Two Pro-Choice Events Coming Up Next Week

Re-Elect City Council Speaker, Christine Quinn!

Tuesday, July 7^th

5:30 PM

Quinn 2009 Campaign Headquarters

123 West 18th Street, 7th Floor

New York, NY 10011

Please join NYC Council Speaker Christine Quinn and activists from NARAL Pro-Choice New York & Planned Parenthood of New York City to discuss issues important to New York City women and collect signatures to get Chris on the ballot!

Please RSVP to lhoward@prochoiceny.org or 646-520-3506

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Choices: Abortion

Wednesday, July 8^th

6:30 PM- 8:30 PM

NARAL Pro-Choice New York

470 Park Avenue South, 7^th Floor, NYC

NARAL Pro-Choice New York and the National Institute for Reproductive Health in partnership with co-sponsors the New York Abortion Access Fund and Exhale presents: “Choices: Abortion”.

Presenters will share the work they do each day to provide financial assistance to low-income women who cannot afford to pay for an abortion, support and counsel women after they have an abortion, ensure that all women have the health care coverage and access necessary to obtain reproductive health care, and work on the legislative and political levels to ensure that all people have access to safe and legal abortion.

Presenters include:

Constance DeCherney, Board Chair, New York Abortion Access Fund

Kristen Schultz Oliver, Lead Trainer, Exhale

Myra Batchelder, Director, Low-Income Access Program, the National Institute for Reproductive Health

Sabrina Shulman, Political Director, NARAL Pro-Choice New York

Event is free and open to all with RSVP to Lalena Howard at lhoward@prochoiceny.org or 646-520-3506. Event space is wheel-chair accessible

Press about us

We (Women's Rights Coalition) were at the following event Saturday, and our work with the CUNY-wide sexual assault policy is mentioned!

http://who-will-kiss-the-pig.blogspot.com/2009/06/saturday-afternoon-in-tompkins-square.html
A serious moment about a serious subject: sexual assault among college students. Jerin Alam of the Young Feminist Task Force discusses the proposed CUNY sexual assault policy that students at the city university are trying to implement. One out of four women and one out of six men are sexually assaulted in colleges nationwide. For information and help, go to RAINN, the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network or call 800-621-HOPE.


Posted by:
Jerin Alam
National NOW Young Feminist Task Force
President, Hunter Women’s Rights Coalition (HWRC)

Helping Iran via Twitter

If anyone is on Twitter, set your location to Tehran and your time zone to GMT +3.30. Security forces are hunting for bloggers using location/timezone searches. The more people at this location, the more of a logjam it creates for forces trying to shut Iranians' access to the internet down. Cut & paste & pass it on.

Posted by:
Jerin Alam
National NOW Young Feminist Task Force
President, Hunter Women’s Rights Coalition (HWRC)

THF OMG: ALPHA WOMEN ATTACK THE LOWER EAST SIDE!

Posted by: THF, HappyFeminist@gmail.com

Come to a FREE and fun concert by women & their supporters.
Sat., June 27th, 2PM at Tompkins Square Park

Co-Emceed by Our Lady of Perpetual PMS and Killer Killy

KILLER KILLY (subversive comedic songs)
JENNIFER BLOWDRYER: (LES punk writer w/Tales from The Lower East Side)
RACHEL CLEARY: (political storyteller)
MICHELLE LEONA: (haunting and horny accordian songs)
ROSIE REBEL: (showcases her bra inventions...on roller skates!)
JERIN ALAM: (speaker- Women's Rights Coalition)
SARAH B.: (punk teen poet sensation)
NEOANGIN: (one man electronics-gone-mad-art band from Berlin w/paintings & masks)
RACHEL TRACHTENBURG AND THE OH MY GOD GIRLS:
(debut of the Teen Girl Indie Pop-Rock Players!)
JESSICA DELFINO: (raunchy, insurgent rock & folk)
LONE VEIN: (Day of The Dead-inspired gloom tunes)
RUBBER ROOM RATS: (Female-fronted freaky post-punk)
DETHRACE: (a theatrical art rock experience...10 ft. tall fiberglass super-robots, playing 666 volts of metal!)

Plus MORE TBA, coming soon!

Also featuring:
The twisted art and underground comix of Jenny Devildoll Gonzalez, and Daniella Day's Coney Island collage art.

