Menstrual Poetry Headquarters is Moving!
The lack of updates, along with the missing week of Feminism at its Finest is due to packing up the last 2 years of material possessions I have accumulated along with the boyfriend’s past 9 years of accumulated junk into boxes and moving!
Moving is, of course, a very exciting (especially if you’re leaving Scranton, Pennsylvania, which I cannot even begin to stress how happy it makes me to say that I am) but also a very hectic time with very little else left in the day to do but eat and sleep. However, within a few days we shall be completely moved into our new place, internet will hopefully be set up soon after, and Menstrual Poetry will be back not only in full swing, but better (and more frequent) than before!
For a Better Understanding
I came across a fantastic documentary last night while poking around online a bit. Via Jezebel, I read about a broadcast that aired on Frontline in 1983.
The documentary won the 1983 National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Emmy Award for Outstanding Background/Analysis of a Single Current Story. Even today, 25 years after the date it had originally aired, is a fantastic source of education when it comes to what an abortion is, how it’s performed, what women feel before, during, and after they get an abortion, how the abortion provider feels, the counseling that the women who are seeking abortions receive before the procedure, and what others are doing to try to stop women from seeking abortions all together.
In the video, the “doctor” who is basically running a halfway house for pregnant women, seems a bit creepy to me.
“Yes, you’re pregnant and I don’t want you to get an abortion, so come live with me along with several other women I’ve recruited through my intimidating tactics! And did I mention that my wife is also fully skilled in talking women out of having control over their own reproductive systems? Oh yes, and on Saturdays we all make signs about how the decision you were going to make is “murder” and go hold up signs–that young children also helped us make–and pray outside of the clinic that you were going to go get your abortion performed at. But don’t worry, you made the right decision because it coincides with our religious background!”
Click on the picture below to watch the full documentary!
Blog for Choice 2008
Today is the 35th anniversary of Roe v Wade. 35 years ago abortion was made legal for all women and now, 35 years later, it is important to celebrate this day in history as well as continue to educate ourselves and each other about safe sex and contraception and the right to safe and legal health care.
Celebrating Roe this year is extremely important, especially since 2007 initiated quite a few new abortion bans and even more that are on their way to passing. These points have marked the undeniable war that politicians, anti-abortion and religious organizations, and extremists have declared on women’s rights.
With the elections coming up and the possible overturn of Roe v Wade due to the Republican side of the presidential candidates, all of whom who vote to overturn legislature that gives women the right and control over their own bodies, it is very important to take a closer look at these candidates and choose to vote pro-choice.
I vote pro-choice because I believe in women and I believe that women are capable of making their own informed decisions about what they can and cannot do to their own bodies. I vote pro-choice because women are smart and educated and they deserve to choose for themselves whether or not to go through a pregnancy. I vote pro-choice because no other person–women, and definitely not men, have the right to tell me what I can and cannot do with my body. I vote pro-choice because I believe that every child should be wanted.
It is important to vote for the candidate who will protect the rights of women because no matter what the laws say, women will continue to have abortions. Before Roe v Wade was passed women had abortions and women died in tremendous and tragic numbers. It is important to realize that abortions will always occur and it is imperative to protect the lives of the people of this country. It is imperative to ensure that all women will have access to safe health care and not doing so is simply turning your back on the people who live in this country and saying that you do not care and that your religious views mean more than their lives.
It is ridiculous to assume that because of your personal morals, that you and your opinions hold more weight than 35 years of helping women live the lives that they want for themselves. That your opinions mean more than the rape and incest survivors who sought abortions and not being able to receive that health care would in turn jeopardize their lives and overall well-being. The outright arrogance that goes on in this country and in the minds of extremists who are willing to jeopardize the lives of so many women to “save” an unborn fetus is absolutely disgusting. By voting for a candidate who will do what it takes to save Roe v Wade and save the lives of so many women, you will be saying that no, women will not go back 35 years in time and that no, women do not deserve to die in the streets after receiving a botched abortion because they were that desperate not to go through 9 months of pregnancy and birth a child that is not wanted. Each and every single child should be a wanted child and by voting for a candidate who supports that, that is exactly how it will continue to be in America.
So on this 35th anniversary of Roe v Wade, we must ask ourselves, how important are the lives of women? What will we do to ensure that women will not have to resort back to back-alley abortion days?
Have You Ever Taken Plan B?
Plan B is an emergency contraceptive that in August of 2006, was FDA approved for over the counter sale to people over 18 years of age. However, only if you live in these 9 states, you may now get this emergency contraceptive directly at the pharmacy without visiting a clinic beforehand–Alaska, California, Hawaii, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Washington, and Vermont.
