I’m freshly back from a “No Kings” event. Amid the joyful (if soggy) crowd and inflatable unicorn costumes, there was a stark reminder of what we’re up against: a dozen women in Handmaid outfits.
Abortion rights have already been torn away in many states, and the architects of Project 2025 have made clear that they’re gunning for birth control next. Anti-discrimination laws are still on the books, but the institutions that enforce them are being stripped of their power. And multiple allegations of sexual assault or domestic violence are no hindrance to a career in TFG’s administration.
Here was the response to “No Kings” on the official Dept. of Transportation account:
Because they can’t imagine a worse insult than “girl.”
I don’t know how this ends. I just know we have to keep saying NO to this regime for as long as it takes.
As always, this diary is a group effort. Thanks to elenacarlena, Angmar, and the WOW crew for links and discussion.
Reproductive Rights and Health Care:
Republicans want to use the EPA to test wastewater for abortion medication.
Apparently RFK Jr. thinks the fetus lives inside the placenta?
Sexism in medicine continues to endanger women’s health.
Although this administration has not followed through on promises to support IVF, Dr. Oz held a press conference crediting TFG for ending infertility, and saying one in three families are “underbabied.”
South Carolina is considering a bill that would punish abortion with the death penalty.
Violence and Harassment:
Jeffrey Epstein had ski trips and dinners with a top prosecutor on his case in Florida.
In an extract from her posthumous memoir, Virginia Roberts Giuffre remembers the day an ‘apex predator’ recruited her from Mar-a-Lago, aged just 16; how she was trafficked to a succession of wealthy and powerful men, and how everyone knew what was going on. Part of the fallout is that Prince Andrew is giving up all royal titles, though he continues to deny the charges. Here’s a timeline of what’s known about him and child trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
The government shutdown is endangering domestic violence survivors.
The leaked chat for Young Republicans revealed racism, homophobia, anti-Semitism general bloodlust, and a great deal of misogyny, including rape fantasies. Naturally, JD Vance is making excuses for them.
Workplace and Economic Issues:
Balancing Act: Can “mom jobs” help China’s women have it all?
“She-cession:” women are leaving the workforce at alarming rates.
AI and online images continue to give an inaccurate view of women in the workplace.
Politics:
TFG Erases Women From Foreign Policy. The White House has overturned the decades-old bipartisan policy consensus that female empowerment serves U.S. interests.
At the other end of the scale, China's Xi calls for greater inclusion of women in governance. Not sure how committed he is to this stance though. Just 2 years ago, he said that women "must establish a 'new trend of family.'"
Women Doing Awesome Things:
Ezra Levin and Leah Greenberg are co-founders of Indivisible and co-authors of the original Indivisible guide published in 2019. Since they are coordinating much of the No Kings protests Saturday, here is a bio on Leah Greenberg. More from Wikipedia.
Uncategorizable:
Good news: men have stopped disrupting women’s sports with dildos. Bad news: now they’re betting on their periods.