Clothing Swap:
Bring or Take CLEAN WOMEN'S CLOTHING only!
(no winter clothes please)

Helpful info. and literature from local political groups and non-profits!

Produced by Our Lady of Perpetual PMS and THE SHADOW - NYC's underground newspaper since 1988*

Sponsors needed – please call 212-631-1181 (24hrs) or email: TheSHADOW@MediaFilter.org

REBUILD THE TOMPKINS SQ. PARK BANDSHELL - Sign the petitions at the shows!

*These shows celebrate the vitality and creativity of the counter cultural scene that has survived on the LES, despite the rampant gentrification, soaring rents and lost venues that have contributed to the cultural genocide sweeping New York City.

We will also be on stage to discuss the CUNY-wide sexual assault policy.

THF: Chirp, chirp!!

Art by: blue bird, by Narelle Craven
Posted by: THF, HappyFeminist@gmail.com


twitter.com/HappyFeminist

Holy. As of this morning, I had 177 followers. Tonight, I have 184. Oh, my goodness! I don't even know what to say on that front. I'll post about how Hunter is awesome regularly and how its Women's Rights Coalition is amazing. ;)

Event posting to come later tonight! Stay tuned.

Urge Governor Paterson to Sign A755-A / S958-B into Law to Protect Victims of Domestic Violence From Discrimination in the Workplace

A775A/S958B Bill Passes NYS Assembly and NYS Senate

Take Action!
Urge Governor Paterson to sign this Legislation into Law

NOW-NYS has just learned that the legislation below has passed the Assembly and Senate. It is time to urge Governor Paterson to sign it into law.
This bill gives protection to domestic violence victims by not allowing employers to discriminate against them.

The National Organization for Women-New York State, Inc. strongly supports A-755-A/ S-958-B, which will protect victims of domestic violence from being discriminated against by employers. This bill prevents employers from refusing to hire or employ, from barring or discharging, and from discriminating in compensation terms against actual or perceived victims of domestic violence. According to the Domestic Violence Resource Center, one in four women experiences domestic violence in her lifetime; up to 6 million women are physically abused annually. This means that 25% of women may be affected by this type of discrimination should they attempt to work and become financially independent in order to escape an abuser.

One of the main reasons that women are forced to continue living with their abuser is their lack of financial independence and resources. The ability to find and hold down a job is essential in order to break away from the abuser. In this vicious cycle, however, many abused women are unable to perform to their best professional ability because of the abusive situation in their home. Often, victims need time away from work for any number of reasons, such as: conferring with an attorney or domestic violence counselor, appearing in court, to seek medical attention, arrange for alternative housing or recuperate from injuries. Victims may be embarrassed or fearful of losing her job and is therefore reluctant to inform her employer of the circumstances of her life. "We want to encourage victims of domestic violence to disclose their abuse if it is affecting their work," said Jean Haertl, Director of Workplace Violence Prevention in Massachusetts. "Less than 10 percent of businesses have a policy on workplace violence that includes domestic violence. We don't think about it until someone is killed."

Because of her need for flexible hours or time off to protect herself, a victim of domestic violence is commonly terminated or demoted. This termination has a restrictive effect on her financial resources thus hindering her ability to protect herself. Donna Kausek, domestic violence specialist for Partners HealthCare, states, "We want to keep victims working. If someone is not working, it gives the perpetrator more access to the victim, and the victim has less financial support to help provide additional safety."

This legislation will make it unlawful for an employer or licensing agency to discriminate against victims of domestic violence in hiring or employment practices, helping to ensure the safety as well as the economic viability of victims and their children or dependents. The National Organization for Women-New York State, Inc. strongly urges legislators to pass bill A-755-A/ S-958-B.

Urge Governor Paterson to sign this bill into law.

Posted by:
Jerin Alam
National NOW Young Feminist Task Force
President, Hunter Women’s Rights Coalition (HWRC)

THF: NYS State Senator Eric Adams is my new favorite pen pal

Posted by: THF -- HappyFeminist@gmail.com

NYS Senator Adams recently sent me a response to an email of mine. Senator Adams represents state senate district 20, and you should check out his website. There are a lot of shout-outs to awesome NY women. (I cut out unrelated text that made this way long; bold emphasis is mine):

Dear Sabrina,

Thank you for your informative letter. It is my conviction that if you take the time to write me, I should respect your communication by reading it and responding. During these times of great demand it is important that we have knowledgeable citizens provide us with intelligent views on the various issues confronting our state.

