Special Coverage: Reproductive Justice and Gender

Is It Wrong to Talk About Michelle Obama's Body?

Tamura Lomax, RH Reality Check. November 22, 2008.
A recent Salon article declared 'First Lady Got Back.' Does the piece tap into racist assumptions about black women's sexuality?

From the blogs

Good News and Bad News About Bush's Last-Minute War on Choice

by Cara, Feministe

I’m hugely pessimistic for the short-term, but optimistic about where this is going to go come January.

Anti-Choice Advocates Oppose Measures That Actually Decrease the Abortion Rate?

by Jill Filipovic, Feministe

When you think about it, it really isn't that surprising. Logic has never been their strong suit.

Alice Walker: The 'Good Medicine' of Obama's Victory

by Staff, Al Jazeera

How Obama represents a shift in attitudes on race and gender in America.

Unmarried Women Helped Obama Win

by AlterNet Staff, AlterNet

Single women overwhelmingly voted for Obama -- and helped Democrats sweep election '08.

Can There Be Justice for Pregnant Women if the Unborn Have 'Human Rights?'

by Lynn Paltrow, RH Reality Check

Bottom line: Human rights attach at birth, not at conception.

The Pornograph-izing of Sarah Palin

by Cara, Feministe

Strip club look alike contests and the 'Nailin Palin' porno by Hustler are not in good fun.

Palin Refuses to Call Clinic Bombers Terrorists

by Ari, Firedoglake

She could have just said yes, because they are.

How Much Time Should She Do?

by Tara Sweeney, Winning Message Action Fund

The dangerous consequences of the McCain campaign's anti-choice rhetoric.

McCain Blames Feminists for Campaign's Slipping Support

by Lucinda Marshall, Feminist Peace Network

And apparently they're mighty proud of it.

John McCain's Attack on Women

by Liza Sabater, Culture Kitchen

One of the most poignant moments of last night's debate was the discussion over abortion and the composition of the Supreme Court.

Honeytrap Lies and Women Spies

Rosie White, American Sexuality Magazine. November 21, 2008.
Female spies have been the subject of cultural fascination since Mata Hari, but the realities they face are quite different from fiction.

Where Are the Female Arnold Schwarzeneggers?

Marie Cocco, Washington Post Writers Group. November 21, 2008.
Unlike Ah-nold, no woman will ever burst into high political office without a lick of experience. And women with credentials don't fare much better.

What Obama Should Do for Women

Adrianne Appel, IPS News. November 20, 2008.
From women's reproductive health worldwide, to child care and equal pay, women activists are ready to speak with Obama about what needs to be done.

The Bitch and the Airhead: Blatant Women-Bashing Makes a Gut-Wrenching Comeback

Daphne Merkin, The Daily Beast. November 20, 2008.
Change may well be coming to Washington. But the public discourse about women has taken several steps backward.

Thin Is the New Miserable

Stephanie Losee, AlterNet. November 19, 2008.
A new book from Valerie Frankel shows how the only lasting effect dieting has is on people's mind-sets about their bodies.

Reproductive Tourism Soars in India

Priti Sehgal, The Wip. November 16, 2008.
Adoption and surrogacy laws have yet to catch up.

In Praise of Baadasssss Supermamas

Stephane Dunn, Ms. Magazine. November 15, 2008.
The women in Blaxploitation pics didn't accept victimization and often fought for causes larger than themselves. Imagine what they would do today.

What Obama Should Do About Sex Ed

William Smith, RH Reality Check. November 12, 2008.
Obama has the chance to help empower young people to make responsible, smart decisions about sex.

After Obama's Victory: What's Next for Women?

Theresa Braine, Women's eNews. November 12, 2008.
Women's groups are already looking ahead and setting the agenda with goals like fixing health care and rescinding the global gag rule.

Pregnancy Resource Centers Try to Scare Students into Keeping the Baby

Elizabeth Zwerling, Ms. Magazine. November 11, 2008.
On a mission to eliminate reproductive choice, so-called crisis pregnancy centers are giving false information about abortion.

Raped in the Military? You May Have to Pay for Your Own Forensic Exam Kit

Penny Coleman, AlterNet. November 11, 2008.
This outrage gives "supporting the troops" a whole new meaning.

