This Valentine’s Day, students on campuses across the country are engaging their Senators and Speaker John Boehner via “Birth Control 4 Us,” a campaign launched to protect young women’s access to birth control.

The Obama Administration’s decision this January not to expand religious exemptions to no-copay birth control was a step in the right direction in providing women basic health care. No woman should be denied their right to medical services because she can’t afford the high deductibles, or because her insurance plan doesn’t include contraceptive services. The Catholic Health Association has already come out in support of this solution, and it's Republicans in Congress that now stand in the way of birth control access.

“Making contraception available doesn’t mean you have to use it,” said Callie Otto a student at Catholic University. “If you have a religious conflict I respect your right not to use it, but no one should be able to take that decision away from me.”

When 99% of women in the U.S. say they have used birth control, the issue of contraceptives isn’t controversial — it's common sense, but social conservatives would like you to believe otherwise. The time for us to fight back against this barrage of negative attacks is now.
“The Senate and Congress have a responsibility to the two million students and workers at religious universities,” said Jessika Parry, a student of Boston College.

Join us today, February 14th, as our student-led coalition officially launches “Birth Control 4 Us.” This is one of many actions that thousands of students — on campuses across the nation — will take this week in support of no-cost birth control.

Today, join Medical Students for Choice, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Advocates for Youth, Feminist Majority Foundation, Choice USA, NARAL, Strong Families, Nursing Students for Choice, Women's Media Center, Campus Progress, Young Invincibles, and students on hundreds of campuses in sending protest Valentines to Congress.

Here's how you can get involved:

TAKE ACTION: "Twitter Storm" Congress with #BC4US valentines.
• Step 1: Click here to download and print your valentines (or make your own!)
• Step 2: Take a picture of yourself holding your valentine
• Step 3: Post them on our Facebook Page or email them to bc4us2012@gmail.com (*)
• Step 4: Tweet these pictures to ".@SpeakerBoehner" and your Senators and make sure to include the hashtag #bc4us. To find your Senator on Twitter, click here.

Join Ciara from Momma’s Hip Hop Kitchen in NY!

A special shout-out to the Tell Them  - SWARM Youth Council in South Carolina!  They have been emailing, tweeting, and taking pictures all weekend long. They also emailed our first #bc4us photo below!

by Denicia Cadena, Young Women United
Photos provided by Gabriella Lemas-Sanchez

On Tuesday, January 24th Young Women United rocked the New Mexico Capital with Show Some Love, a day of action for young parents. Our message echoed through the roundhouse: young parents deserve respect, trust, and recognition. With over 50 young parents from across New Mexico, this day was about centering the voices of young families and their allies in pushing for change. YWU has always understood that negative and inaccurate descriptions about young parents and their children have a harmful impact on these families. Too often, young families living under stigma and shame don’t have the resources they need to thrive.

Young parents want our state to know--our families deserve better than this. As a step forward, young mamas from many parts of New Mexico collectively wrote a legislative memorial to establish a NM Day in Recognition of Young Parents. YWU is also proud to support ACLU of New Mexico in their memorial, which will establish a task force to assess and eliminate barriers that pregnant and parenting teens face in completing their educations. Read the memorial here.

Show Some Love built momentum for these memorials and created a space for young parents to speak up and speak out. Our press conference pulled a captive audience to hear these parents share the strengths of their families. Our legislative visits connected these young people to some of the state’s most powerful legislators.

More...

Pree Sen a 1 in 3 activist, with NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia was on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., where two Virginia Congressmen stood up to Governor McDonnell’s attacks on women’s health.  U.S. Representatives Jim Moran (VA-08) and Gerry Connolly (VA-11) joined  the Virginia Coalition to Protect Women’s Health to sign the petition calling for Governor Bob McDonnell to reject new regulations on Virginia’s abortion providers on October 12, 2011.

Tarina Keene, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia and chair of the Virginia Coalition to Protect Women’s Health, began with a rallying cry:

“Gone are the days when we spoke of threats to reproductive freedom,” said Keene. “Today, those threats are reality. Politics and ideology have taken center stage and sound medical science has been rejected. This leaves the future of women’s health and safety in limbo. But we are here to say we won’t bargain with women’s health and lives. We are here to fight back.”

