This is my first diary so please be gentle. First a little background...I feel that unless we tell our stories (like the LGBT coming-out-of the-closet stories) there will not be significant changes in the rights of women over their bodies and choices. A link to a DKos Diary about just this topic and a twitter#.
http://www.dailykos.com/...
So while I am a private person, here is my story...
I am a Mother, Wife, Daughter, Sister and Auntie and have been roaming the earth for over half a century. I was brought up in a small town in WA and moved myself to Seattle in my early 20's then back to small-ville to have a family. I work in Seattle for a non-profit that houses the chronically homeless permanently (not a shelter).
My Mother gave her first child up for adoption in the 1950s before abortion was legal, when she was pregnant right out of high school.
My youngest Sister gave her first child up for adoption when she was pregnant right out of high school.
I had a Great Aunt who died trying to self-abort her fifth child during the Great Depression as her husband was unemployed and they already had 6 mouths to feed.
I have seen the pain of stillbirth first hand when I was 21, unwed and pregnant. I have had 2 abortions due to fetal anomalies and viability issues.
I am the Mother to two very strong, very intelligent, very beautiful teenage Daughters, that I am sure will help change the world for the better. (Can you tell I'm a proud Mamma too?!)
Welcome to the War on Women, hope you packed light and are buckled up, we're in for a bumpy ride!
You might think that with the Pope visiting that the War would take a little break, but alas you would be mistaken.
Violence and Harassment:
More information coming out about the Oregon Shooter...
"Boylan told her family that she survived by playing dead after Mercer called to her, “Hey you, blond woman,” as she lay on the ground bleeding.
“I’ve been waiting to do this for years,” the gunman told the professor teaching the class. He shot him point blank, Boylan recounted."
http://jezebel.com/...
Nothing like a child porn loving cop.
http://m.dailykos.com/...
79% of women in prison are domestic violence survivors:
http://act.weareultraviolet.org/...
Here is a link to an article about immigrant women being sexually harassed and raped by their bosses. Of course the police and DA could not be persuaded to bring charges until the Feds stepped in.
http://www.miaminewtimes.com/...
So you are 19 and have been raped by your older sister's fiance. You tell your parents and they go to the police, like they should, right?!!?!?! Follow the link for the horrible rest of this horrible story of how not to investigate a rape.
http://www.buzzfeed.com/...
Now help by signing a petition!
http://act.weareultraviolet.org/...
A Ph.D. student from the University of Minnesota is suing over sexual harassment by an academic mentor. The professor doesn't deny the harassing behavior, but claims that her attempts at politely laughing it off constituted "ambiguous signals" that he couldn't possibly be expected to understand:
http://jezebel.com/...
So if you thought that only USA high school football stars were they only young men that didn't understand rape and all the implications, here is a link to another Medscape article about Nairobi South Africa and the problems they are having with gang rape as a form of punishment that young men use against their girlfriends. (You will need to log-in to the Medscape site they offer a free subscription)
http://www.medscape.com/...
There is something uniquely horrifying about being sexually demeaned in front of your own father.
http://www.xojane.com/...
Tondolo Hall, the OK woman serving 20 years for not protecting her children from the man who abused her and them, for which he served 2 years, was denied commutation. This is a petition supporting a law that would stop OK from punishing victims of domestic violence.
http://act.weareultraviolet.org/....
An online harasser chose to attach his real name and employer to some unbelievably racist, misogynist, transphobic and threatening messages. He was the only one surprised when he wound up out of a job.
Mexico - a woman goes to pay the ransom for her kidnapped husband, and gets kidnapped herself. Follow the link for her story.
http://www.usnews.com/....
This is a thing now for PUA...
http://www.xojane.com/...
When is Work-Life Balance Sexist?
At the Dreamforce Women's Innovation Panel, moderator Gayle King asked, in ridiculously personal detail, powerful women including YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki how they balance work and family. Young Turks discussed on September 30. Their takeaway message was that it's okay to ask the question briefly. But just as important is career success within the workplace:
To which we should add: Now let's persistently ask men how they balance work and family. If they're embarrassed by multiple media appearances where they admit that basically they are terribly neglectful fathers, maybe successful men will finally start to make time away from work for their children, as they should have been all along.
Reproductive Freedom:
There has been lots of talk lately about forcing women to carry pregnancy to birth with no discussion about some of the dangers to the woman who carries a pregnancy and the damage the whole process can have on her health, not only during the pregnancy but following her through the rest of her life.
Here is an article by Medscape on just some of the complications that can follow a woman through the remainder of her life after giving birth. (You will need to log-in to the Medscape site they offer a free subscription)
http://www.medscape.com/...
Here is a link to Bill Nye the Science Guy standing up for the science of abortion and Women's Rights to choose. Thanks Bill for stating facts against the constant stream of lies.
http://www.newsweek.com/...
Where abortion is illegal, women without resources risk unsafe methods, such as seeking care from an unqualified provider; self-medicating; drinking toxic fluids; and self-injury. Such abortion procedures lead to 13 percent of global maternal deaths annually, or eight maternal deaths every hour. Millions of women who survive these unsafe procedures suffer serious—if not permanent—injuries. Each year there are 85 million unintended pregnancies globally, with 3.4 million in the United States alone, according to the Guttmacher Institute. Here is the link concerning illegal abortions and the horrible cost in human life.
http://rhrealitycheck.org/...
Good News and Action Items:
Here is a little bit of a bright spot in a sea of whirling abuse, The pill celebrated an milestone this week!
http://feministing.com/...
Here is an article with an action item to repeal the Hyde Amendment and replace it with something that works for women.
http://feministing.com/...
So if you think you have had enough and would like to get started helping make the world a little more safe, a little more respectful and a whole lot more equal towards women and girls, here is a partial list of organizations for Women and Women's Rights to help you get started:
NOW The National Organization For Women http://now.org/
ACLU The American Civil Liberties Union https://www.aclu.org/
Women's Health Network http://www.womenshealthnetwork.com/
Rainbo http://www.rainbo.org/...
Amnesty International http://www.amnestyusa.org/
Amnesty International has a Women's Activist toolkit to help you get started in being a great help to women in need. Just follow the link...
http://www.amnestyusa.org/...
Next month, PPGNHI (Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest and Hawaiian Islands) is a proud co-sponsor of the Human Right to Family Planning Conference, held October 9-11 at the University of Washington campus in Seattle.
This conference is the first of its kind to be sponsored by a U.S. university in collaboration with community organizations and it will explore the relationship between the right to health and family planning, including abortion, and improving universal access—globally and locally. Here is a link to register for the conference.
http://depts.washington.edu/...
Thanks for reading and taking the time to make Women's Rights a priority in your life. I would like to thank the amazing members of the War on Women Team and especially Tara TASW, Mettle Fatigue, Ramara and Officebss, they were very helpful and encouraging. I would also like to encourage others to jump in the pool, the water is fine and the company is even better!
And remember
"None are free until we all are free!"