Help NOW Fight for Marriage Equality! What's wrong with giving lesbian and gay couples in loving, committed relationships the same protections under the law as heterosexual couples?Nothing. Equal marriage is the right thing to do; and I believe we will see it throughout the country in our lifetimes. Though opinions are shifting in favor of full equality for LGBT people, including marriage equality, we won't see the changes we need without a fight. Will you give $51 to NOW today to help us see marriage equality in all 50 states (and D.C.)? The National Organization for Women has long been a trailblazer in the fight for marriage equality. In 1995, we were one of the first organizations to affirm marriage as a fundamental right not to be denied to same-sex couples. We launched our ground-breaking Equal Marriage campaign in 2004 and NOW chapters around the country have never stopped fighting. Today our activists around the country are carrying their Equal Marriage rounds to fight back against the national tour of the fundamentalist hate group that calls itself "the National Organization for Marriage." Please give $51 to NOW so that we can continue to send Equal Marriage campaign support to our activists in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. We're going to win this one. I can feel it. Are you willing to fight for it? For equality, Terry O'Neill NOW President P.S. If $51 is more than you can afford, gifts of any amount will help us secure equal rights for all loving couples. Donate any amount today. | |
Friday, July 30, 2010
Equality for all, or bigotry for some?
Labels:
action alert,
donation,
Equal Marriage,
NOW
Village Voice: The Problems with CUNY's New Sexual Assault Policy
Please find below a link to a Village Voice article about the new Sexual-assault policy that I worked on for two years, along with another CUNY student. Thank you!
The Problems with CUNY's New Sexual Assault Policy Village Voice ... a BA/MA student at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, and Jerin Alam, an undergrad at Hunter College—approached the university to make a change. ... Sincerely, Jerin Alam National NOW Political Action Committee Co-Chair National NOW Young Feminist Task Force NOW – NYS Young Feminist Task Force National Organization for Women (NOW) The National Organization for Women is the nation's largest organization working to advance women's rights and improve women's lives. Board Member Bella Abzug Leadership Institute |
last chance to press the NY Senate to pass the Reproductive Health Act this legislative year!
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Tell your friends about the Choice Action Network. |
Action Alert: Time is Running Out - Senate Needs to Pass Paycheck Fairness Act
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Time is Running Out - Senate Needs to Pass Paycheck Fairness Act
TAKE ACTION: NOW activists should call AND email their senators, urging them to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act (S.182/H.R.12), which the House adopted early in 2009. Urge your senators to do the right thing and move the bill to a floor vote now. It would also help to call your senator's local office, or even drop by, while she/he is home during August to deliver the same message. Background: Women are now half of the paid workforce, but as the recession continues, many women find that their family economic circumstances have changed. An unprecedented number of women are family breadwinners due to deeper unemployment rates among men -- making pay equity essential not simply to the economic security of families but also to the nation's economic recovery. The Paycheck Fairness Act will close loopholes in the Equal Pay Act of 1963 and strengthen it by creating incentives for employers to follow the law. Additionally, the Paycheck Fairness Act would assist women in effectively negotiating for better pay and promotion, further skill trainings for girls and women, restart the research on the gender wage gap and require wage data to be disaggregated by gender, race and ethnicity to ensure that businesses are providing equal pay. Critically important, the Act would prohibit retaliation against employees when salary information is shared, plus strengthen federal outreach and enforcement efforts. Further information on Paycheck Fairness Act provisions can be found in NOW's 2009 fact sheet or in the article, "NOW President Terry O'Neill Praises Obama Administration Pay Equity Initiatives." President Obama signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act at the beginning of the 111th Congress, but the Ledbetter Act only negated a Supreme Court ruling that workers must file charges on a pay discrimination claim within six months after receiving their first discriminatory paycheck (difficult to do if employees are forbidden from comparing salaries). The next crucial step is for the Senate to pass the more comprehensive Paycheck Fairness Act (S. 182/H.R. 12); the House already passed the measure by an even stronger bipartisan vote (256-163) than the Ledbetter bill (247-171). Take action NOW!
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Labels:
action alert,
NOW,
pay equity
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Action Alert: Tell NY City Council to Restore Funding to Anti-Sexual-Assault Programs
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EVE: Equal Visibility Everywhere: Donate to see Amelia Earhart balloon in the skies during Labor Day
From the EVE blog:
Uppity women and subversive history
by Suzanne Scoggins, EVE Director of Communications
July 15, 2010
You know what I like best about our balloon project? That it’s so subversive.
As women and feminists, we’ve always had to find ways around the entrenched power structures to get our stories told. Remember the Guerrilla Girls in the 80s? Remember the “This demeans women” stickers in the 70s?
The establishment institutions are biased against women and girls, which of course is why EVE exists in the first place. And it’s unavoidable that a big part of our work is focused on effecting change in those institutions: stamps, currency, statues, street names.
