Action Alert: Sat, 8/29: Women's Pro-Health Reform Rally In NYC

Women's Groups to March Together
It's time to fight back and show that the majority of Americans know we desperately need health reform this year!

A variety of progressive groups and health reform activists are organizing a pro-health reform rally in Times Square on Saturday, August 29 from 2pm - 4pm.

A women's contingent will gather outside Roosevelt's Hospital at West 59th St. and 10th Ave. at 12pm and march together to Times Square.

Organizations participating in the women's contingent include:

* Planned Parenthood of NYC

* NYCLU

* The Community Healthcare Network

* NARAL Pro-Choice NY

* WCLA-Choices Matters

* Physicians for Reproductive Choice and Health

If you organization would like to co-sponsor and send participants, please email: info@raisingwomensvoices.net.


This alert is posted on our site


Posted by,
Jerin Alam
National NOW Young Feminist Task Force
NOW – NYS Young Feminist Task Force Chair
National Organization for Women (NOW)

GOOD News: Change.org Members Compel Fast-Food Giant to End Discrimination

August 10 - August 16

	Victory: Change.org Members Compel Fast-Food Giant to End Discrimination Hey Changemakers, Another week, another victory for Change.org activists. Early this week, Change.org's Gay Rights blog revealed that Canadian fast-food giant Tim Hortons was sponsoring an event this weekend through one of its stores in Rhode Island supporting the anti-gay organization National Organization for Marriage (NOM). NOM is the group that has called gays and lesbians a threat to children, openly promotes discrimination, and is leading the charge to take away the rights of gays and lesbians to marry in Maine. So what happened when the news broke of a beloved Canadian brand sponsoring an anti-gay event in the United States? Change.org members took action. In less than a day, nearly 2,000 people from the U.S. and Canada sent emails to executives at Tim Hortons through an online petition on Change.org, reminding the company that it isn't in their best interest to let their name be used as a sponsor for discrimination. Seventeen hours after the petition launched, Tim Hortons responded: the company's Director of Public Affairs contacted us to say it had decided to pull its name from the list of sponsors for the anti-gay event, and not provide any financial or in-kind donations to groups looking to take away the civil rights of gays and lesbians. Kudos to Tim Hortons for the swift reversal in favor of equality, and to the two organizations that initially brought the news to our attention, the Providence Daily Dose and Truth Wins Out. This was a collective effort, and once again shows the power of people with nothing more than an internet connection and healthy dose of passion to make real change. For more news and commentary from the world of change this week, see the summaries below.		Keep health reform moving forward! by Consumers Union of the United States Take action » Help Stop McDonald's Cruelty Now! by PETA Take action » Stop Deportation of Dream Student Herta Llusho by Mo A Take action » Start a Petition »
	Health Care Lies The health care fight has turned rather ugly, and lies about reform are spreading via anonymous email chains. Universal Health Care guest blogger Nita Chaudhary, Campaign Director at MoveOn.org, writes an article that tackles some of the strangest fabrications about the health care reform. Here are the real facts that you need to know. (Read more) Vegetarians and Global Warming Will eating less meat help curb global warming? Stop Global Warming blogger Emily Gertz tries to get to the bottom of that question this week by looking at whether meat consumption, especially beef, has a negative impact on our changing climate. The answer is largely "yes," with the caveat that it depends mostly on how the beef is raised. And no, factory farms are not the answer. (Read more) Innovative Crime Reduction Seventy percent of those released from California prisons each year commit another offense - the highest recidivism rate in the nation. Criminal Justice guest blogger Kamala Harris, currently the District Attorney of San Francisco and a candidate for Attorney General of California in 2010, writes about an innovative approach she has taken in San Francisco to cut the rate of re-offense among non-violent criminals to 10%, reducing crime and saving the state the more than $35,000 it costs each year to house a prisoner. (Read more) Slave Labor at Chipotle? The foil on your thick, juicy Chipotle burrito might be hiding a secret ingredient: slavery. End Human Trafficking blogger Amanda Kloer uncovers that the fast-food restaurant famous for its Mexican food refuses to pay the farmworkers who pick their produce a living wage or take steps to ensure their suppliers are slave-free. Everyone loves a good burrito, of course. But good burritos aren't enough if the food is tainted by slave labor. (Read More) Expecting to Fail What happens when society expects us to fail? Social Entrepreneurship blogger Nathaniel Whittemore looks at that question from the perspective of the Millennial generation, and comes to a stark conclusion: The expectations that a society has for young people in any particular position, whether it's as a teacher in an inner city or as a member of a poor community, have a profound impact on the way those people come to see themselves. It may be time for some serious reframing of our thinking. (Read more) As always, you can find a full rundown the top articles this week from each of our 18 blogs by visiting Blog for Change. Until next week! - The Change.org Team

