Hello fellow Feminists

Hello my fellow feminists! My name is Colleen Mullen, and as this is my first of many blogs for the Feminist Majority Foundation, I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself. I recently gradated from UCLA with a major in Political Science (concentration in Political Theory) and a minor in Women’s Studies. While at UCLA, I realized the ever growing importance and power of civic engagement, community activism, grassroots organizing, and student activism. During my first 2 years at UCLA, I served as the Logistics and Finance Coordinator for the Student Activist Project (SAP). SAP aimed to enlighten students on broad social justice issues, to teach the fundamentals of grassroots organizing, and most importantly to empower students to challenge students to use this knowledge to make a change in our society. In addition, I completed the JusticeCorps program in Downtown Los Angeles where I provided legal information to self-represented litigants in family law cases. With this background, I aim to (at some point) go to law school and study public interest law.

Student Activists hard at work. Student Activist Project Facilitation Team Retreat (2007). Photo Courtesy of Tina Reggio.

Feminists have many different faces. I'm sure that even if we all identify as feminists, we each have different definitions of this means. Feminism, as a political, epistemological, social, cultural philosophy, constantly reinvents, questions, and challenges itself. The theoretical feminist rainbow (for lack of a better metaphor) includes everything from traditional, political Liberal Feminists who strive for individual autonomy; radical Socialist feminist who acknowledge the intersecting oppressions of patriarchy and capitalism on women; third world feminists who challenge Western cultural imperialism; to post modern feminists who claim every individual is a result of intersectional, unique, oppressions that cannot lend itself to group formations. This is the beauty (and some would even argue it is a pain) of feminism.

For me, feminism is something much simpler. Feminism is simply a different perspective of life, a forgotten and invisible perspective. Without realizing, many people have been socialized to view life, themselves, and others, through the perspective of a white, heterosexual, capitalist, rich/middle-class male. This unrecognized perspective ignores the different experiences of communities of color, working class, the LGBTQ communities, physically or mentally disabled, women, societies in non-Western and developing countries… the list goes on and on. The fundamental goal of a feminist (of any theoretical background) therefore must be to simply acknowledge, respect, and act upon all these philosophies.

Guest post: Smashing the gender wage gap!

Susan Logsdon, president of the Widener University FMLA in Pennsylvania, posts about the FMLA's work to raise awareness about pay equity. Happy Thanksgiving!

It is often hard for young women, especially college students, to think of ways in which feminist activism could help them. However, our FMLA has found that drawing attention to unequal pay between men and women is an effective way to inform people how relevant the feminist struggle for equal rights is to modern society.

In October, we held a pay-equity bake sale, inspired by the Feminist Majority Foundation, and we emphasized the fact that women still earn only 76 cents to every dollar that a man makes. No matter how educated a woman is or how many qualifications or skills she may have, she will still earn much less than her male counterpart simply because of the fact of her gender.

It is even harder for women in traditionally male-dominated fields such as science and engineering, as they face other discriminations and hardships due to their gender. Even fields such as nursing have unequal pay distributions; one study has shown that male nurses may earn in excess of 3,000 dollars more a year than female nurses. Both of these fields of study are highly represented and respected at our college, and the fact that these young women pursuing rigorous fields of study will still eventually earn much less than their male counterparts after graduation is deeply disturbing.

The ideas behind the bake sale also extended to another population of our college and many other colleges as well: older students who are either returning to college after an absence or who are getting their first chance at college in order to advance their careers. Many women in these situations are working while pursuing their degrees and may also have families to support as well.

They are attending college to make their job opportunities brighter or improve their current statuses in order to make things more promising for themselves. Yet, the unequal wage system does not honor such commitments; women who have had extra burdens such as a late start to education or families to support will still earn much less than their male counterparts.

Our bake sale emphasized all of these points, and we found that many people who stopped by our table were extremely receptive to the idea. They recognized the disparity between the wages of men and women and how this is unjustified. What was most encouraging was the fact that equal amounts of both genders supported the idea and recognized the faulty system that supports unequal pay as something inherently unfair; there were not any protests at the idea that one gender had to pay more than the other gender, and all seemed to realize the gravity of our message.

We felt confident that, through promoting a cause that is very real and pertinent to women of all different generations and backgrounds, we had given our college community a greater sense of what feminism is: simply the idea that women are as equal as men, not something that is meant to divide the genders.

Want to know more? Contact Susan at smlogsdon (at) mail dot widener dot edu. You too can cross post with FMF! Email campusteam@feminist.org to get on board!

HRC loves FMF, nbd.