But the balloon project gives us an opportunity to go rogue. It’s a wildly subversive way to get women’s history right there in front of people, bypassing the corporate media and the official textbooks and the documentaries and the museums and the memorials—all that male-centered, woman-denying stuff that dominates the landscape. Think of it: a 40-foot helium balloon of Amelia Earhart—or Harriet Tubman, or Susan B. Anthony, or Clara Barton—sailing down the street. Impossible to miss. And the television announcers will be reading the script we’ve supplied, explaining what the balloon is all about, who the woman was. Millions of people will be exposed toreal women’s history. Millions of people will hear our message.
I admit, it took me awhile to see the beauty of the plan. When Lynette Long first presented the idea to me, I was like, what? Parade balloons? I’d never thought about it. But the more we talked about it and the more I learned, the more I realized what we could do with this. We are incredibly lucky to have hooked up with Toni McKay, whose StarBound Entertainment is one of the top two balloon suppliers in the country. She totally believes in this project, and is chomping at the bit to get these balloons designed and built. And because of her position in the industry, she has the ability to make sure our balloons fly in some of the biggest parades in the country.
My fantasy now is to some day have parade balloons of all those women who ought to be world-famous, but aren’t. Can you imagine? I want to hear the TV announcer introducing these balloons:
Admiral Grace Hopper: the woman who invented modern computer programming.
Buffalo Calf Road Woman: the Cheyenne warrior who killed Custer.
Mercy Otis Warren: the woman who conceived of the Bill of Rights.
Buffalo Calf Road Woman: the Cheyenne warrior who killed Custer.
Mercy Otis Warren: the woman who conceived of the Bill of Rights.
But first we need to get Amelia Earhart launched. If you haven’t chipped in yet, please consider giving if you can. As we point out in the Q&A about the balloon, it’s a great value for the money. The balloon will last for 20 years and be seen by millions of people every year—and all for less than $10,000.
Labels:
donation,
equal visibility everywhere
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Action Alert: Watchdog Not Lapdog Needed to Reform Wall Street
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Watchdog Not Lapdog Needed to Reform Wall Street, Tell Obama to Nominate Elizabeth Warren to Head Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
If confirmed, Warren would protect consumers from further economic meltdowns caused by shady loans and credit. She would also demand accountability and consumer-friendly practices from Wall Street banks. But she's not part of the old boys club, so NOW asks: Could sexism be at work in denying her this position? Write President Obama today and tell him that the people of the United States want a head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau who will promote the interests of consumers, not the interests of big banks. Tell him we want Elizabeth Warren! Take Action NOW! Background: In 2007, Elizabeth Warren, a Harvard Law professor, wrote an article in Democracy: A Journal of Ideas that proposed the creation of a government agency to protect consumers from duplicitous credit practices, much the same way that consumers are protected from faulty or dangerous products. Three years later, the government has taken Warren's advice and created the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau as part of the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, passed on July 23. The bureau would have the power to oversee, analyze, and regulate credit and loans, including credit cards and mortgages. It would protect consumers from any abusive banking practices and would also be able to monitor Wall Street to prevent another economic meltdown. Overall, the purpose of the bureau is consumer protection, and it needs a head who will be on the side of everyday people, not the rich and superrich. Elizabeth Warren is more than qualified to head this bureau. She is an expert on bankruptcy, a distinguished researcher and the chair of the Congressional Oversight Panel, which monitored the Wall Street bailouts. Her background, experience, and commitment to the welfare of consumers make her the most obvious choice for head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. However, those on Wall Street and government officials who support them do not want Warren to head the bureau, as they know that she would boldly stand up for consumers and crack down on the underhanded practices of big banks. U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner has voiced objections to Warren, and though he's since described her as "an enormously effective leader," he still has not said that he would recommend her nomination. Some of the president's top financial advisors, like Larry Summers, have expressed biased and blatantly sexist views about women's abilities. In 2005, Summers said, concerning women's aptitude for science and math, "It does appear that on many, many different human attributes--overall IQ, mathematical ability, scientific ability--there is relatively clear evidence that …there is a difference in the standard deviation, and variability of a male and a female population." Essentially, he claimed that men are innately inclined to be better at math and science than women. Let's hope that Obama doesn't listen to Summers on this decision! The consumers of the U.S. need a strong watchdog like Elizabeth Warren to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, not a Wall Street lapdog. Take action NOW by emailing President Obama!
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action alert,
Congress,
financial reform,
Obama
Ms. Blog eNewsletter: Hugh Hefner, Civil Rights Hero?