Posted by:

Jerin Alam

National NOW Young Feminist Task Force

NOW-NYS Young Feminist Task Force Chair

National Organization for Women (NOW)

Pro-Choice volunteer opportunities and events - NARAL

From NARAL:

Here at NARAL Pro-Choice New York, we having been hard at work planning for the work ahead and are excited to announce a full calendar of new events and action opportunities!!



We are holding virtual phone banks to ensure that reproductive health coverage is kept in health care reform, campaigning for pro-choice City Council campaigns and inviting new members to join the Activist Leadership Circle . The best part is that there are opportunities for everyone to get involved whether you live in Buffalo , Staten Island , or even out of state!


For a complete listing of all upcoming events and opportunities, please check out our Community Events Calendar

Posted by:
Jerin Alam
National NOW Young Feminist Task Force
NOW-NYS Young Feminist Task Force Chair
National Organization for Women (NOW)

Action Alert: Health care reform & abortion: myth vs. reality: help set record straight

The Senate recess begins today, and senators will be heading back to their home districts with one thing on their minds: health care reform. I wish I could say it was now just a matter of time until we get a bill that strengthens coverage for the women, men, and families who need it most — but the truth is, our work is more critical than ever. Of course, Congress has made progress on health care reform legislation — and when it comes to the early drafts of the bill, I'm happy to say: so far, so good. All versions of the health care reform bill would expand coverage, protect women's access to reproductive health care, and allow women to continue to see the health care providers they know and trust (like Planned Parenthood). That is the good news. Now for the bad. Anti-choice groups have geared up for an all-out assault on women's health care. They're using the reform negotiations to pursue their number one goal: preventing women from accessing comprehensive reproductive health care, from birth control to abortion. And I'm sure it's not news to you that they're willing to use every dishonest attack and dirty trick they can to stand in the way of women's health. Here are a few key facts you should know so the next time you're talking with friends, family, or co-workers about health care reform, you can set the record straight: 1. MYTH: Health care reform would result in the greatest expansion of abortion since Roe v. Wade. REALITY: Currently, the majority of plans already cover basic reproductive health care, including abortion care. In fact, more than 86 percent of employer-based insurance plans cover abortion care. That's why anti-choice groups are working so hard to strip reproductive health from health care reform — in order to strip women of coverage they currently have. 2. MYTH: Taxpayer money would be used to pay for abortions in the public plan. REALITY: Opponents of reproductive health care are trying to confuse people into thinking that the public plan is a government-funded health plan like Medicaid or Medicare — it is not. The public health insurance plan would operate like any private insurance plan would. It would be funded and paid for by private individual premiums, in the same way a private insurance plan is. Therefore, there is no reason to treat any coverage issue, including abortion coverage, differently in the public health insurance plan than in private plans. 3. MYTH: Health care reform will "mandate" abortion coverage. REALITY: Nothing in any of the current health care reform bills mandates abortion coverage — or any other type of health care service. Opponents of women's health and health care reform are trying to hijack health care reform to push for unprecedented prohibitions on abortion coverage in the private marketplace. Women in America have the most to gain and also the most to lose from health care reform. After all, women are the largest providers of health care, users of health care, and purchasers of health care, and women make the majority of the health care decisions for their families. And if our opponents have their way, women could be left worse off after health care reform, by losing access to health care and to their provider of choice. Health care reform is an important goal — but it can't come at the expense of women's health. As the leading provider of contraception and other reproductive health care in America, Planned Parenthood will continue to stand up for the health of women and their families. You can do your part to set the record straight on health care reform by writing a letter to the editor of your local paper, or simply by talking with friends, family, or co-workers. It's critical that we all set the record straight and educate others about women's health and community providers like Planned Parenthood. Stay tuned for ways you can get involved online and in your local community — and, once again, thank you for standing with us at this crucial time for women's health. Sincerely, Cecile Richards, President Planned Parenthood Federation of America visit plannedparenthood.org © 2009 Planned Parenthood® Federation of America | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use