Translation: Hillary Rodham Clinton loves Feminist Majority Foundation, No Big Deal

Nolimits.org, a non-partisan, non-political organization aimed at bringing the public into the political process, held their first annual Public Policy Conference at the Ronald Reagan building. Speakers included Congressman Barney Frank (his sister Ann Lewis is a founder of No Limits), White House Deputy Chief of Staff Jim Messina and our extraordinary Secretary of State, Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Thanks to our Political Director, Alice Cohan, ten of us, including all the campus organizers and five interns, had the unbelievable opportunity to hear Sec. Hillary Clinton’s speech. Clinton emphasized her commitment to improving the rights of women, children, and families around the world while; Clinton claimed her main motivation throughout her political career has been to enable every child to grow up and “reach their god-given potential.” Clinton was adamant that ‘their’ issues and ‘our’ issues are the same; there is no us vs. them anymore, just us.

You may not know the father of two in Kansas who will be receiving your tax dollars to pay for his cancer treatment, and you may not know the pregnant woman in the Congo who will finally receive prenatal care. But in making these changes and reaching out to these people, we are making America a better place, and the world a better place. I could not agree with her more. Oh right, and then she totally gave a shout out to Feminist Majority, woot woot!

It was fitting for Hillary Clinton to speak at this event. Not only does No Limits stand for much of the same issues she does herself, but no limits is directly aligned with one of Clinton’s most central beliefs: “With our ingenuity, innovative spirit and creativity, there are no limits to what is possible in America.”
Amen sister!

Photo credit: nrbelex from flickr

Lack of International Climate Treaty Affects Women

Time is running out for the international climate change negotiations in Copenhagen. As the New York Times points out, it is unlikely a global climate treaty will be reached by December.

The US and other major polluting countries have decided it is better to take smaller but important steps towards global climate change rather than creating a weak, hard to enforce treaty. Negotiators cite the divide between rich and poor nations as “just too wide” saying that final legislative action should not be expected until the better part of next year.

However, a global climate treaty is necessary to force the world’s countries to take more proactive steps towards halting climate change. Climate change adversely affects women more than men, as women make up nearly 70% of the worlds poor and it is the poor who are affected worst and foremost by this issue.

Want to help? Get involved with the Women & the Environment campaign with Feminist Majority Foundation! Information can be found at http://www.feminist.org/global/womenclimatechange.html.

Photo Credit: Find your Feet on Flickr.com

AAUW opporunities

FMF just got a hot tip on some great opportunities from our friends at AAUW and wanted to pass it on to you. We hope that these leadership projects spark your imaginations and get you revved up to jump on board!

Feel free to take a closer look at these fantastic links. Deadlines are fast approaching; don’t let these chances slip away!

*AAUW Campus Action Projects (CAP) - Campus Action Projects enable student leaders and campus faculty to design and implement effective programs that enhance campus offerings, promote leadership, and improve academic and career outcomes. 2009-10 applications are available with a submission deadline of October 16, 2009.

*National Student Advisory Council (SAC) - SAC student leaders give AAUW advice and implementation strategies on programming of interest for young women and girls, build relationships with local AAUW branches, lead campus events that promote women’s equity, and help plan and implement NCCWSL activities. 2009-10 applications are available with a submission deadline of September 30, 2009.

*Campaign College - Campaign College is the only program in the country that trains college women to run for student government. Last spring, AAUW conducted two successful pilot trainings in partnership with the American University Women & Politics Institute and Running Start. Applications are available with a submission deadline of October 16, 2009.

photocredit to ricklibrarian on Flickr.com

Exposing Fake Clinics: Making Money Off of Adoption

Hopefully by now, you're well aware of FMF's Campaign to Expose Fake Clinics. (If not, check it out!) We're currently working on updating the campaign tool kit with the most recent legislative information and new ways for you to get involved!

Watch this short video on crisis pregnancy centers to learn more! We worked with RH Reality check to produce the video, and just posted it on our website:

Our Reality: A Look at Crisis Pregnancy Centers from RH Reality Check on Vimeo.

You should also check out The Nation's recent article on CPCs and their shady links to anti-abortion adoption agencies. Here's an excerpt from the article:

Religious women may be particularly susceptible to CPC coercion, argues Mari Gallion, a 39-year-old Alaska mother who founded the support group SinglePregnancy.com after a CPC unsuccessfully pressured her to relinquish her child ten years ago.

Gallion, who has worked with nearly 3,000 women with unplanned pregnancies, calls CPCs "adoption rings" with a multistep agenda: evangelizing; discovering and exploiting women's insecurities about age, finances or parenting; then hard-selling adoption, portraying parenting as a selfish, immature choice.

"The women who are easier to coerce in these situations are those who subscribe to conservative Christian views," says Gallion. "They'll come in and be told that, You've done wrong, but God will forgive you if you do the right thing."

