limited to Texas, or could it apply to all such laws in every state?
Editorial | Without action from the Supreme Court, getting an abortion in Louisiana may become impossible
Los Angeles Times
Opponents of a woman’s right to an abortion are so relentless that nothing seems to stop them. Even a clear Supreme Court precedent doesn’t serve as a deterrent. Four years ago, the court took on one of the favorite tropes of abortion opponents — that to ensure women’s safety, doctors providing abortions need to have admitting privileges at hospitals near the clinics where they work.
"I feel good": Lawyer challenging Louisiana abortion law reacts after Supreme Court arguments
Kate Smith, CBS News
Julie Rikelman, an attorney at the Center for Reproductive Rights, has spent years working on June Medical Services v. Russo, a Supreme Court case that could dramatically alter abortion access in the United States. All that work was realized Wednesday during oral arguments when Rikelman was given 30 minutes to deliver arguments and take questions from justices on the newly-conservative high court.
As the Supreme Court considers a Louisiana law, abortion opponents have already won
Anna North, Vox
While the Court won’t issue a decision in the case until this summer, the optimism among anti-abortion activists — and the concern among abortion-rights supporters — on Wednesday reflected a larger reality: In many ways, abortion opponents have already won when it comes to restricting the procedure around the country. In the last 10 years, a wave of new laws have closed clinics across the South and Midwest — Louisiana today has just three clinics, and six other states have just one.
Schumer v Roberts
Schumer crossed a line, and then the GOP went into hypocrisy overdrive
Frida Ghitis, CNN
To be sure, Schumer did cross a line with a statement he delivered vociferously at a rally outside the Supreme Court. He has already apologized for his choice of words. But the reaction, particularly across the Republican spectrum, reveals an outrage that appears distinctly selective and sounds much more partisan than principled.
New York Times: Schumer, Criticized for Blasting Justices, Regrets the Words but Not the Message
Vox: The controversy over Chuck Schumer’s attack on Gorsuch and Kavanaugh, explained
Washington Post: Schumer says he misspoke in remarks directed at two Supreme Court justices, defends abortion rights
Abortion
African countries are trying to liberalize their abortion laws. Trump’s ‘global gag rule’ is making that difficult.
Abigail Higgins, The Lily
Mounting evidence from a number of African countries — including Kenya, Senegal, Uganda, Ethiopia and Zimbabwe — shows that the Trump administration’s policy is playing a direct role in blocking efforts to liberalize or implement abortion laws there.
The Harassment We Face as Abortion Storytellers
Jordyn Close & Paige Alexandria, Rewire.News
In a recent study, 60% of abortion storytellers reported experiencing harassment and other negative incidents after sharing their stories. Most of the harassment I receive comes from strangers on the internet.
New Mexico: An abortion fund for Native people is more than just a fund
Susan Dunlap, NM Political Report
A grassroots organization raises money for an abortion fund entirely for Indigenous people while also raising awareness.
Oklahoma: Senate Passes Bill Allowing Wrongful Death Suits Against Doctors Providing Abortions
Matt Trotter, Public Radio Tulsa
The Oklahoma Senate passed a bill on Thursday to let third parties sue doctors who perform abortions for wrongful death. Senate Bill 1728 would hold doctors liable if they fail to screen a patient for signs of coercion or trick a patient into having an abortion, and Sen. David Bullard gave unverified statistics from anti-abortion groups as evidence doctors are doing the latter in most cases.
Rhode Island: General Assembly urged to pass Equality in Abortion Coverage Act
Steve Ahlquist, Uprise RI
The Rhode Island Coalition for Reproductive Freedom (RICRF) joined Senator Bridget Valverde and Representative Liana Cassar to urge Rhode Island lawmakers to pass the Equality in Abortion Coverage Act of 2020.
Reproductive Health & Justice
Hygiene equity doesn’t exist in Indiana. Period.
Sarah Jones, WTHR-TV
People are hesitant to talk about it publicly. Those involved in providing feminine products say the silence around period products fuels the inequity in access. “One in four Women in Indiana struggle to pay for feminine products” says Angie Katinas of Project Period. Project Period provides schools and various community organizations with menstrual hygiene products for students and clients.
