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As a member of the pro-choice, pro-women, pro-equality, pro-family planning and pro-education communities, I've heard a lot of anger lately. And it's totally justified; I'm mad as hell, too. Policymakers like Rep. Pence, Rep. Chris Smith, and Rep. Pitts make me crazy. They seem to demonstrate a willful ignorance of the number of barriers that keep women from seeking and finding healthcare services. They seem obsessed with fetuses, but not with women, not even with actual living babies who are living in poverty here in the US and around the world. They are completely out-of-touch with real life, both claiming to want to reduce the number of abortions in this country and around the world, while also supporting massive cuts to all the family planning programs that prevent unwanted pregnancy in the first place. So, yeah, I'm mad. In fact, I think I'd go so far as to say I'm righteously indignant at the way that these policymakers are willing to throw women and children under the bus time and again just to score cheap political points.
But I can't let anger be the only emotion I feel right now. It's too damn depressing, and I just can't keep feeling consumed by how outraged I am at these narrow-minded, out-of-touch, privileged individuals. To be sure, I've made my calls asking my representatives to oppose the slew of anti-choice, anti-woman, anti-poor, and anti-education bills making their way through congress. But I've decided now that instead of just being angry about this all the time, I'm going to focus on those policymakers who AREN'T making me want to rip my hair out.
For me, personally, as a Minnesotan, this means calling my amazing Senator Al Franken, and thanking him for always standing up for women's rights and fighting for young people. It would be really easy and very politically expedient for Senator Franken to perhaps oppose these sweeping anti-choice bills privately, but to just stay quiet about it in public. However, rather than skirt around these controversial issues, he's made a number of statements supporting family planning, Planned Parenthood, and condemning the GOP's numerous and hypocritical attacks on a woman's right to choose. And you know what? As a young person, a woman, a student, and a constituent, I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.
So, thank you Al, for doing the right thing, and standing up for women both here in the US and in places receiving US foreign assistance.
“Work it! Young Sex Workers Policy Issues,” is a session put on by the Global Network of Sex Work Projects that I attended here at the International AIDS Conference’s Youth Pre-Conference that highlighted some major issues when it comes to how SRH and HIV/AIDS activists and advocates serve and engage with young people who are sex workers. Surely young sex workers fall into what we would call a “high-risk group,” and yet, I was surprised to learn that shockingly little has been said or done in the way of engaging young sex workers in AIDS activism or SRHR efforts. In fact, organizations struggle to provide the types of services young sex workers needs, such as HIV prevention and treatment, affordable and safe housing, food, legal advocacy, and healthcare, to name just a few. So, why is this?
