Amplify Featured Diaries

Prom Cancelled Because a Girl Wanted to Bring Her Girlfriend

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 11:30:00 -0500

Editor's Note: The ACLU just filed a lawsuit against the schoo on this student's behalf.

So I was looking at Yahoo's daily featured articles as I normally do when I'm at work and I came across an article called, "Miss. school prom off after lesbian's date request." The first thing that I thought to myself was, are you serious? It turns out an entire Mississippi school district will not have a prom in any of their schools simply because a lesbian student wanted to dress in a tuxedo and bring her girlfriend to prom. Of course, the school board did not admit that this was the reason why they decided to cancel the prom. I am guessing that the school board doesn't what to be viewed as discriminating against people whose sexual orientation is anything other than heterosexual, so they decide to not only cancel the prom at the particular school the female student attends but all of the proms in the district. Perhaps, the school board is cancelling the prom at all of the schools as a punishment and warning for any students who ever think of bringing a date of the opposite sex. But, according to the author, the school district actually has a policy that requires senior prom dates to be of the opposite sex. What upsets me is how Mississippi tries to uphold this image of old America in their state, where gays aren't accepted and segregation is o.k., and instead of dealing with the issues and solving them the school board gets rid of whatever is causing the "problem."
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My Love Letter to Feminism

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 01:13:00 -0500

There’s about a million and one things that I want to do with my life at this point in time.

I can still feel myself buzzing from the success of the play that I helped to put on. (More on that soon, promise!) I want to take that show and blow it up, make it bigger and better and do it again and again until I have reached out to so, so many more people.

I want to work with Rape Crisis Centers and find some way to educate men and women to the point where we all understand what rape is and how we can avoid it. (The only answer? Rapists need to stop raping.)

I want to be a sex therapist, I want to help women and men who struggle to accept their bodies and let themselves feel good.

I want to do family counseling, specifically I want to help families to accept their children, or siblings, or cousins, or partners who are different from them (maybe even queer, if you will, in some way.)

I want to work with eating disorder survivors, helping to broaden the definition of eating disorders to something that comfortable fits the experiences of everyone who suffers, and then find a way to end that suffering for them once and for all.

I want to work for a suicide prevention hotline.

I want to write novels for young teen girls that encourage them to be smart and bold and to love themselves just as they are while they never, never stop reaching for their impossible dreams.
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Midwest Unite + Fight Conference is This Weekend

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 23:47:00 -0500

This weekend, activists and allies from all over the Midwest will meet at Columbia College for the Equality Across America: Unite + Fight Midwest Conference. Equality Across America is the organization formed after the passage of Prop 8 in California that organized the National Equality March last October in D.C.

I am on the host committee for the conference and will be leading a workshop discussion called “Beyond the Ballot Box: How to Win Votes Before You Have To.” My idea for it was inspired by the Question One campaign in Maine last fall. After learning about Question 1 at the Netroots Nation conference in August, I covered the campaign extensively here on Amplify, and while at the time I wasn’t in the position to donate to the campaign financially, I gave a few hours of my time to calling Maine voters urging them to vote No on One and to vote early. Unfortunately, we didn’t win. It was a hard loss to take, but situations like that, instead of getting us down, must inspire us to fight even harder next time. So that’s why I wanted to do a workshop for Unite + Fight.

It has been a great experience being on the host committee for this conference. Even though I haven’t been the most active member, I love knowing that when change happens, it will be in part because of the incredible dedication of these people I’m working with and those that their efforts bring together.

I will update everyone next week with how the conference went. I know we have a few Chicago-area readers/writers here, so I hope to be able to meet you. I am very excited about this and the opportunity that we have to build a strong Midwest network for full federal LGBTQ equality.

~ Samantha

Utah: Prosecuting women is a national model for the anti-abortion movement

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 23:14:00 -0500

Note: This is the first installment of a two-part post examining the recent firestorm over a new Utah law that allows women to be prosecuted for criminal homicide if they have or seek an illegal abortion. This post looks at the events of the past week as activists forced changes to the proposed law, and the national implications of a slightly-modified version has been signed into law. On Friday, we take a look at the case that led the Utah legislature to remove criminal immunity for women seeking abortions – and imagine what a sane and effective legislative response might have looked like.

