This one's for you and you and yooouuu
Today…
is the birthday is trans rights pioneer Aimee Stephens (1961-2020), whose landmark Supreme Court case was just earlier this year. I note this only because my sense of time has completely collapsed. “When was that?” or “That was this year?” is at least a third of my vocabulary.
Regular readers will recall that I set a goal to get past 200 by the end of the month, and progress was slow. Every third person you know has a newsletter now (and the rest have podcasts). Then my forever love tweeted her endorsement, and my stats went like this:
So hello and welcome, new readers! You provide a good opportunity to revisit what we’re doing here. In short, pulling the clips, with a focus on gender equity in policy, politics and the law. In the interest of time, I only pull domestic news – yes, I shared Scotland’s new law re: period products, and a little bit on the abortion protests in Poland, but that’s rare. I’ll sometimes skip first-person essays or celebrity news unless it has a policy angle. And I don’t do oppo news because eff them.
And sometimes? I just miss things. So if you see some big story that really should be included, let me know. I’m not hard to find.
Abortion
CNN | Trump administration pushes 'midnight regulations' after breaking records for final-year rulemaking | Maegan Vazquez, Ellie Kaufman, Katie Lobosco, Janie Boschma, Marshall Cohen
[A] proposed HHS rule in its early stages of review, but which has moved forward since Election Day, would codify the agency's 2019 policy banning the use of fetal tissue from abortions for federally funded research.
Newsweek | After Record-Breaking $45M Campaign Push, Planned Parenthood Wants Day One Executive Order From Biden | Alexandra Hutzler
After spending a record-breaking amount of cash in the presidential race, Planned Parenthood is looking forward to its return on investment in an administration led by Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.
Massachusetts
Boston Globe | With budget measure, Baker and his record as an abortion rights supporter face a political test | Matt Stout
There’s little clarity on how he will approach a new measure attached to the state’s long-overdue $46.2 billion spending compromise. It would lower the age limit to receive an abortion without parental consent or court approval from 18 to 16 years old and allow abortions after 24 weeks when a fetus has been diagnosed with a fatal anomaly.
LGBTQ
The Advocate | Karen Pence's Anti-LGBTQ+ School Got $725,000 in COVID Relief Funds | Trudy Ring
The anti-LGBTQ+ Immanuel Christian School where Karen Pence teaches received nearly $725,000 in federal funds under the Paycheck Protection Program.
LGBTQ Nation | Karen Pence’s school took $725k in bailout funds meant for small businesses. They ban LGBTQ people. | Alex Bollinger
The New Civil Rights Movement | Karen Pence's Anti-LGBTQ School Got $725K in COVID Bailout Funds | Daniel Villarreal
Washington Blade | Anti-LGBTQ school where Karen Pence teaches obtained $725K in PPP money | Chris Johnson
LGBTQ Nation | Joe Biden makes pledge to lead the “most pro-equality administration in history” of America | Juwan Holmes
In brief remarks at the International LGBTQ Leaders Conference, President-elect Joe Biden told listeners that he is “committed” to making an LGBTQ-affirming administration along with Vice President-elect Kamala Harris.
NBC News | Biden administration on track to be most LGBTQ-inclusive in U.S. history | Dan Avery
LGBTQ Nation | Joe Biden would have lost the election if not for LGBTQ voters according to new analysis | Alex Bollinger
Another analysis of the 2020 election has found that Donald Trump would have won if not for LGBTQ voters.
The 19th | New report reveals alleged horrors of sex testings in international sports | Kate Sosin
Human Rights Watch calls for sports governing bodies to consider the human rights violations of sex testing among elite women's athletes.
Refinery29 | Elliot Page Inspired Trans Joy — TERFs & Transphobes Can’t Take That Away | Elly Belle
To witness someone so many of us have known and loved for years come out and share their transition in real time feels like a gift.
Pregnancy & Parenting
Motherly | Mom rage is a symptom of a much deeper problem | Elizabeth Tenety
Mom rage is a symptom of how much we expect from mothers—and how little we support them in that work.
PharmaLive | U.S. Women More Likely to Die in Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Postpartum Than Women in Other High-Income Nations | Andrew Humphreys
Among high-income countries, the U.S. has the highest maternal mortality rates, reflecting deaths from complications of pregnancy and childbirth, according to a new international comparison from the Commonwealth Fund. The report also indicates that even more troubling trends stemming from a serious shortage of maternal health providers — particularly midwives — may lie ahead.