I fully support legislation to render all gender-specific language in the NYS Domestic Relations Law gender-neutral, thus affording same-sex couples the identical opportunity, the identical freedom, to contract civil marriages in the same way as opposite-sex couples do currently.

I believe that no legal status, no rights, no benefits, no privileges, and no protections relating to marriage should differ based upon the gender of the parties involved. [THF: hmm...blocking gay marriage = gender based discrimination? I love legal minds!]

The unfairness inherent in depriving same-sex couples of this fundamental justice undermines the stability of family relationships, creates in every sense a second-class citizenry, and weakens our society. I will vote in favor of a gay marriage bill because I believe that gay couples desire exactly the same type of committed relationship as do straight couples, and that relationship, marriage, is a basic human right.

Please continue to reach out to my office. As our office endeavors to go green, I encourage you to continue to send future correspondence to my email address.

Best,

Eric Adams

NYS Senator

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Therefore NYS Senator Adams = My new favorite pen pal. :-D

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Homework!: Click here to find your State Senator and write to them!

Let me know if they write back!

Contact me at HappyFeminist@gmail.com if you need a sample letter.

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THF: I read the news today, oh girl

Image (C) Moody's for Youth
Posted by: The Happy Feminist


Ladies. Gents. Gender non-conformists. Lend me your ears.

Actually, let me lend you mine. I've been waking up unspeakably (though I will whine and bitch at length) early in the morning the past month to collect press clips for my internship. The list of news clips of interest are sent to everybody in the committee. And I feel special about that, oh yes I do.

Ok, no, I don't, not really. I'd actually feel more special if I were writing about feminism (did you miss me like I missed you?). So I wanted to do the same thing, but with the news you send me.

You know those articles on Feministing that you send to your friends? The absurd bullshit that the New York Times tries to pass as editorials sometimes? Or, you know, really anything that you post on Facebook that some asshat you knew in high school who you forgot you were "friends" with says is hateful towards men? True story. Also, wondering why there isn't birth control that men have to take isn't hateful. De-friended, kthxbye.

Send any interesting links or articles to HappyFeminist@gmail.com and I'll post the best clips once per week.

THF: A call to activism (a.k.a., letter-writing)

I, The Happy Feminist, am happy today to accept the title of President-elect of the Women's Rights Coalition. Feel free to add me on facebook (I'm listed as President-elect in our facebook group); you can message me anytime with anything you may need. I write my first blog from D.C. today.

I am not feeling awesome about the assassination of Dr. Tiller, but I took a page (pun...is it a bad time for puns?) from Carolyn Maloney's book and decided to make a call for action.

I invite you all to take any outrage you may have about Dr. Tiller's death and write to your senators and congressmen/women about it. Whether it be New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Transylvania, whatever. Contact them! Here's a letter I sent to mine, please read it and send it along:

To my esteemed Senators:

I would like to begin my letter explaining how much I appreciate the work that you do; I am fully aware of how little like a picnic your job must be.

I write to you today to ask for renewed enforcement of the FACE Act of 1994, and I am sure you know why. Dr. Tiller’s work is controversial to some, but we can at least agree that civil disobedience may be a tradition we respect in this country, sure, but violence is not. Trusting women is the belief of the pro-choice movement, but the health of a human being is the belief of those who support late term abortions.

Politics aside, domestic terrorism is unacceptable. I cannot imagine what those people attending church the morning of Dr. Tiller’s death felt upon hearing the gunshots. My fear of domestic terrorism is not unfounded:

“The man charged with murdering a high-profile abortion doctor claimed from his jail cell Sunday that similar violence was planned around the nation for as long as the procedure remained legal, a threat that comes days after a federal investigation launched into his possible accomplices.” (Roxana Hegeman, Associated Press Writer, http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090607/ap_on_re_us/us_abortion_shooting)

I am calling on you for renewed enforcement of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act of 1994. “FACE makes it illegal to intentionally use force, the threat of force, or physical obstruction to injure, intimidate, interfere with, or attempt to injure, intimidate or interfere with individuals obtaining or providing reproductive health care services. FACE also punishes anyone who intentionally damages or destroys a facility that provides reproductive health services.” (http://www.prochoice.org/about_abortion/facts/face_act.html)

I know that this issue will continue to be debated in the years to come, but I hope that we can at least do so peacefully.

Sincerely,