To read the entire article, click here.

To join FMF's Campaign to Expose Fake clinics, email campusteam@feminist.org. For more information on CPCs, visit our website www.feministcampus.org.

VA Gov. Candidate's Old Thesis = Anti-Women, Anti LGBTQ!

The recently published graduate thesis of Virginia Attorney General Robert McDonnell, who is also the Republican candidate for Virginia Governor, demonstrates opposition to women's rights. McDonnell spent 14 years in the state legislature before becoming state Attorney General in 2006.

McDonnell has attempted to distance himself from the inflammatory views fleshed out in his thesis. However, current Virginia Governor Tim Kaine, a Democrat, told Politico that the thesis is McDonnell's "political blueprint" and that "After years of working with Bob, I believe this article is an accurate reflection of his sincere and long-standing views."

McDonnell described feminists and working women as "detrimental" to the family and feminism as among the "real enemies of the traditional family" in his thesis. In 2001, he voted against ending sex-based wage discrimination. He has also argued that the child-care tax exemption should be repealed.

McDonnell also called the 1972 Supreme Court ruling in Eisenstadt v. Baird, which legalized contraception by unmarried couples as "illogical" in the thesis and in 2004, voted against allowing student health centers on college campuses to dispense emergency contraception. He voted repeatedly for abortion restrictions and demonstrated he is opposed to abortion even in cases of rape and incest. McDonnell supported or sponsored anti-choice legislation continuously over the 14 years he served the Virginia House of Delegates.

Feminist Majority President Eleanor Smeal said in a statement, "It would be one thing if this thesis was a satire, but it was a policy directive to the Republican Party. McDonnell went on to enact major planks of the policy agenda developed and described in the thesis. It also revealed that he has a well-developed belief against separation of church and state. One of his defenses on his views regarding working women is that his wife and two daughters work. However, we have seen with other advocates of the religious right that personal lives often have no relationship to public policy positions. We must evaluate McDonnell's views by his actions as a public official, which have furthered an anti-women's rights record."

Media Resources: Feminist Majority Press Release 9/1/09; Politico 8/31/09
Photo Credit: flickr.com/Tony the Misfit

Rachel Maddow on Anti-Abortion Extremists

Rachel Maddow is one of the few in the mass media market who continuously stays on top of issues that I care about; in particular: women's rights, LGBTQ rights, civil rights...ya know, HUMAN RIGHTS.

Most recently and closest to home for me, as a staff member for FMF working with our National Clinic Access Project, I have greatly appreciated Ms. Maddow's close attention to and investigative reporting of anti-abortion extremists. Not only does she dig deeper than most, she calls our attention to the key connections no one else seems to pay attention to AND she keeps coming back to it, over and over again!

Here's the latest from the Rachel Maddow show, linking the anti-abortion extremist groups who celebrated Dr. George Tiller's murder with the current threats facing Dr. LeRoy Carhart, a close friend and colleague of Dr. Tiller.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Ellie Smeal: Senator Kennedy, A Champion of Women's Rights

Statement of Feminist Majority president Eleanor Smeal on the death of Senator Edward M. Kennedy:

For decades, Senator Edward M. Kennedy was a champion of women’s rights. For years, when few other Senators would take women’s rights seriously, the women’s movement could count on Senator Kennedy. In struggle after struggle, the women’s movement could turn to Senator Kennedy and his dedicated and talented staff to lead the fight in Congress.

Behind the scenes, Senator Kennedy would sit down with the leaders and activists of the women’s and civil rights movements and strategize. He was indefatigable and, whether in the Senate in the majority or minority, he had the undying hope and the know-how to move ahead, pass legislation to help millions, and work for a better day.

In legislative battle after battle, Senator Kennedy never let down the women’s movement. We did not always win – but we were always stronger because of his passion, wise council, unparalleled legislative skill, and inspiration.

As a women’s rights leader who had the privilege of working with Senator Kennedy in many of those struggles for decades, to say we will miss his brilliant leadership is a gross understatement. But, of course, the dream never dies, the fight goes on, and we will never forget Senator Kennedy and his indomitable spirit.

Senator Kennedy, who was the principle sponsor of more landmark legislation than any other Senator in U.S. history, led the fight in much historic legislation for women’s rights, civil rights, and human services, including:

· The Equal Rights Amendment Extension Act of 1978, which provided more time to pass the ERA.

· Minimum wage laws that impacted women.

· The Pregnancy Discrimination Act, which prohibited discrimination against pregnant women and revered the Supreme Court decision that permitted discrimination against women in the workforce.