On Monday, Utah Governor Gary Herbert signed H.B. 462 into law, amending the state’s criminal code to classify illegal abortions as criminal homicide. Utah is the first and only state to pass legislation to criminally prosecute women who seek or have illegal abortions.

It is important to note that this law was nearly even worse – and it would have been if not for the efforts of thousands of activists around the country. The Utah legislature passed a previous version of the bill, then H.B. 12, by overwhelming margins that included language defining some miscarriages as illegal abortions. Specifically, any miscarriages that occurred after “intentional, knowing, or reckless” behavior on the part of a woman would be open to prosecution as criminal homicide.

Beyond the scope of an already abhorrent bill, the standard of “reckless” behavior would have been open to wide interpretation by overzealous prosecutors. Experts at the ACLU of Utah expressed concern that this would leave women vulnerable to criminal prosecution in a wide variety of all-to-plausible circumstances: if they failed to leave abusive relationship and suffered a miscarriage, if injection drug users became pregnant and miscarried, or if a miscarriage resulted after something as simple as a car accident but the woman wasn’t wearing a seat belt.

Random Aside #1: To anyone assuming this would be one of those laws that is on the books but never really enforced, think again. This law was written to close a so-called “abortion loophole” because they couldn’t prosecute women, but more on that in Friday's post.

Activists on Amplify and elsewhere in the progressive blogosphere worked tirelessly to raise awareness of this bill and it’s “criminal miscarriage” provisions, both online and in the traditional media. The story grew, from DailyKos to The Huffington Post to The New York Times, and the resulting media firestorm was so intense that Gov. Herbert (who is about as anti-aboriton as they come) asked the legislature to remove the “reckless” behavior language.

Prosecuting women who are so desperate that they are forced to seek an illegal abortion is apparently among the most pressing issues facing the Utah legislature. The House and Senate managed to pass an updated version of the bill within a day of Gov. Herbert’s request, and on Monday, he vetoed the original bill and signed the “fixed” version into law.

Gov. Herbert’s veto letter referenced the national outcry over the “criminal miscarriage” provisions of this bill. "I appreciate the willingness of Representative Wimmer to re-evaluate the impact of potential unintended consequences arising from the inclusion of 'reckless' behavior."

It’s absolutely critical to remember two things:

1.Grassroots activism worked. If it hadn’t been for the efforts of thousands upon thousands of people on this site and elsewhere – people who started conversations about this bill in their communities, on their Facebook profiles, and over Twitter – Gov. Herbert and the Utah legislature never would have removed the “criminal miscarriage” provisions in this bill. This victory, in the most conservative state in the nation, should not be overlooked – and it happened because of you.

2.Removing the “reckless behavior” standard does not “fix” this law. It does not make it reasonable or well-intentioned or acceptable. This law was designed to make Utah the first state that would jail women for having abortions, and it still does so. We have an obligation to continue working to overturn this dangerous law, and we must be ready to fight similar legislation as it arises in other states.

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Guest Post: The Fight for Sex Education in Utah

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 21:46:00 -0500

Editor's Note: This post is by Missy Bird, Executive Director of Planned Parenthood Action Council.

For over two years, advocates concerned about the reproductive health care of Utah’s teens have campaigned for a reform to our current sex education curriculum in Utah. Planned Parenthood Action Council (PPAC) ran a statewide campaign, the Prevention Now Campaign, whose staff and volunteers worked tirelessly to gather more than 10,000 petition signatures in support of this change. We held numerous town hall meetings, and garnered the endorsement of many policy makers and elected officials including the Utah State Attorney General.

Support of a change to our current curriculum is so widespread that the American Academy of Pediatrics-Utah Chapter, National Assoc. of Social Workers-Utah Chapter, Utah Nurses Association, Utah Public Health Association, March of Dimes, Association for Utah Community Health, Utah Sexual Violence Council, American Association of University Women-Utah Chapter, Utah Coalition Against Sexual Assault, and the YWCA Salt Lake City all signed on in favor of Senate Bill 54.

Unfortunately, the Utah legislature has not only been unresponsive but impertinent. In fact, at a legislative hearing in October 2009, sexually inappropriate and substantively inaccurate testimony was given at the request of the Senate Chair of the Health and Human Services Interim Committee in a direct attack against Planned Parenthood and sex education.

Despite all these efforts, there was a rallying cry on the part of parents, students, teachers and medical providers and an active groundswell continued into the 2010 legislative session.

