Many activists are calling the current battle to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) the next step of the Republicans’ war on women. First abortion, then birth control, and now programs that aim to end violence against women (and men, VAWA also assists people who do not identify as women). I am not sure if the attack on women’s issues is a calculated “war against women,” but I am sure that it is unprecedented for civil rights won in our country to be revisited and then taken away decades later. It is sad to see the hard fought successes of the women’s movement overturned.

Enough about the past, let’s talk about now. Before digging deeper into the current political motivations to delay passage of the VAWA, it is important to recognize the impact this law has had in the last 17 years. Since enactment, law enforcement and medical care costs related to violence has decreased. There has been a 51% increase in reporting of domestic and the amount of men and women killed by a partner has decreased by 37% and 57%, respectively. We are talking about life or death here people–and this law makes a difference.

Source on VAWA impact, the National Task Force to End Sexual Violence Against Women.

All of this seems pretty good; I mean who is against the prevention of violence? The Republicans argue that the democrats have poisoned the bill and watered it down. Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL) pointed this out by saying “You think that’s possible? You think they might have put things in there we couldn’t support that maybe then they could accuse you of not being supportive of fighting violence against women?” While they oppose the VAWA, Senator Roy Blunt (R-MO) tried (Very poorly) to point out that Republicans support ending violence against women, “Obviously you want to be for the title. If Republicans can’t be for it, we need to have a very convincing alternative.”

Well Sessions and Blunt, let’s see what terrible things Democrats have put in this bill to make you look bad.

The main problem Republicans have with this bill is that it better serves the LGBT community, people who are undocumented, and Native Americans. The Republicans claim this dilutes the purpose of the VAWA. On the other hand, others (such as the BLANK, who know something about violence prevention) argue these changes are not a revolution, but an evolution of programming. In the last 14 years much has been learned about effective strategies to prevent violence and these revisions hope to result in improved services and outcomes.

The revisions to the bill address the real needs of men and women across the country. Green cards are often used to coerce and abuse women. Therefore the bill will increase the amount of U visas available for women facing violence because of their immigration status. The revisions also ensure that grantees do not discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation. Also, The bill provides services to women who are Native American, a group that experience violence at a higher rate than the general public.

The reality is – all women experience violence. Queer women, native women, and undocumented women all experience violence and they deserve services. If health and safety programs do not address the unique situations of marginalized people they can cause an increase in health disparities. These revisions show direct effort to ensure all people are protected and we move closer becoming a nation where health and safety are equitable among people.

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I previously wrote a post reaffirming that young feminism is thriving. Recently I have had the chance to meet and work alongside young reproductive justice advocates that are leading by example and fighting for the rights of their friends and peers. Here are some suggestions to help others who are wondering, what can I do to help foster the next generation of leaders?

PS – I should have added -- STOP asking me if young people care about social justice issues. They do, o.k.? Stop asking me already.

1. Come see our work, on our turf.

A number of times the leadership in my organization and older supporters of reproductive justice organizations have asked me to explain the work of young people. They are glad to hear my reports from the field which demonstrate that young people are engaged, but they never get to see this activity up close and personal. I know that our work is much more valuable when people actually see it happening. That is why I was thrilled to see a board member from my organization attend an event held by my college student volunteers. She got to see them shine on their own turf, not just from a glossy photo in an annual report. It was late on a weekday and she is a very busy woman. Yet I know her presence showed commitment to helping foster the next generation of leaders in our movement.

2. Ask us to speak at your events.

I have attended a lot of lobby days, press conferences, and rallies in Columbus. Last year I attended quite a few with Danny, an amazing young activist. At almost every event we both felt patronized and talked down to, even though the both of us are highly engaged in advocacy. At every event nice, surely well-meaning people would tell Danny, me, or my other young friends: “Oh I am so happy to see you here! More young people should care about these issues, they are important to your generation.” Insert eye roll. I always wanted to say to these people, yes, we know that, and Danny is an old pro at activism, and he doesn’t need your patronizing pat on the head.

The Freedom of Choice Ohio lobby day last month was such a refreshing experience after last year. The event not only had many young people in attendance, but many were also featured as speakers. Molly, an Ohio State student, is a powerhouse of reproductive justice organizing in Columbus. I was proud to see her represent my generation at the rally and discuss the many ways in which young women organize. I work every day with mighty activists on college campuses, including students at Oberlin College, Youngstown State, Case Western Reserve, Kent State, and the College of Wooster. I was thankful to see someone speak on their behalf at this event. I truly believe these are the people who are the feet on the ground creating change in our state.

