Gag me.

Some notes about the Global Gag Rule-- even though this has been in effect since the beginning of Bush's Presidency (he reinstated the policy on his first day of work), it doesn't mean that it isn't having a huge impact every day globally.

Here's a little about it:
The global gag rule (also known as the Mexico City Policy) denies federal funding to any family planning organizations internationally that provide abortions in cases other than life-threatening emergencies or rape, provide counseling services that include abortion as an option, or lobby for increased abortion rights within the country they are working in.

This greatly affects the health care community-- for example, in Kenya (according to globalgagrule.org) eight clinics were closed and many reproductive heath care staff and programs throughout the country were cut. This in and of itself is too bad, but even more crucial is the fact that many of those closed clinics were the only place to obtain health care in their local communities.

Read about
Impacts of the Global Gag Rule on individual countries around the world here.

Love,
Liz

TFA Blog in the Daily!

Check out the press coverage!


TFA Brings Feminist View to Blogosphere-- Tufts Daily Article

Anti-choicer in charge of birth control distribution? Huh.

So I'm sure many of you have heard about President Bush's appointment of Dr. Eric Keroack as the leader of Title X, a governmental Family Planning Program. Keroack has an incredible array of anti-choice and abstinence-only credentials, but has been placed in charge of the $283 million dollar program specifically designed to provide access to contraception, especially to those who can not afford it. This appointment doesn't need to be approved by anyone. Here's an editorial with more info:


Newsday editorial

Whether you're pro-choice or not, this is a pretty clear statement about how much interest Bush has in maintaining the dignity of Choice and of programs designed to promote it.

Below, if you feel like I do about it, are some opportunities to tell Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt to withdraw the appointment:


NOW petition


Planned Parenthood Petition

I know Cosmo can be fun to read but...

here's a great alternative. The Women's Center has a regular subscription to this (and other fabulous) magazine, and its definitely worth checking out, and supporting!!

Bitch magazine's Winter 2006/2007 issue is chock full of interesting stuff. Here are some quotes and trivia that grabbed me.

An interview with Katha Pollitt, columnist for the Nation, writer, and activist bears (in part) the following introduction: "Pollitt's perspective is that feminism isn't a social movement that simply sits alongside other progressive causes, but one that informs and affects how those causes exist and evolve." Pollitt herself says of our forever lamented crisis of feminism's bad rep, "Lots of women don't [call themselves feminists]. They don't want to be taken for hairy-legged, man-hating, strident lesbians. Well, good luck to them, but eventually some of them are going to want something-- a raise, an abortion, a fair deal in divorce court, respect-- that a strong feminist movement might help them get."


Another great tidbit is the article about Tyra Banks and Naomi Campbell on Banks' talk show. Banks chose to heal an intense old rivalry-- "Tyra could easily have made Naomi the sole villain. Instead, she chose to focus on systemic racism in the modeling industry."

The rest of the great stuff ranges from an echo of Bob Herbert's (see below) great article about hate crimes against women to an article about feminist vegetarianism to one about knitting.

So, in the end, this is just a shameless plug for a magazine that's long been a personal favorite. I just picked up the new issue and knew you should all see it too. So ask to borrow a copy, stop by the women's center, or check out bitchmagazine.com

Much love,
Liz