When Utah’s legislative session began in January, the sex education bill was introduced by a Republican Senator, Stephen Urquhart (Dist. 29). When the bill came before the Senate Education Committee for review, Senator Urquhart asked the members of the Committee to substitute his bill. This substitute was the draft that everyone on all sides of the issue could live with and it was the result of months and months refinement and conversation.

Senator Urquhart’s request was met with dead silence for over 5 minutes. Not a single member of the seven-member Committee, not even the one Democrat in attendance, would make a motion to hear the Senator’s bill. This stonewall tactic was used even after the Committee Chair asked the packed room full of spectators how many were there to testify regarding the bill, and approximately sixty people raised their hands.

The legislature’s treatment of this issue clearly demonstrates their unwillingness to consider the facts or to hear from their constituents. It also blatantly represents an unwillingness to even have a discussion about a policy that involves thousands of young people and their future health and fertility.

To say we are disappointed is an understatement.

It is the hope of all the groups, advocates, and community members who have bee involved in driving this conversation to the forefront that when the Utah State Legislature has another opportunity to learn about this incredibly important issue that they will be willing to listen and will not impose such a deafening silence on such an important issue.

Dentyne Ice Compares Gum to Condoms

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 19:58:00 -0500

According to Adfreak, "McCann Erickson is rolling out a new spot for Dentyne that compares gum with condoms."

Using the tagline "Practice safe breath," the commercial shows a trio of men in need of protection from halitosis, lest it inhibit freaky time. One is about to get into it was a comely blonde in the backseat, another is nervously buying protection in a drugstore, and a third wakes his roommate late at night because he's got a guest.

So, what are your thoughts?

Too Much or just enough?

To read more, click here.

Reflections on International Womens Day: Its Time to Get Current, Get Respect, and Get Inclusive

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 11:16:00 -0500

This year’s International Women’s Day, for me, brings with it particular significance because 2010 happens to mark the 15^th anniversary of the 4^th World Conference on Women that was held in Beijing in 1995. The Beijing Conference, as it is known, was an unprecedented gathering of one hundred eighty-nine governments and representatives from thousands of NGOs working on women’s issues from around the world. They came together to focus on increasing opportunities for women and on advancing goals of equality, development, and peace. Member states put forth a Platform of Action that outlined strategic objectives to advance the roles of women, which included an objective specific to the “girl child,” in support of reproductive and sexual health and rights. This World Conference followed on the heels of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), which put the sexual and reproductive health and rights of women at the center of the development agenda.

Needless to say, at that time, there was this wave of solidarity among women around the world, this significant push for women’s rights in the global policy arena, and a real sense that we were really finally getting somewhere in the struggle for equity, respect, and the power over our sexuality and reproductive choices. Upon attending the beginning of the 54^th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) last week with Advocates’ staff and three members of our International Youth Leadership Council, we witnessed country delegates from around the world taking stalk of progress towards the Beijing Platform for Action. Some countries reported on concrete actions that their governments have taken to advance the rights of women; others gave more generalized statements; many highlighted challenges that remain; and some focused more on health while others on economic opportunity and women in political leadership.

While delegates reaffirmed their support for the Beijing Platform for Action, there seemed to be a lack of urgency and a concrete sense of what’s next during the proceedings, aside from a push for a consolidated gender entity within the United Nations (which we are fully supportive of provided that it mandates youth representation within its leadership and structure). There was also a gap in terms of inclusion and partnership with young women throughout the proceedings. While a number of countries mentioned girls, few addressed the critical nature of integrating young women leaders and not enough addressed the sexual and reproductive health and rights of young women in the context of Beijing. Sweden provided by far the strongest country statement that we heard supportive of youth inclusion and young women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights, in addition to a statement made by UNFPA’s Director, Thoraya Obaid, a steadfast champion of young people, and a journalist who moderated a panel and made valiant efforts to raise the issue of youth and offer her young woman panelist the opportunity to speak out.
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Ad Tells Women: "Abortion Changes Things..."

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 10:29:00 -0500

According to Salon.com, the New York City subway system was hit with a series of ads from the organization Abortion Changes You. According to Metro International, they "depict either a woman saying,

'I thought life would be the way it was before,' or a man saying, 'I often wonder if there was something I could have done to help her.'"