3. Recognize that even though we did not live during a time of illegal abortion, abortion stories from that period still motivate our activism.

Another moment that was very impactful for me was the contrast of two abortion stories shared at the rally. One woman experienced sexual abuse, unsafe medical care, and shaming from accessing illegal abortion care before Roe. I was standing right behind the speakers, and I broke down into tears. Part of me was embarrassed to have this strong emotional reaction, knowing that hundreds of eyes were directed towards me. On the other hand, another part of me knew that this strong emotional reaction to this story, and stories like it, is actually why I often find myself fighting on the steps of the state house.

This story was then followed by the story of a younger woman who had an abortion after the passage of Roe v. Wade. It was a reminder of the stark contrast between women’s experiences before and after the legalization of abortion. At that moment it was also salient to me -- even though women my age did not live through a time of illegal abortion, we still stand and cry on the steps of the state house with our friends who did. The memories are not fading in my generation of activists, and they remain a large part of why we continue to fight.

4. Acknowledge our work.

When I first wake up in the morning, many times the first thing I do is check my news feed on Facebook from my phone. No shame people, I know you do it too. One particular morning I woke to a lot of Facebook chatter about a Connie Schultz (gasp, love) appearance on the Rachel Maddow Show (double gasp, love). Of course I had to watch the video immediately from my phone in bed.

During her appearance Connie mentioned the importance of young women in the current women’s health battles. I swooned after just the mention of young people. THEN she went on to mention an event that I planned in Cleveland. Oh my god, here was Connie Schultz, a Pulitzer Prize winner and completely beloved feminist activist from Ohio, praising an event I coordinated. She praised something that a few other young people and I worked so hard to implement. I cried. Wow, this post involves me crying a lot, doesn’t it?!

I am not going to lie – in doing the work that I do, I get tired. It is grueling at times, and I get a little sick of older people telling me my generation is apathetic. That’s why it was so refreshing to see two of the most prominent women in the United States praise something that passionate young people organized.

5. Pass us the torch.

Connie also discussed that these current battles over reproductive rights represent the fight of my generation. We are going to fight this war, and it felt good to be given space to do so. I remember also feeling deep pride when a leader in my organization told a room full of people, “Isn’t Ashley Great? This is where our organization is going, isn’t that exciting?” It felt good to know that organizing the way I organize, the way many other young people do (with social media, on college campuses, engaging other young people), was acknowledged as important, effective, and exciting.

Besides recognizing the work of young people, it is important to put us in positions of leadership. I was excited to hear when two of my close friends were joining the board of a prominent reproductive justice advocacy group in Ohio. Young people offer a unique perspective on activism and organizing. As with any other group of people, our representation in your organization will only expand your capacity and reach. So what is there to lose?

Ashley Thompson 
Ohio Feminist Organizer 

During undergrad I loved being a peer health educator and activist with Advocates for Youth. That love and passion for health promotion and advocacy led me to Ohio State to study public health. My specialization was Health Behavior and Health Promotion. I have had many friends and fellow Advocates for Youth organizers ask me about MPH programs and graduate school.

Well -- here you have it folks! Here are my thoughts and advice on going to graduate school for public health!

Sexual health education is complicated, and prevention is hard work!

I came to graduate school knowing abstinence-only sex education did not improve student health outcomes. It violated the rights of students by promoting one set of pseudo-values while withholding life-saving information. In other words, comp sex ed good, ab-only bad.

Then I embarked on my graduate thesis, and boy did I learn the devil is in the details.
First off, these programs tend to be less discrete than abstinence-only-until-marriage and comprehensive sexual health education. Sexual health education programs have very specific goals, and are tailored for a specific population. For example, one program that a friend of my mine implements in Cleveland is called “Be Sex Smart.” It is targeted to LGBTQ youth with a high risk of HIV infection. The goal of the program is to improve self-esteem and decision-making. The operating theory here is that improving self-esteem and decision-making will decrease youths’ risk for HIV/AIDS.

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Representative Tom Price (R-GA) does not believe any women have EVER had problems accessing birth control. Specifically, he stated, “Bring me one woman who has been left behind. Bring me on. There’s not one.”