Healthline | Midwives May Help Save the Lives of Millions of Women | Heather Grey
Philadelphia Tribune | New plan seeks to improve maternal health in America | Ayana Jones
Arizona
PBS NewsHour | Indigenous ‘helpers’ train to combat high maternal mortality rates | Jennifer Alvarez
Maine
AP | $650K for Maternal, Children Services in Maine
Colorado
Colorado Parent | Mothering, Rest, and Organized Healing for Black Women | Confidence Omenai
Texas
Dallas Morning News | Lawmakers can end Texas’ dismal record on maternal mortality | Editorial
Reproductive Health & Justice
CNN | Doctors worry women aren't getting health care they need during pandemic | Sandee LaMotte
A national survey by Kaiser Family Foundation found that 54% of obstetrician-gynecologists surveyed had seen a decrease in patient visits since the epidemic hit in March.
Work & Money
Bloomberg News | In Record-Breaking Year, SPACs Avoid Gender Diversity Push | Crystal Tse , Mathieu Benhamou
In a record-breaking year with more than $70 billion raised, the opaque acquisition vehicles known as SPACs are getting away with not doing what the rest of corporate America says it plans to do: boost gender diversity. And it shows, with about half of 151 special purpose acquisition companies having no women on their board.
Devex | Experts advocate for 'basic set of metrics' to define women's economic empowerment | Catherine Cheney
The growing number of tools to measure women’s economic empowerment makes it nearly impossible for programs to compare work across contexts, according to several gender data experts.
Public Radio International | How women and girls are especially at risk of hunger during the pandemic | Rupa Shenoy
The UN’s assessment of humanitarian needs in 2021 says the number of people across the globe at risk of hunger is up 82% from a year ago, to an astounding 270 million. A whopping 70% of them are women and girls.
Rewire News Group | Can White Men Have It All? Or Does ‘Leaning In’ Mean Toppling Over? | Brooke Knisley
Antony Blinken, President-elect Joe Biden's nominee for secretary of state, has two toddlers. It's apparently groundbreaking.
Alabama
The Birmingham Times | Newly Issued Findings on ‘2020 Status of Women in Alabama’ | Erica Wright
The Greater Women's Fund announced findings of the 2020 Status of Women in Alabama report, noting that equitable pay, affordable and quality childcare, and healthcare continue to be among critical issues faced by Alabama women.
Alabama Today | Women’s Fund of Greater Birmingham: Equitable pay, healthcare, and childcare among top issues for Alabama women
California
The Sacramento Bee | The U.S. Senate has enough men. Gavin Newsom must replace Kamala Harris with a woman | Editorial
Nearly 2,000 Americans have served as U.S. Senators. As of today, 1,928 of them have been men. Only 57 of them have been women. This striking disparity provides a clear mandate for Gov. Newsom as he considers a replacement for Sen. Harris, who will become vice president in January. Without question, Newsom should appoint a woman to Harris’ seat.
Kansas
The Mary Sue | Aaron Coleman, the Abusive Teenager Elected to Kansas House, Reportedly Still Harassing Women | Vivian Kane
Kentucky
Kentucky Today | Decades of progress wiped out as moms leave workforce to care for kids during COVID | Allison Ball, Kentucky State Treasurer
As of October, more than two million women in the U.S. left the workforce, the majority having left to tend to their children’s online education.
New Jersey
ABA Journal | Former BigLaw associate sues law firm for alleged pregnancy discrimination | Debra Cassens Weiss
New Mexico
NM Political Report | A bill to establish paid family and medical leave will be filed in January | Susan Dunlap
A bill to create paid family and medical leave for all employees in the state is slated to be filed in January. The bill would allow employees to take up to 12 weeks per year of paid leave for a serious medical issue, bringing home a new child or to care for a family member with a serious medical issue.
Ohio
Ohio Capital Journal | Equal pay, gender equity back in the legislature | Susan Tebben
State Rep. Stephanie Howse introduced the Equal Pay Act and one that creates a gender pay equity task force, marking the sixth time the topic of equal pay has come up in the state legislature.
More, More, More
Mashable | Bimbos are good, actually | Morgan Sung
The bimbo is back and Gen Z is reclaiming it with a leftist flair.