Presumably, the ads look a lot like the image above, which is featured on the group's website/memorial for terminated fetuses.
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Girl Child Education in Nigeria; Why Not?

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 01:17:00 -0500

As we commemorate International Women’s Day with the theme “Equal rights, Equal opportunities; Progress for all”, we must bring to the forefront the challenges surrounding education of the girl-child, which remains a vital component for development in our society.

Imagine your life today without an education. Imagine you in a world where you don’t have the right to go to school, not even a choice to consider education. What you see is the experience of so many females living in Nigeria, particularly in the Northern region, in which lies Jega Local Government. A lot of girls in this region didn’t have the right to choose education until the Local government chairman in Kebbi State enacted a bye-law, making female education compulsory. Isn’t that great news? After so many years of living in ignorance!

Reports show that in a school of 150 students, only 2-3 are girls. ActionAID International (AAIN) discovered in their research that there was gap in favor of boys in school enrollment, retention and completion in these states. "The study on girls’ education revealed factors affecting girls’ education as cost of education, school environment, government policies and the culture of the people amongst others. There are no policies that specifically address gender issues thereby leaving room for the gender gap."
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iSEX

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 22:52:00 -0500

If you look on any campus in the country you are bound to see students walking around with little white ear buds in their ears. In the age of mp3 players iPod is king. It provides the soundtrack to our daily lives as students. Even with less expensive choices for music players, iPods easily provide the most popular and aesthetically pleasing devise. iPod users brand loyalty to Apple goes far beyond just buying an iPod. Consumers also dress their devices in colorful accessories, and download songs and applications from the iTunes and App stores.

Several weeks ago Apple decided that is was going to start regulating some of its Applications for the iTouch and iPhone. The change comes as concerned individuals have voiced their opinions about the sexual lewdness of certain iPod apps. While some applications have minor sexual overtones, some apps are nothing short of pornography.

Apple has responded by removing several hundred apps, and in the shuffle of doing so has deleted certain apps that were not inappropriate while failing to delete pornographic ones. In the coming months the App Store hopes to create a explicit section to attract interested adult consumers.

Because Apple is becoming such a wide used product they have a real responsibility with the regulation of their applications. After recently reading an article in the San Fransisco Chronicle by Carol Queen, a cultural sexologist, I began to better understand the importance of this matter. Queen explains that everyone "has a right to sexuality" as well as sexual entertainment when that person is of age. It is in our nature to be interested in sex, so should Apple really hide it behind a barrier? The answer, I believe, lies in better regulation of the app store. Apps that clearly demonstrate pornographic purposes should be moved to a section specifically for pornography. Apps with minor sexual overtones should not be labeled explicit, and kept in with the other apps.

Apple has a huge responsibility here, and hopefully there going to make the right move. Sexuality is unfortunately stigmatized in cases like this, but hopefully will prevail. Adults who wish to enjoy adult entertainment and explore their sexuality have every right to do so.

Nicaragua's abortion ban preventing cancer patient from receiving necessary treatment

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 16:58:00 -0500

On February 23^rd a very interesting article was posted about Nicaragua’s abortion ban that prevented a cancer patient from receiving necessary treatment for her cancer. First and foremost, I encourage all interested in topics concerning abortion rights to take a look at this article.

A 27 year old woman (Amelia) in Nicaragua was diagnosed with cancer that has metastasized in her brain, lungs and breast. She has a 10 year old daughter already and is currently pregnant. Focusing on the abortion laws of Nicaragua, I understand that it is illegal for any woman to receive an abortion operation EVEN IF her health or life is at risk. For crying out loud, when do we draw the line here? We are dealing with a relatively young woman who is suffering from a LIFE THREATENING disease that is only worsening. She already has a daughter that she needs to care for. The burden of another child while fighting this disease is not only detrimental to the woman’s health, but it is also detrimental for the child as well.
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We're launching StandForUganda.com today. Will you help us spread the word?

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 10:45:00 -0500

First, I have some bad news to report: Last week the Speaker of Uganda's Parliament defiantly predicted that Uganda's "Anti-Homosexuality Bill" will not be withdrawn.

If you're new to this issue, here's the important part: if passed, Uganda's "Anti-Homosexuality Bill" will make being gay a crime punishable by death. Other "crimes" -- such as working in a HIV/AIDS-focused health organization -- would be punishable by an up to three-year jail sentence.