I am a woman, a woman with a lot of privilege in my life. I have always had insurance coverage and many other resources, yet I have had challenges accessing birth control. I asked my friends on Facebook if they had experienced challenges as well. Many women responded.

Time

I remember several times I have just been too busy to pick up my birth control on time. I have a specific memory of being in my dorm room studying for a biology test. It was around 3am and while writing a note card I realized I needed to pick up a new pack of pills the next day. I ran through my schedule for the day and there just wasn’t time to go to the health center and pick my birth control. Did I want to get an A on my test, or did I want to use my birth control properly? I always went with the A in class, resulting in skipped pills or missing whole packs. Some pharmacies would let me pick up several months at a time, which would help with this issue, but others would not.

Another friend of mine shared a story very similar. She called several pharmacies and none of them carried the contraceptive she was prescribed. She did not have a car and could only access pharmacies she could reach via the metro. In the morning she had a plane to catch, and before her flight was unable to find a pharmacy that carried her prescription. The situation left her feeling helpless and frustrated. Time and transportation were both barriers for her.

Money

In college my birth control cost 60 a month. That was about the same as my gas bill, or groceries for a week. Others have told me their birth control cost anywhere between two dollars to 100 dollars per month. In these tough economic times when students are burdened with increasing student debt and lack of access to good paying jobs with benefits there is little money young people can spare.

Problems with providers

Sometimes your provider is the barrier to access, too. It can be very difficult to get an appointment with your OBGYN. Usually you have to make your appointment months ahead. I had just moved to Columbus and had established a new OBGYN. By the time I was finally able to meet with her I had already gone three months without a new prescription for birth control.

One of my friends had determined with her doctor and husband before she went into labor that after the baby was born she would have an IUD put in. During labor the doctor came in to confirm this decision. She suspected in that moment her husband started to feel unsure about the decision. Based on the facial response of her husband the doctor said they should think about it more and refused to put the IUD in that day. Her strong opinion to have it put in at that time was overruled by a facial expression from her husband.

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First I headed down to the University of Akron to lead a discussion following the screening of The Abortion Diaries. The presentation was put on by the University of Akron chapter of Sociologist for Women in Society. There are some great faculty and students at UA and it was great to visit their campus.

Our discussion at UA was rich and diverse. One man brought up the impact abortion can have on men and shared a personal story about his cousin. It was great to have his perspective. Discussions also lead to the hypocrisy of legislators to restrict legal abortion and also birth control. The group seemed to agree one of the biggest barriers to improving sexual health and reproductive justice is the negative and shaming culture around sex.

There were also some self-proclaimed "strongly prolife" people in the crowd. I was glad these women came to the event, and made sure their opinions were allowed to be shared. Many disagreed but I worked to make sure, even if opinions differed, all voices were heard and respected.

After the screening I drove north to Cleveland Heights. There was a private media event with Sherrod Brown, Kathleen Sebelius and women from Cleveland Heights. The purpose of the event was to raise awareness about the impact of the Affordable Care Act on women's health.

This seemed like a great opportunity to thank Brown and Sebelius for both being champions for the Affordable Care Act and co-pay free birth control. Wednesday I made calls out to my volunteers and was able to recruit a handful of people to help the day of the media event. One of the volunteers was a member of our high school peer education program and another was a graduate from the program. It was great to see young people engaged in healthcare policy and advocacy. 

We held signs across the street from the private home where the event was taking place. We got a few honks and cheers from people walking and driving by as we held our Birth Control Matters signs. When Brown and Sebelius came out of the house they saw us and waved. In response to our birth control matters signs Sebelius replied, "It does matter!" Brown even crossed the street to talk with us and take photos. Our little thank you event was event covered by local media! 

All in all it was a good day in Ohio for promoting reproductive justice. In Akron we worked on opening discussions about abortion, and de-stigmatizing women’s healthcare. In Cleveland Heights we let champions for women's health know we have their backs and are thankful for their tenacity on this issue.

Recently, people have had a lot to say about Planned Parenthood, specifically their government funding. During debates at the federal government and state government levels, there has been a lot of misinformation spread about Planned Parenthood and how public funding is used. This misinformation has come from various organizations which have publicly stated their goal is to “defunding Planned Parenthood.” The Expose Planned Parenthood Coalition includes many of these organization, such as Live Action, the Susan B. Anthony List, Concerned Women for America and LifeNews.com.

To help clear the air I have responded to several statements made about Planned Parenthood and its use of government funding.