Georgia GOP leaders embrace plan to reduce maternal deaths
Tamar Hallerman, Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Key House GOP leaders on Thursday endorsed extending Medicaid for new moms in Georgia, lending a high-level burst of support to a policy proponents say will help cut down on the state’s stubbornly high maternal mortality rate. House Speaker David Ralston announced his chamber would move forward in the weeks ahead on a bill that would seek a federal waiver to expand Medicaid to new mothers in Georgia from two to six months following childbirth.
Associated Press: Georgia House GOP seeks more health coverage for mothers after birth
Massachussetts: Fall River taking steps to end 'period poverty' for girls and women
Deborah Allard, The Herald News
United Neighbors of Fall River and the YWCA of Southeastern Massachusetts are collaborating to collect menstrual product donations, increase access for those in need, offer products free in school bathrooms, and spread awareness of “period poverty” and menstrual equity.
Tennessee: CHOICES' new birth center is making history and reviving the legacy of black midwifery
Cole Bradley, High Ground News
When finished, CHOICES: Memphis Center for Reproductive Health’s new Comprehensive Reproductive Health Center will be the only nonprofit in the country offering full-spectrum services under one roof. Those services include basic health screenings and treatment, prenatal care, LGBT+ services, menopause and miscarriage management, abortion, birth, and more.
LGBTQ
10 LGBTQ+ Candidates Win Democratic Primaries In Texas's 'Rainbow Revolution'
Kim Wong-Shing, GO
Another “rainbow wave” may be hitting Texas this election. On Super Tuesday, a total of 10 LGBTQ+ candidates won their races in the Democratic primary. The successful LGBTQ+ candidates include one U.S. House of Representatives candidate, four new state representative candidates, and five incumbent state reps. All of the candidates will run as Democrats in the November elections.
If the Supreme Court lets foster care agencies reject same-sex couples, children will suffer.
Daniel Summers, Slate
The broad implications of the case, should the conservative majority side with Catholic Social Services, could be disastrous for anti-discrimination laws writ large. But I can’t help but think about what it would mean for foster kids themselves. ... Catholic Social Services is free to believe that same-sex marriages are wrong and illegitimate. But Philadelphia has a responsibility to value the best interest of the child above all else.
I didn’t realize the numbers were this stark: according to Family Equality Council, same-sex couples are six times more likely to foster children than opposite-sex couples.
Former GOP representative Aaron Schock comes out
Gwen Aviles, NBC News
Aaron Schock, a former GOP representative known for supporting anti-LGBTQ legislation and dodging rumors about his sexuality, came out as gay in an Instagram post Thursday. “The fact that I am gay is just one of those things in life in need of explicit affirmation, to remove any doubt and to finally validate who I am as a person,” Schock wrote.
LGBTQ voters turned out in record numbers on Super Tuesday
Katelyn Burns, Vox
Many Democratic presidential candidates have released extensive and detailed plans for addressing LGBTQ equality over the course of the campaign cycle. On Super Tuesday, LGBTQ voters rewarded that work by turning out in record numbers. Nearly one in 10 voters on Tuesday identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender, according to exit poll data from NBC News. That turnout was up from the 2018 midterms, when 6 percent of the electorate identified as LGBTQ.
Workplace Equity
I Was Sexually Harassed By A Former Colleague. Here's Why I'm Scared To Report It.
Gabrielle Ulubay, HuffPost
“Think of all the other girls he might do this to after you.” My co-worker leaned toward me against the plastic backing of her bus seat. She was sitting in front of me on the way to a work excursion and had just promised for the umpteenth time that she would not tell anyone about the story of sexual harassment I had just relayed to her. The subtext of her statement: Just report it. It’s not all about you.
Minnesota lawmakers discuss paid family and medical leave
Karla Hult, KARE-TV
A new element has entered the debate over paid leave for families: the coronavirus. On Thursday, House Democrats were poised to pass a paid family and medical leave bill that would create a $1.35 billion state fund that would provide up to 12 weeks of paid time off with the arrival of a child or to care for an ailing relative. And this time, the debate also referenced growing concerns over COVID-19.
Washington: Pregnancy discrimination bill sparked by Google employee’s complaint passes legislature
Christine Clarridge, Seattle Times
A bill that was sparked by a Seattle woman’s allegations of pregnancy discrimination at Google passed both the Washington House and Senate with broad bipartisan support and is slated to be signed into law. SB 6034 would update the Washington Law Against Discrimination to give a pregnant woman, or new mother, one year instead of six months to file a complaint with the Washington Human Rights Council.