Action Alert: Stop Opponents of Health Care Reform from Distorting the Truth

	Stop Opponents of Health Care Reform from Distorting the Truth Statistics have been at the center of the current battle over health care, but opponents of reform have been deceiving the public with biased data that fits their ideological arguments. The Washington Post just revealed that the Lewin Group, which is commonly cited by Republican lawmakers as an "independent, nonpartisan" think tank, is owned by UnitedHealth, one the country's largest health insurance companies. This is bad, even by Washington standards. The Lewin Group's research has heavily influenced the health care debate, and its supposedly objective projections have been used to scare Americans away from supporting health care reform. Tell opponents of health care reform to stop falsely presenting insurance industry research as unbiased information > It's not surprising that a private insurance company would publish biased information to misinform people about health care reform, which threatens their billions of dollars in annual profits. But for lawmakers who oppose reform to repeat these biased reports as facts without acknowledging their true source is disingenuous and irresponsible. The American people deserve an honest, straightforward debate on the merits of health care reform. Tell members of Congress to stop using biased numbers provided by the insurance industry and start an honest debate about how to fix health care in America > Thanks for lending your voice, - The Change.org Team Posted by: Jerin Alam National NOW Young Feminist Task Force National Organization for Women (NOW)		Click here to sign your name Stop Congressman from using biased research intended to scare people about health care reform.

Action Alert: Tell Congress Women's Health Matters In Health Care Reform

Our partners in Albany, Family Planning Advocates of New York State, are calling on supporters to help get the word out about health care reform. Please take a few minutes to find out how you can use your voice to protect access to our services. Congress is heading home for August recess without taking action on health care reform. Planned Parenthood's role in this reform process is to ensure that comprehensive reproductive health services remain available for all women and families. August is a critical time when your Member of Congress will be home, hearing from constituents on this important issue. We need your help to send the message to Congress that Women's Health Matters! Lately, anti-choice forces and lawmakers have come together in a dangerous attempt to halt our efforts, threatening to take away women's access to essential services like cancer screenings, contraception and abortion. Time is of the essence. The public and Congress need to know that millions of women across the country depend on community health centers like Planned Parenthood for their reproductive health care and, in many cases, for their primary health care. Writing a letter to the editor of your local paper can have a big impact in the little time that Congress is home. And, sending a letter is easy. In just a few clicks you can send a personalized letter to your local newspaper. Please take a moment to help spread the word about how important it is to include this type of care in health care reform. Women shouldn't be worse off after health care reform than they are today. CLICK HERE TO START WRITING YOUR LETTER Spread the word. Visit the web address below to tell your friends about this. Tell-a-friend! If you received this message from a friend, you can sign up for Planned Parenthood of New York City Action Network. Posted by: Jerin Alam National NOW Young Feminist Task Force National Organization for Women (NOW) visit plannedparenthood.org © 2009 Planned Parenthood® of New York City | Privacy Policy