Yes, Planned Parenthood does receive federal funding
It is true that a large portion of Planned Parenthood’s budget comes from government health services grants and reimbursements from federally funded health insurance programs, mainly Medicaid. This makes up 46% of Planned Parenthood’s revenues. Keeping in mind, over 80% of expenses go directly to providing programs and services to clients.

There are strict rules on public funding and abortion 
There are strict government regulations on public funds and abortion care
Those who oppose Planned Parenthood half-answered their own question in another article by stating “federal law prevents tax dollars from directly funding abortions.” This is because of the Hyde Amendment.

The Hyde Amendment was first introduced shortly after the legalization of abortion, and has been added every year following to different appropriation bills (bills that define government spending). The Hyde Amendment mainly impacts Medicaid, a joint program between the federal and state governments to offer health insurance for low-income people. Each state’s Medicaid program is different. I was once told if you have seen one Medicaid program, you have seen one Medicaid program.

Under the Hyde Amendment, Medicaid recipients only have coverage for abortion care in cases of rape, incest and life of the mother. Because of these regulations, low income women have much less access to abortion than women with private insurance. The original sponsor of the Hyde amendment was not coy about this effort, and even stated in 1977, "I certainly would like to prevent, if I could legally, anybody having an abortion, a rich woman, a middle-class woman, or a poor woman. Unfortunately, the only vehicle available is the…Medicaid bill."

In addition to Medicaid, Planned Parenthood also receives funding under the federal Title X Family Planning Program. This program is dedicated to “solely providing individuals with comprehensive family planning and related preventive health services. The Title X program is designed to provide access to contraceptive services, supplies and information to all who want and need them. By law, priority is given to persons from low-income families.” Essentially, it helps low-income women access family planning services. This funding cannot be used for abortion, but can be used to provide non-directive information about abortion, and abortion referrals.

In conclusions, there are some rare cases where federal funding can be used for abortion care or to provide information about abortion.


Planned Parenthood has a track record of abiding by funding rules and regulations
Ok, so now that we know there are strict regulations related to public funding, the question should be asked: Does Planned Parenthood follow those rules? Representative Cliff Stearns sure doesn’t think so.

Rep. Stearns is the Chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee Oversight and Investigation Subcommittee. He is on the record opposing the allocation of any federal funds to Planned Parenthood He is stanchly anti-choice, and his current attack on Planned Parenthood is a politically motivated investigation of billing and referral practices. He has requested an audit of Planned Parenthood’s documents covering a 20-year period of time, and demanded detailed information about billing and referral practices.

The reality is that the federal government and state governments already regularly audit Planned Parenthood. These audits are publicly available and have never identified misuse of funds. Representative Henry Waxman has stated, “We are committed to strong congressional oversight. But we are opposed to investigations that appear to be designed to harass and shut down an organization simply because Republicans disagree with the work that it does.”


Public funding does not “free up” money for abortion care
The reality is that Planned Parenthood is a safety net provider, like free clinics and public health department clinics. Planned Parenthood health centers ensure that all people have access to services, regardless of their ability to pay. Planned Parenthood’s commitment to serving all people is the reason why they receive federal funds. It has nothing to do with “freeing up funds” to pay for abortion.



During an economic crisis is the most essential time to invest in organizations like Planned Parenthood
It is true that during difficult economic times for our country, government agencies as well as individuals should review their spending practices and look for ways to save. This does not mean cutting all programs, regardless of their economic impact. Instead, the government needs to continue to fund programs that have positive social and economic impacts in the long run. For example, as more and more women become uninsured or underinsured, the need for an organization like Planned Parenthood increases. In addition, programs that ensure women have access to birth control save the federal government money in the long run. For every 1 dollar spent on family planning services, 4 dollars is saved in Medicaid (source). 

Accordingly, some states have expanded their family planning programs as a cost-savings initiative. Last June legislators in Washington State did just this, and it is estimated that this expansion will save their state 3.85 million dollars by preventing unintended pregnancy. Washington State Senator Karen Keiser stated that, “this is a commonsense bill that saves our state money during these tough economic times by reducing the number of unintended pregnancies Washington pays for. This bill not only helps women plan their families, it’s one of the smartest fiscal decisions we could make.”

Reproductive rights impact the economy, educational attainment and public health of our country. It is a cornerstone of the American dream for not only women, but all people. It is not a single issue, it is essential for the betterment of all people. Therefore, we must promote candidates that support reproductive justice.