The Congressmen then reminded us that these new regulations are nothing more than politically motivated attacks to end access to safe, legal abortion. We have been saying the same thing since anti-choice legislators first proposed the new regulations. (And editorial boards agree!)

After hearing from the Congressmen, two young  women, Pree Sen and Corrina Beall, told the crowd that new regulations designed to shut down women’s health centers would hurt young and low-income women – women who rely on these centers for basic reproductive health care and abortion access!  Pree recounted her work as medical student doing a rotation this summer in a health center in Falls Church, VA.

The Congressmen then signed the petition calling on Governor McDonnell to reject these regulations. Congressman Moran and Congressman Connolly add their names to over 5000 Virginians who stood up to protect women’s healthcare.

This was crossposted from NARAL pro-choice Virginia blog: prochoiceva.wordpress.com/2011/10/12/virginia-congressmen-stand-up-to-attacks-on-womens-health/

by Jessica McConville

There are many emotions that are commonly associated with reproductive related issues, but there is one in particular that I take great issue with: shame. Thinking back on it, this is a feeling that has been prevalent ever since I can remember. When my friends and I started our periods in middle school, we were careful to never let our other classmates know that we were “inflicted” with the “horrible, unnatural disease.” Despite the fact that 50% of the students were female, we hid maxi pads in pencil cases. Tampon companies went as far to design products that are easy to conceal, that can be passed from palm to palm without anyone noticing as if they were an illegal substance.

I wish I could say that the reactions to menstruation could be chalked up to immaturity, but as I’ve gotten older nothing has changed. College aged students still have a hard time saying the words ‘penis’ or ‘vagina’ without blushing or giggling, as if having body parts is taboo. You can’t even go to a doctor in the south who can ask you if you are sexually active without following up with a question about your marital status. If periods, body parts, and sex are natural (which they are) and are so necessary to the survival of the human race, then why do we raise our children to be ashamed?

I started teaching sex ed last year where I was amazed to find out that many of the female students in 7th and 8th grade had no idea what their cycles were. They said their parents were too embarrassed to talk about what was happening with their bodies. At the discretion of the school board, we were not allowed to talk about masturbation or homosexuality. Anytime a student would mention anything remotely related to being gay, we would have to tell them that their comment was inappropriate and we could not discuss the issue. Why are we teaching our students that their feelings are unnatural and that they have no place in society?

I was watching a show called Big Love on HBO once, which also got me thinking about this issue. One of the mothers was upset because she had punished her daughter after she found out she was sexually active. For a while, she was terrible to her daughter, threatening at one point to send her to a very strict, religious school. In one of the final episodes of the season the mother has a break down and confesses that she taught her one thing she never wanted to: to be ashamed. Girls are often taught that engaging in any sexual act makes them a slut. Where does the double-standard come from?

Why are we teaching our children that nature is dirty and wrong when in fact it is beautiful? Isn’t it about time that we start celebrating the things that make us who we are? Why can’t we focus on the positive instead of the negative?

Shame has no place in our curriculum.

This post was written by Jessica McConville (pictured above) who is a part of the Tell Them SWARM Council and cross posted from the following:blog.tellthemsc.org/2011/10/shame-has-no-place-in-our-curriculum/

by Tim Allen

In September, Tell Them’s SWARM Council flew to Washington DC to attend the 11th annual Urban Retreat sponsored by Advocates for Youth, a national group that champions efforts that help young people make informed and responsible decisions about their reproductive and sexual health. Along with the South Carolina SWARM Council, 11 other organizations, domestic and international, gathered for the seminar and lobby day. In all there were 118 young people representing the youth of America, Jamaica, Nepal, Namibia and Nigeria.


The Council’s days were packed from breakfast at 7am till late into the evening. Council members analyzed how abstinence-only-until-marriage programs fail and how science-based education is the leading deterrent of unintended pregnancy, learned state and national policy and government structure, and even the ins and outs of lobbying. On September 12th we all broke up into our respective states and districts to lobby our Senators and Congressmen for continued funding for sex education and access to birth control.