· The Civil Rights Restoration Act, which restored the scope of Title IX and reversed the Grove City Supreme Court case that had gutted Title IX.

· The Voting Rights Act of 1965

· The Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (FACE), which protected reproductive health care providers.

· The Family Medical Leave Act, which provided 12 weeks unpaid job-protected leave to workers for newborn care, adoption or faster care, or illness of the worker or her/his spouse, child, or parent.

· The Civil Rights Act of 1991, which provided to women workers the right to collect damages in sex discrimination cases.

· The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which reversed the Roberts Supreme Court decision that gutted the ability of women workers to sue for wage discrimination.

· Numerous health care measures including stem cell research, the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (S-CHIP), the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), the Mental Health Parity Act, and reproductive health funding

Remembering Senator Ted Kennedy

I am confident the tributes and memories eulogizing Senator Kennedy will continue for days and weeks, but today, on the morning that we've all woken up to the sad news of his passing, it's a challenge to begin--where to begin?

Senator Edward Kennedy (1932-2009) was the youngest child of the esteemed Kennedy family. He was the 3rd longest serving member of the US Senate, elected nearly 47 years ago at the age of 30. But more than his family name and his resume, Senator Kennedy's true credentials lie in his decades of service to the people of this country, and people around the world.

Senator Kennedy was a champion of women's rights; of civil rights; of human rights. He fought for Title IX, waged war on poverty, defended the civil rights and liberties of all people, and fought for comprehensive health care until the very end. Senator Kennedy was a leader in the truest sense of the word and his presence in American political discourse will be sorely missed.

One year ago yesterday, Senator Kennedy delivered a rousing speech at the Democratic National Convention as he was honored for his lifetime of service. Here is video of that speech in its entirety:

DC Happy Hour - will YOU be there?

Just a friendly reminder, if you're in the DC area, Madam's Organ in Adams Morgan (try saying that 5 times fast!) is the place to be on Thursday night!

Here's the skinny...

FMF Presents: Hell No! We Won't Go - A Networking Benefit for the National Clinic Access Project

Madam's Organ

(2461 18th St NW - Woodley Park Metro)

Thursday, August 27

5:00 - 9:00pm

Some other basic info you might be interested in...

FMF's National Clinic Access Project assists comprehensive women's health clinics and physicians, and is the oldest and largest program of its kind that monitors national trends in clinic violence and harassment.

An FMF survey from 2008 found that 20% of abortion providers endured severe anti-choice violence and harassment. WE NEED YOUR HELP to keep clinics open and end the violence!

Madam's Organ is being uber generous and donating $1/drink and 20% of food sales! And on top of it all, there's NO COVER aaaaand it's under-21-friendly, so bring everyone you know!

Tweet it! Facebook it! Blog to your heart's content! Oh, and COME!

We hope to see you there!

Proposition 8 Trial Date Set

A federal judge scheduled a January 2010 trial date on Wednesday in a lawsuit that challenges the constitutionality of Proposition 8, the November 2008 ballot initiative that overturned the right of same-sex marriage in the state.

The suit, filed in May by two prominent attorneys known for arguing against one another over the 2000 presidential election in Bush v. Gore, is on the behalf of two same-sex couples who were denied marriage licenses after the passage of Proposition 8.

In addition to setting a trial date, Chief US District Judge Vaughn Walker, denied requests to intervene in the case by LGBT rights groups including Lambda Legal, the American Civil Liberties Union, and the National Center for Lesbian Rights. The Campaign for California Families, which supports the measure, was also denied a request to intervene in the suit, reported the San Francisco Chronicle. However, Judge Walker did allow intervention in the case by the city of San Francisco due to the city's unique perspective on the financial impact a ban on same sex marriage has on local governments, according to the Associated Press.

San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera responded to the Judge's decision to allow the city to intervene in the case in a statement, "In terms of our unique public sector perspective and the evidence we've already developed, we think the City is an extremely well-prepared co-plaintiff in the kind of trial Judge Walker envisions. We are ready to help put anti-gay discrimination on trial based on the facts, and our office has the experience and expertise to assist in aggressively doing that."

The California Supreme Court upheld Proposition 8 in a 6 to 1 ruling in May 2009. The proposition, which passed 52 percent to 48 percent, overturned a May 2008 ruling of the state Supreme Court that resulted in, among other provisions, the legalization of same sex marriage in the state. The Court's 2009 opinion preserved the marriages of the 18,000 same-sex couples who married in California during the period same-sex marriage was legal.

Same sex marriage is currently legal in six states: Connecticut, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont. Legislation to legalize same sex marriage remains under consideration in New York.

Story courtesy of: Feminist NewsWire (Feminist Majority Foundation)
Photo credit: flickr.com/pashasha