Obama's Cabinet Should Be Half Women

Linda Basch, AlterNet. November 10, 2008.
An open letter to Obama: Having a diverse cabinet is not only fair but good for the country.

The Next, Pro-Choice Cabinet?

Kay Steiger, RH Reality Check. November 10, 2008.
It's important to remember how much damage appointees can do if they don't have respect for women's health and sexuality.

Sayonara, Sarah Palin

Katha Pollitt, The Nation. November 10, 2008.
God's gift to journalism -- and to feminism.

Why Larry Summers Is a Bad Choice for an Obama Administration

Veronica Arreola, The Women's Media Center. November 9, 2008.
A person who scoffs at discrimination does not represent the type of change we need in the next administration.

California's Prop 4 Jeopardizes Doctor-Patient Relationship

Carole Joffe, Dr. Eleanor Drey, RH Reality Check. November 4, 2008.
Prop 4 would turn physicians into cops, eroding their trust with younger, teenage patients.

Financial Crisis Sends Women Voters Flocking to Obama

Claire Bushey, Women's eNews. November 4, 2008.
Female registered voters favor Obama over McCain by 16 points.

How This Election Could Change the Meaning of Masculinity in America

Rob Okun, Women's eNews. November 3, 2008.
Polls show people are no longer buying into the bullying tactics of old-school masculinity.

Single Women: Election 2008's Holy Grail

Lea Lane, Huffington Post. November 3, 2008.
Unmarried women will be to progressives what evangelicals were to conservatives. They will determine the future of this country.

A New Way to Foster Parent

Helaine Olen, AlterNet. November 1, 2008.
Several cities and states now encourage close contact between foster and birth parents -- a difficult but beneficial relationship.

South Dakota Abortion Ban in Dead Heat

Emily Douglas, RH Reality Check. October 31, 2008.
If the ban passes, it will present a challenge to Roe at the Supreme Court.

The Real Story Behind CA's Parental Notification Push

Amie Newman, RH Reality Check. October 31, 2008.
Proposition 4 does not encourage communication between parents and their kids -- it puts teens in danger and violates their rights.

Proposition K: Changing the Landscape for Sex Workers

Sienna Baskin, Melissa Ditmore, RH Reality Check. October 29, 2008.
The passage of San Francisco's Proposition K would be a critical first step toward reducing sex workers' vulnerability to violence.

Why Straight People Need to Get into the Fight for Marriage Equality

Joshua Holland, AlterNet. October 28, 2008.
Pragmatism doesn't mean leaving your core principles at the door.

Real National Security Begins at Home, Say Women Leaders

Adele Stan, Media Consortium. October 26, 2008.
The Pentagon sucks up 54 percent of the federal budget. Yet politicians rarely challenge it. It may take women to fix our defense priorities.

Caveman Sex: How Evolutionary Psych Pushes Sexist Stereotypes

Martha McCaughey, American Sexuality Magazine. October 24, 2008.
The watered-down evolutionary psychology prevalent in pop culture enables some men to rationalize sexist double standards about relationships.

The Biggest Breast Cancer Risk Factor That No One Is Talking About

Lucinda Marshall, AlterNet. October 23, 2008.
While the media sound alarms about breast cancer's links to lifestyle choices and genetics, a much more likely risk factor is going undiscussed.

'Ten Commandments' of Non-Sexist Language for Reporting on Violence Against Women

Sebastián Lacunza, IPS News. October 23, 2008.
Journalists in Argentina are working to eliminate gender bias in their reporting.

Access to Birth Control, Under the Next President

Amanda Marcotte, RH Reality Check. October 21, 2008.
What Obama and McCain's positions on contraception and health services would mean for Americans.

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Coverage concerning women's rights, reproductive health and education, gender, race, sexuality and more.

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Rebecca Project for Human Rights

Raising the voices of vulnerable families by advocating reform of child welfare, criminal justice, and substance abuse policies that impact the lives of women and girls.

NFPRHA

Family planning services are critical to reducing the need for abortion and providing much-needed health care for low-income communities. Nearly 90 percent of the voting public favors family planning, yet the government routinely underfunds it. Find out how the National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association is fighting to keep those services available, and learn how you can help.

ACRJ

The control and regulation of bodies, gender and sexuality is reproductive oppression. Asian Communities for Reproductive Justice organizes to increase the well-being of our families and communities through collective action. Learn more at reproductivejustice.org.