The council reported having a great time sharing experiences and ideas with other young people from across the country. Many were surprised with the amount of information that was covered in such a short period of time. The council has made it back to their campuses and have begun to implement many of the techniques that they learned from the “Urban Retreat.” Be sure to follow their activity on the Buzz as we highlight their hard work!

This post was written by Tim Allen (pictured above)  the Youth Activist Coordinator for Tell Them SWARM Council and cross posted from the following: blog.tellthemsc.org/2011/10/swarm-council-attends-urban-retreat-in-dc/

by Maria Jackson

This post was written by Maria Jackson (pictured above) who is a part of the Tell Them SWARM Council and cross posted from the following: blog.tellthemsc.org/2011/10/shocking-statistic-leads-to-prevention-ideas/

As a volunteer and mentor at a local after school program, I took a 2.5 hour Darkness to Light child sexual abuse prevention training geared towards stewards of children this weekend. It was startling and insightful. The statistics on sexual abuse are grim and depressing; it is so much more prevalent than I thought. This one in particular struck me:

More than 60% of teen first pregnancies are preceded by experience of molestation, rape, or attempted rape.

It is astounding, complex, and eye-opening that all aspects of sexual health and understanding are so connected, isn’t it? It is sickening that children being preyed upon today later correlates with their likelihood to experience a teen pregnancy. It is sickening that either occur so prevalently in our world.

However, the training did not leave me with complete hopelessness. As an advocate of comprehensive sex education, my wheels started turning about how we, as a society, could prevent sexual abuse and teen pregnancy among our youth. The greatest aspect of comprehensive sex education is that it focuses on being age appropriate and expansive. While younger children learn about the correct terminology for their body parts, they can also talk about what is and is not appropriate touch. While older children learn about methods to protect their bodies from pregnancy and STIs, they will also learn about meaningful ways to give and withhold consent, and how to recognize and honor those wishes. Comprehensive sex education that focuses on preventing STIs and teen pregnancy absolutely works in tandem with healthy relationships and emotional/ physical protection from others.

This is one of many important ways that age appropriate, comprehensive sex education works with so many other important issues that need to be addressed in today’s society in regards to our youth’s health and safety. When youth feel comfortable talking about sexuality in an age appropriate, meaningful way, they are in a better position to assert their rights and talk to others when they do have questions about their bodies and lives.

To find more information about Domestic Violence Awareness Month: dvam.vawnet.org/about/index.php

by Aaron Guest

While having the wonderful opportunity to catch up with an old friend over dinner just recently, and as we chatted away about the goings and happenings of our collegiate lives, the topic of conversation turned into what we were currently involved with outside of our academic work. This of course was filled with the general and mundane topics of football, dating, applying for grad school, etc. It was when I brought up my involvement with advocating for reproductive rights and age appropriate comprehensive sex education that my friend, with an inquisitive look in her eye asked “Really? Why do you care? That really doesn’t affect you does it?”

That got me thinking, on the surface it must be odd that I advocate for this. I after all am male, so I assume people do not see me getting pregnant anytime soon, which means I also probably am not purchasing on birth control. As well, as someone who is preparing for graduate school, I am not being taught in a public school so why should I care?

I believe this points towards two of the horrid misconceptions about comprehensive sex education and reproductive rights. Those being that it is a “women’s issue” and that of since we are removed from the issue, in this case not being taught in the public school, that we should not care. Both of these however could not be further from the truth! The fight for reproductive rights is just as much a fight for men as it is for women! It after all takes two to procreate. That being the case both of the individuals involved should have correct, informed, scientific based information about what they are doing, what could happen, and what are their options. It is only when all parties involved are informed that factually based decisions can be made. Simply because men cannot get pregnant, or that we do not need to have access to birth control (of which condoms are a form of thank you very much) we should not care. No! We should care just as much! Reproductive rights are not simply something that we should associate with women; they are something we all have the right to, and something we should all have the option to exercise.

As for the argument that since some of us advocating for change are removed from “ground zero” or the school’s themselves we should not care, I ask, do you plan to live forever? We are educating our future. We are educating those that will one day, during our lifetime, rise into positions of power and leadership. I believe, and want, the youth of tomorrow to be more informed than me. I want them to have greater access to information than me. I want them to have greater opportunities for advancement than me. I of course want all of this for myself, but I believe we must work; it is our duty to work, to make their lives better and superior to our own.