2. Elect women. Women, run.

If we want the issues that most intimately impact women to be addressed, the perspectives of women need to be brought to our legislative bodies. This is like diversity 101 people. I love my prochoice men and will do everything I can this year to re-elect Sherrod Brown in Ohio, but that does not negate the need for women elected officials, include state and federal legislators and judges.

This rings true for other communities as well. For the advancement of people who are transgendered, queer, disabled and so on we need to people from these communities. I feel Harvey Milk sums this up best.


3. Move away from abortion as a partisan issue through election reform.

Abortion will remain a partisan issue until we reform our election systems throughout the country. Abortion is a deeply personal issue, and therefore politically is divisive. There really is not a political party that champions reproductive justice, so voters are left to choose between a party that rabidly attacks reproductive justice or another that passively lets reproductive justice crumble. An election system that allows for more discourse and less talking points would spur not only better legislative outcomes from reproductive justice, but all issues added in government.

Some starting points to improve our election systems includes the use of independent commissions to draw district lines, better campaign financing regulations and ending burdensome regulations on voters (voter ID bills, and other attacks we have seen this year).

4. Make spaces for young people to grow as leaders in this movement.

“Establishment” prochoice organizations need to make space for young people to become leaders in the movement. Young people (not just young women) bring fresh energy, innovation, and perspective to the movement. If we want to win this war, we need to continuously work to expand to ensure there are leaders for the movement for generations to come. Shelby Knox explains this philosophy well in her post honoring Gloria Steinem.

Shelby Knox's wonderful blog. 

5. Seeing reproductive justice as more than access to abortion.

This weekend I watched the film, “The Business of Being Born,” a documentary about home births and the “business” of child birth. It really opened my eyes to how little freedom women have when it comes to the birthing process. It reminded me that reproductive justice is broad, and impacts all people. If you choose to delay becoming a parents, avoid becoming a parent, or become a parent (birthing a child, adoption) you should care about this issue. Wait, that is everyone. Point made.

 Just when you think Ohio cannot get weirder, it does. 

Anti-choice activists in Ohio are continuing their fight for the Heartbeat Bill. Their new stunt is to use children as the, well, poster children for the bill. In this video various young people describe why they support the Heartbeat Bill. 

After the press conference the children delivered teddy bears with "beating hearts" (audio of beating hearts) to Ohio legislators. Yes this is really happening! I could not make this stuff up. 

To see more videos, check out OhioCapitalBlog's youtube channel. 

It is completely unacceptable that the over 200,000 women serving in our military do not have access to basic health services. The 19,000-23,000 servicewomen who face an unintended pregnancy annually do not have access to comprehensive reproductive healthcare.

Currently, a ban is in place that denies military women access to abortion in cases of rape. Health insurance for service women only covers abortion in cases when the pregnancy threatens the life of the woman. This year, an amendment was introduced to the National Defense Authorization Act to end this ban, but the amendment did not pass.

The majority of people in the U.S. support access to abortion in cases of rape. Also, other women with publicity funded healthcare (Medicaid recipients, civilian government employees) do have coverage for abortion in cases of rape. It is an outrage that women who dedicate their lives to protecting our country do not have access to this common and safe procedure. How can this restrictive and cruel policy make any sense, especially given that sexual assault is more common in the military than among the civilian population? The military should work to decrease incidences of sexual violence within its ranks, and also ensure that after a servicewoman is sexually assaulted she has access to all medical services.

The 1 in 3 Campaign points out that abortion is common and experienced by our families, mothers, sisters and friends. A recent study found that servicewomen seek abortion for the same reasons civilian woman do; they do not have the finical resources to support a child, fear the pregnancy will negatively impact their career, or because they were victims of rape or incest. Because military women do not have access to affordable and safe abortion care, many service women contemplate dangerous methods to end a pregnancy themselves.

Service women dedicate their lives to protecting our country. Some service women even cite their desire to stay on active duty as a reason to seek an abortion. Yet, our government puts their lives at risk by not giving them access to comprehensive reproductive healthcare. Servicewomen are the only women with publicly funded healthcare that do not have access to abortion in cases of rape. These brave women deserve better, which is why we need to end this ban on abortion coverage now!

Related links: 
http://www.ibisreproductivehealth.org/news/index.cfm
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/03/16/90507/reports-of-sexual-assault-in-military.html