The international community has already roundly condemned this measure. Earlier this month, the global activist organization Avaaz urged the Ugandan government to drop the bill by handing it a petition signed by 500,000 people across the globe.

In light of the continued intransigence of some key Uganda politicians, however, it's clear that we need to ramp up our pressure.

That's why we're launching StandForUganda.com today, a website focused on stopping the "Anti-Homosexuality Bill" and defending the rights of Uganda's LGBT citizens.

Will you help us spread the word about this new advocacy resource? Here are three things that you can do right now:

1) Visit the site and send your message to President Obama.
2) Share StandForUganda.com on Facebook and Twitter.
3) Email the URL http://StandForUganda.com to three of your friends.

Thanks for taking action! As this new site evolves, we'll continue to post campaign and news updates here on Amplify.

International Womens Day 2010: Unity in Purpose&we sure can!

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 06:20:00 -0500

Every year, thousands of women all over the World gather to celebrate womanhood and address various problems affecting us, such as social [gender inequality], economic [poverty], and cultural [early marriages] problems, and also issues relating to their sexual reproductive health and rights.

Focusing on Africa, and specifically Nigeria, women’s rights have been infringed upon in various ways. Young women and girls are particularly vulnerable. For example, in some parts of Nigeria, girls are still being denied formal education because it is regarded as a waste of time and resources, while the male child is allowed to attain formal education. This singular act shows gender inequality, even though it is stated in the 2003 Child’s Rights Act (CRA) that every child has the right to education irrespective of their sex. The Nigerian constitution and the Universal Basic Education (UBE) Act further buttress the right of every chid to education irrespective of gender. Furthermore, there are a lot of cases where young girls below the age of 18 are handed over for marriage, mostly against their will, and mostly to far older men. This is because they are regarded as a source of wealth or income from suitors to their family.
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Progress for ALL women

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 23:46:00 -0500

FUN FACT:
Microsoft Word will ask if you want to change the spelling of “womanism” to “womanish.”

This little correction is particularly ironic. Womanism, the ideology, and Africana Womanism, the scholarly field were created to focus on the “unique experiences, struggles, needs, and desires of Africana women.” (See Clenora Hudson-Weems) This assertion of black female identity is necessary because black women in the 1960s were in a “double bind”: neither the women’s movement nor the Black Freedom movement addressed their interlocking oppressions. (See Patricia Hill Collins) More simply put, black women have faced sexism in Black Freedom movements and racism in Feminist movements. They have been defined as black-ish, woman-ish. For those interested, this was the topic of my senior thesis: how black female activists in the 1960s navigated this double bind. I examined Elaine Brown in particular, the first female chairwoman of the Black Panther Party, and how she negotiated the gendered spaces of a party mired by sexism and violence against women. I could go into more detail, but my adviser is found of asking the question, SO WHAT?
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Happy International Women's Day!

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 21:55:00 -0500

Today, March 8, is International Women's Day.

It's a time to reflect, remember, and respond. In reading the media's many celebrations and retrospectives today, I can't help but approach the day from a personal angle. I think of International Women's Day and think of my mom, a first-generation immigrant who gave and continues to give her kids all the love and resources in the world.

As a Sudan activist, I also think of the resilient women of Darfur, more than a million of whom have completely lost their homes in a campaign of mass killing and systematic sexual violence perpetrated by the Sudanese government. Today, Darfuri rape survivors like Halima Bashir are making their voices heard in halls of power across the world. To date, they have courageously shared their stories at the White House, the UN, and on college and high school campuses -- all in the hope that their testimony will mobilize a big enough response to end the violence in Darfur and South Sudan once and for all.

And you? Who are you thinking of today?

In recognition of International Women's Day, Amplify is hosting an International Women's Week Blog-a-thon this week. We hope you'll take part by writing a blog post and sharing it with our community here.

Feel free to write about any women's issue that interests or moves you. In case you need some topic ideas, though, here are some questions that could use YOUR answers:

- What are issues that young women face in your country that affect the decisions they make about their reproductive and sexual health?
- Who are young women leaders in your community that represent the progress you envision for our future?
- How accessible are male condoms for young women? What about female condoms?
- What about family planning services and different methods of contraception?
- How can women be sustainable agents of change in your community?

We look forward to reading your posts this week!