As for why do I advocate? Well I advocate because I, nor my friends, had access to comprehensive sexual education. I advocate for all of my friends who became pregnant or were diagnosed with a sti due to being uniformed. I advocate for my brother and sister, so that they may receive a better and more accurate education than I. Finally, and most selfishly, I advocate for myself, so that my peers will have access to scientifically correct information, and so that I can create a more informed and more educated world.

This post was written by Aaron Guest (pictured above) who is a part of the Tell Them SWARM Council and cross posted from the following: blog.tellthemsc.org/2011/10/why-i-advocate/

Tonight is the premiere of the Brown and Out Play Festival whose mission is to present plays written by Latina/o and LGBTQ storytellers representing the rich, diverse and ever-evolving Latina/o and LGBTQ culture. It begins this evening, September 23, 2011 and will run for only three weekends. Playwrights featured in Casa 0101’s Theatres, inaugural Brown and Out Play Festival include Josefina Lopez (“Doña Concepcion,” “Coming Out Party”); Ricardo A. Bracho (“A Writer and His History”); Angela Cruz (“My Perfect Boyfriend”); Miguel Garcia (“GayMex,” “Butch Juice,” “Mayhem,” “Gay Cholo Charm School”); Hector Rodriguez (“Manuel Labor”); and Patricia Zamorano (“Strapp Diz”). The works in the short play festival are directed by Corky Dominguez, Elizabeth Otero de Espinoza, and Hector Rodriguez. This show is an amazing culmination of a collection of hopes and dreams of a young queer latina/o playwright by the name of Miguel Garcia.

Miguel, who is also the Executive Producer of the show, began working on this endeavor by spending his evenings after work in a writing workshop at the only theatre located in the heart of East LA and specifically Boyle Heights called CASA 0101. I remember the night where he decided that he wanted to not only write plays but also really capture the queer brown version of pretty much everything. These experiences were real and happening all around us, and CASA 0101 really nurtured this young artist.

This compilation of stories were brewing after we graduated from college and landed back in El Monte, California at the King Taco eating carne asada nachos. I sat across from this young theatre major/playwright and wondered if our families and communities would accept the identities we worked so hard to embrace. Miguel Garcia was here, he was queer and he loved writing but the barrios of Los Angeles became less easy to navigate. It was unclear if he would ever find a space to write again because of the reality of what we were coming home to including bills, 9 to 5 jobs and our familias. As young Latina/os we loved where we grew up - including all of its complexities - but we understood that if we wanted to be back as our full selves we had to continue to build spaces of inclusion. Miguel Garcia's ability to curate and produce Brown and Out demonstrates that brown queer spaces can exist everywhere but most importantly can exist at home.

To Reserve Tickets Online Click Below:

This is my contribution to the Latina Week of Action for Reproductive Justice Blog Carnival!  We were asked to respond to the question below:

latinainstitute.org/LatinaWeek4RJ2011/blogcarnival

"What's the real problem?" when it comes to how immigrant women are treated.

The real problem is silence.

In most major cities and in some rural communities, it is impossible to go through a week without having an interaction with immigrant women. My entire world has been shaped and molded by immigrant women including the janitors in the many buildings I have worked in, local cooks at some of my favorite restaurants, the professor I did research with at Cal State Los Angeles, the women at St. Peter and St. Paul Church in Wilmington, my aunts, my grandmother and most importantly my mother. These women have had to overcome insurmountable obstacles on a continuous basis and we fail to recount their triumphs and tragedies. Our insistence as a community to turn a blind eye, allows these experiences of injustice to fall on deaf ears, and our continuous silence on the way immigrant women are being systematically discriminated against is the problem.

Whether it is the increase in deportations due to raids by ICE or the high incidence of domestic violence experienced by immigrant women we are not allowing these experiences to have a privileged platform. Immigrant women have become trapped by institutions that expect them to only be seen and not heard. Where is the outrage on behalf of all the communities they positively impact? Why aren’t their co-workers, patrons, students, fellow parishioners, and children changing the narrative and speaking out against their discrimination with them.

