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Sep
20
Basic, Quality Care for Women is at Stake
Hillary Clinton and Cecile Richards, president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America had a great, activism-inducing article published in the New York Times on September 18.
Excerpts: (read the entire article here)
Last month, the Bush administration launched the latest salvo in its eight-year campaign to undermine women’s rights and women’s health by placing ideology ahead of science: a proposed rule from the Department of Health and Human Services that would govern family planning. It would require that any health care entity that receives federal financing — whether it’s a physician in private practice, a hospital or a state government — certify in writing that none of its employees are required to assist in any way with medical services they find objectionable.
Many circumstances unrelated to reproductive health could also fall under the umbrella of “other medical procedures.” Could physicians object to helping patients whose sexual orientation they find objectionable? Could a receptionist refuse to book an appointment for an H.I.V. test? What about an emergency room doctor who wishes to deny emergency contraception to a rape victim? Or a pharmacist who prefers not to refill a birth control prescription?
The Bush administration argues that the rule is designed to protect a provider’s conscience. But where are the protections for patients?
The 30-day comment period on the proposed rule runs until Sept. 25. Everyone who believes that women should have full access to medical care should make their voices heard. Basic, quality care for millions of women is at stake.
Maybe I’m just silly or have it all wrong when I think that someone who holds a job should be able to perform that job efficiently. If you don’t want to assist people then don’t get a job where it is your duty to help people; simple as that. If you can’t do your job then go find yourself a job you can do.
So we have until September 25th to raise an outcry. Now that the new rule has been issued officially it is time for you to speak out during the official 30-day comment period before the rule can go into effect. Speak out now.
Sep
5
It’s Time to Start Stirring Up Trouble
Angela Shelton has pretty much been a household name around my own house and I’m guessing a few others out there, for a few years now. She has brought us Searching for Angela Shelton, Finding Angela Shelton, the Report IT campaign, several blog posts (for me, anyway) and I’m sure she has quite a bit more up her sleeve for survivors of abuse and trauma everywhere. Speaking of which…Her very own cooking show kicked off yesterday and I love it and think you should, too!
[Note for crazy troll-like people here looking for any reason to leave a hateful comment containing the word 'feminazi' or any other variation of the word: Yes, feminists can enjoy being in the kitchen and cooking; it's just not the only place we want to be. Thank you very much!]
And here is the first webisode of Angela Shelton’s cooking show, Stirring Up Trouble: Dating for Food
You can also check out the blog for Stirring Up Trouble, The Cooking Monster.
Jul
12
I Certainly Don’t Wanna Discuss that Issue–Birth Control or Women
McCain was recently answering questions when something he hadn’t expected happened–Someone asked about the fact that many health care providers will cover Viagra but refuse to cover birth control. Apparently a man’s ability to get it up and have sex is great, just as long as the woman isn’t using birth control and exercising her right to safe sex.
Before the woman even finished asking the question, as soon as McCain heard the words birth control, he said that he certainly didn’t want to discuss that issue and hadn’t given the issue much thought at all. The woman then reminds him of the fact that he voted against a bill that would cover birth control on health care plans. The following video is of John McCain’s reaction to the question and how it took him over 2 minutes and a lot of awkward laughing to say that he had absolutely no idea how he voted, what he thinks about granting women the right to get birth control covered on their health care plans and really, that he doesn’t really give birth control or women, for that matter, much thought at all.
Glad he thinks it’s so funny.
Via Bitch Ph.D.
On a related note, I urge you to check out Feministing’s latest Friday Feminist Fuck You by Ann who covers another bill John McCain voted against because it would have benefited women and he’s a complete misogynist. But if you asked him about it, he would probably tell you he couldn’t remember.
Jul
8
India Gets It
You go to great lengths to achieve sexual pleasure and with multiple partners, so never forget the friend that can keep you happy and safe–the condom.
Used as an educational video in the Telugu language from Nrityanjali Academy, Secunderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India, this absolutely hilarious video of several men dancing and singing dressed in cardboard cutouts of condoms is used to educate and prevent against sexually transmitted infections and diseases.
Jul
4
Share the Love
The Sharing the Love Blog Award, created by Memoirs of a Mommy Blog was started in honor of the organ donor who saved her son’s life. The award is meant to spread the word about how important organ donation is, and it really is.
I was given this award by The BoBo Files, whom I’ve guest posted for and that is simply all I am saying about him and his website, since he described me simply as a past feminist guest blogger and his web designer.
The rules to this award are to share the award with people whose blogs you love and those who receive it must link to this post, which is where the blog award started.
Thanks to The BoBo Files for giving me this award and I’m going to pass it along to Hops, the messiah of good humanity and to Ally, one of the most supportive and kind people I know.
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