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Labels:
Ms. Magazine,
pornography
"The first Saturday without harassment in 8 years" for Family Reproductive Health clinic in Charlotte
Will you give to NOW today to help us keep clinics around the country safe? Operation Save America (formerly Operation Rescue) staged a national event in Charlotte July 17-24. They boasted of their intentions to target Family Reproductive Health clinic on Saturday, July 24, but when they saw 70 peaceful abortion rights supporters outside the clinic, they packed up their red "murder" bus condemning women's fundamental right to choose, LGBT people, and people living with AIDS and left. That's right -- they packed up and left. But this fight isn't over. Please give to NOW today to help women's rights supporters send even more members of what Dr. LeRoy Carhart calls "The American Taliban" packing. Frankly, I traveled down to Charlotte on Friday expecting the worst. Our people on the ground were reporting harassment from trees outside the clinic, large-scale demonstrations over highway overpasses during rush hours, and even protests outside a local mosque. And for eight years, leaders of Operation Save America have built scaffolding to rise above the fences protecting the clinic, so that they might scream at women seeking legal and safe abortion care and the doctors and staff who bravely serve them.
Arriving Saturday morning, I joined grassroots NOW leaders who had driven quite some way to defend the clinic -- North Carolina NOW President Gailya Paliga, longtime NOW National Board member and leader Robin Davis; New York State NOW Young Feminist Task Force co-chair Meghan Shalvoy; even Florida NOW Secretary Dennis Blanchard, who drove all night to get there before the clinic opened. With allies and supporters, we stretched out along the block and realized we had 70 positive, peaceful demonstrators helping to defend the clinic from Operation Save America's planned siege. The result? A man harassing the clinic climbed down from a tree, and left in a car with men wearing Repent America! T-shirts. At the end of the day, a clinic staffer came out and thanked the group for creating the first Saturday in eight years where clinic doctors, staff and the women they serve were free from harassment. As the group filtered away, one of the doctors came out in his scrubs and thanked us for our help. It was truly amazing. Please help NOW support, foster and grow our grassroots network so that it is even more powerful around the country -- fighting back against extremists takes more than a village. It takes a NOW chapter. For reproductive freedom, Erin Matson Action Vice President P.S. Please donate NOW. Your contribution will help us provide even more support to fantastic NOW grassroots leaders like Charlotte NOW President Cindy Thomson. | ||
Labels:
abortion,
activism,
anti-choice,
domestic terrorism,
donation,
meghan shalvoy,
NOW,
pro-choice,
young feminist task force,
young feminists
Monday, July 26, 2010
Operation Defend Charlotte: Success!!
Last week I traveled to Charlotte, NC to help defend Family Reproductive Health against Operation Save America and other Christian fundamentalists from their attempts to harass and terrorize the providers, patients and staff of that clinic, as well as two other private clinics in the city.
Posted by: Meghan!!
Aside from the truly amazing and inspiring women I spent those days with in Charlotte, I learned so very much about clinic harassment and anti-choice tactics. On Saturday, July 24, Flip Benham & OSA arrived at FRH to witness the line of 70 committed and powerful pro-choice clinic defenders along the side of Hebron St at 8:30am, they promptly turned around and drove away. Although the defenders were fired up and ready to go toe-to-toe with OSA, the real success was realized when we were told by clinic staff that it was the first Saturday in 8 years that the clinic staff and patients went unharassed and able to peacefully and autonomously care for women.
I want to thank each and every person who contributed all week, especially on Saturday, for your strength and commitment to TRUSTING WOMEN.
See...
Erin Matson's blog following the clinic defense: http://now.org/issues/abortion/charlotte_defense.html
@ClinicEscort photo from Saturday: http://twitpic.com/288hu1
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Sarah Jones: One woman, eight hilarious characters
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Friday, July 23, 2010
NOW News & Action Summary: Defend Choice, Confirm Kagan, Repeal DOMA
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Labels:
Equal Marriage,
glass ceiling,
LGBTQ,
NOW,
pro-choice,
Supreme Court
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Sat, Aug 14: Meet the Candidates for NYS Governor and NYS Attorney General
Sponsored by the National Organization for Women-NYS PAC You are Invited to a Breakfast with Candidates for Governor (Invited): Andrew Cuomo NYS Attorney General * Andi Weiss Bartczak Candidate for Governor (confirmed): Warren Redlich Confirmed Attorney General Candidates: Kathleen Rice, Nassau County District Attorney * Eric Schneiderman, NYS Senator * Richard Brodsky, NYS Assembly Member Date: Saturday, August 14th, 2010 Time: 10:00 am Location: 155 Washington Avenue, (SEIU Building) Albany, NY Cost $20 per person Pay on line at RSVP by August 7th. Seating limited! For more info: Call 518-452-3944 or Email: Info@nownys.org |
Labels:
election,
event,
new york state,
NOW-NYS,
our events
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Is Mad Men glamorizing sexism or critiquing it?
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Labels:
Ms. Magazine,
sexism,
TV
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