There are pockets of community that have taken up aspects of the problems that most affect immigrant women. Their tireless efforts as activists, services providers, and advocates I both respect and admire. However, there is a much greater community in America that must ally themselves with these women and these communities to change conditions on the ground. As of late, I have been following the important work of Jose Antonio Vargas and his courage in coming out as an undocumented immigrant. However, I am ready for the next phase of his initiative Defining America to include stories of immigrant women. My challenge to all Americans: count the number of immigrant women that have positively impacted your life. This is my daily exercise and it makes me realize that silence is no longer an option.

To learn more about Defining America:
defineamerican.com/page/about/about-defineamerican

1 in 2 Latinas becomes pregnant by the time they are 20.
Latinas have the highest teen pregnancy rate and teen birth rate.
The vast majority of teen pregnancies occur to Latinas living in California and Texas.
                             – The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy

Billboards have been posted in Los Angeles this week that read, ““El lugar mas peligroso para un Latino es el vientre de su madre/The most dangerous place for a Latino is in their mother’s womb.” Facts about teen pregnancy have been twisted to perpetuate false stereotypes of Latina youth. This misrepresentation of young Latinas and their sexuality does not accurately represent the facts of their lived reality. There are social conditions that have led to the disproportionate rate of unplanned pregnancies in our community. The placement of these billboards is only emblematic of the continuous harassment of our young women and in this instance sponsored by the Latino Partnership for Conservative Principles.

I take great pride in growing up in a predominantly Latino community in Wilmington, CA. When looking at the numbers, I know they do not represent my community entirely. Wilmington is a low to middle income, immigrant neighborhood with low performing public schools and a lack of resources. However, if you scratch the surface, it is a neighborhood with rich cultural history, amazing resilience and is also deeply religious. Due to the religious attitudes toward sex, there is very clear messaging around abstinence until marriage. Yet, with the many teen pregnancies, it is clear that youth are not waiting to have sex. No one is talking with our youth about healthy relationships, their sexuality and about practicing safe sex. Research has demonstrated, that evidence based comprehensive sex education programs that discuss both abstinence plus access to contraception are the most effective programs at reducing unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections among young people. There is even stigma around being prepared for something youth “shouldn’t be doing in the first place.” Once youth become young mothers they are additionally stigmatized because of their choices.

Only 1 in 10 abortion clinics are located in predominantly Latino neighborhoods. In Wilmington, we have limited access to a local hospital and clinics that provide comprehensive women’s services. Anyone that needs access to abortion services has to leave the city to find it. I believe that if more preventive service providers like Planned Parenthood existed in our neighborhoods we would see a reduction in unplanned teen pregnancy and an increase in prenatal care. Having access to contraception and active community outreach could really change things for our youth. Additionally, we must build and provide support services for young mothers and their children such as day care, career training programs, and access to a college education. Removing stigma around condoms use, contraceptive use and having safe spaces to discuss our sexuality would benefit all women in our communities.

Latinas who use their right to choose an abortion and those that choose to be mothers grow up alongside each other in the same communities, face similar obstacles and understand what it means to be a woman that is only defined by their body. To set Latinas who choose to access abortion services in direct opposition to the young mothers in our communities limits the understanding of the larger social problems in Latina’s lives. We face the same limited access to employment opportunities and to a quality education. Despite these obstacles, if we choose to do so, Latinas go on to raise beautiful children, become supportive partners, and statistically become the primary income earners in our households. The only dangerous place for a Latina is in a society where biased billboards attempt to divide communities under false pretenses and bad stereotypes. The only dangerous place for a Latina is in a community with limited services. The only dangerous place for any woman is in a world where we try to control and stigmatize access to medically accurate information and services.

To learn more facts about Latina teen pregnancy:
www.thenationalcampaign.org/resources/pdf/FastFacts_TPChildbearing_Latinos.pdf

To learn about national advocacy on these issues check out the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health: latinainstitute.org/

For a state advocacy organization in California working on these issues check out California Latinas for Reproductive Justice:www.californialatinas.org/index.html

To access safe and comprehensive services near you:
www.plannedparenthood.org/health-center/findCenter.asp