This emergency contraceptive is given to women to prevent pregnancy who have either had unprotected sex, if the means of protection that you used during sex failed, or if you were forced to have sex. When plan A fails, you have Plan B.
So the question is–Have you ever taken Plan B? If so, please take this survey, put out by AED, The Academy for Educational Development and it is all 100% anonymous.
And if the reason why you had taken Plan B is triggering or if this survey brings on triggers, please visit RAINN.
Bisexuality Credited as a Real Sexual Orientation
USA Today felt compelled to release a story today on women and bisexuality, saying that it is not just a phase that young women go through.
Being bisexual is a distinct orientation, not a temporary stage, says the study by Lisa Diamond, an associate professor of psychology and gender studies at the University of Utah. It is being published next week in the January issue of Developmental Psychology, a journal of the American Psychological Association.
Well isn’t that shocking!
As a 21 year old bisexual woman myself, I knew that bisexuality wasn’t a phase. However, as young women start exploring their sexuality at younger ages and straight men continue to support the “girl-on-girl action is hot” stance, I suppose it is easy for the media and society to come to this conclusion. However, bisexuality–and not in the “I’m a girl and I kissed my best friend so that makes me bisexual” sense, is not a phase, it is as real as being straight; and now the University of Utah can back up that statement!
Volunteers from other universities to conduct the “Bisexual Men Exist” study?
Medical Accuracy is So Last Year
Uninformed religious fanatics are a dime a dozen lately, especially in politics, as we can easily see from the lineup of Republican presidential hopefuls. However, Indiana is also doubting the intelligence of women seeking abortions, as was demonstrated Thursday.
Life begins at conception, and a fetus could feel pain during an abortion.
Oh wow, that’s a factual statement if I ever heard one!
In a legislation by Sen. Patricia L. Miller, (R-Indianapolis) Senate Bill 146, states that doctors would have to deliver the above statement to any woman seeking an abortion. This legislation was introduced for the second time since it died in the Senate last year, and was debated again on Thursday.
Miller said the bill is necessary to make sure women considering an abortion have all the facts they need to make an informed decision.
I agree with Miller–A woman considering an abortion should have all the facts and she should make an informed decision. However, a woman is entitled to facts based on medical accuracy, not religious propaganda. And the woman, by seeking an abortion has already made an informed (and very difficult) decision before even stepping into a health care facility.
Sue Swayze, with Indiana Right to Life, said she hopes the legislation passes this year.
“We think that it’s important to provide this information, especially in writing,” Swayze said. “An abortion is an emotional issue, and we sometimes may not always remember everything we hear.”
Yes, it is best to give “emotional women” something to read, especially when it contains myths of what religious extremists believe–and nothing else. What about the atheist women seeking abortions? Well, according to the belief system of religious and pro-life extremists, they’re doomed and in need of counseling and prayer anyway. Sigh.
Blog for Choice 2008
January 22 marks the 35th anniversary of Roe v. Wade.
On January 22, NARAL Pro-Choice America is holding the third annual Blog for Choice Day! In years past, this has had amazing success and this year, they are asking bloggers why they vote pro-choice.
This is a tremendously important day, especially for bloggers–Every day is a fight for women’s rights as the administration we are under is constantly trying to take a woman’s right to choose away. That, teamed up with anti-choice extremists, makes access to safe health care a never-ending battle. So please join NARAL Pro-Choice America and other pro-choice bloggers this year on January 22.
You can sign up here and even download a Blog for Choice graphic here to let everyone know that you are participating. Also, on January 22, your blog post will appear on the Blog for Choice page. Good deal.
As the anniversary approaches, NARAL Pro-Choice America also came out with RoeAt35.org, a website that is increasing the awareness of particularly the state of Wyoming and Bush’s latest effort to completely destroy access to health care for women.
President Bush has nominated Richard Honaker for a lifetime job as a federal judge. Honaker, a sworn enemy of women’s rights has spent his entire career fighting to deny women access to reproductive health services and has publicly and actively opposes abortion and has tried three times to outright ban abortion in Wyoming.
So, in your activism efforts, stop by RoeAt35.org and fill out the form to be sent to the Senate and let them know that you do not support Richard Honaker for a position as a lifetime federal judge.
Get Social
Flickr
Out Campaign
The OUT Campaign allows individuals to let others know they are not alone. It can also be a nice way of opening a conversation and help to demolish the negative stereotypes of atheists. Let the world know that we are not about to go away and that we are not going to allow those that would condemn us to push us into the shadows.
