Daily Feminist News: This Week

Senate Bill Challenges Bush Rule Limiting Reproductive Health Care

11/21/2008 - Senators Hillary Clinton (D-NY) and Patty Murray (D-WA) introduced legislation yesterday that would prevent a Department of Health and Human Services (HSS) rule from limiting women's access to proper reproductive care. The proposed regulation would threaten women's access to contraception and health care because federally-funded health care providers, based on their personal views, would be able to withhold both services and information from women.

Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards said in a press release, "Senators Clinton and Murray are true champions of women's health, and their proposed legislation sends a strong signal to administrative agencies that Congress will not stand by as those agencies try to slip in ill-conceived midnight regulations."

In her own statement, Senator Clinton added, "this HHS rule will threaten patients’ rights, stand in the way of health care professionals, and restrict access to critical health care services for those who need them most. Senator Murray and I are standing up once again to the administration against this rule and will continue to fight for women's reproductive rights. President Bush is making a last-minute attempt to undermine women's health care, but our legislation will stop this rule and ensure that women can continue to get needed health care."

Discrimination Lawsuit Settled Against eHarmony, New Suit Looms

11/21/2008 - A lawsuit that charged online matchmaking service eHarmony with discriminating against gay and lesbian individuals was settled yesterday. As part of the settlement, eHarmony will release a new website, Compatible Partners, an online dating service specifically for same-sex couples, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The suit was originally filed by a gay individual who alleged that eHarmony had violated his rights under New Jersey’s discrimination laws by omitting sexual orientation as a factor. According to World Net Daily, eHarmony founder Neil Clark Warren has tried to defend the exclusion of gay and lesbian individuals by claiming that his company’s main goal is to promote marriage and that "we don't really want to participate in something that's illegal."

Though the New Jersey suit is now settled, a California Superior Court judge ruled yesterday that a separate case against eHarmony can proceed as a class-action lawsuit. According to PC Magazine, this suit will allow individuals who were denied service from eHarmony on the basis of sexual orientation since 2004 to join the case.

Phillipine Reproductive Health Bill Likely to be Defeated

11/21/2008 - A family planning bill currently moving through the Philippine legislature that would promote sex education and contraceptive use is expected to be defeated. This outcome is expected largely because of the Philippine Congress's strong support of the Roman Catholic Church. According to Agence France Presse, only 99 members out of the 238 member House of Representatives have openly expressed support of the bill (see PDF). An alternative maternal health bill is currently being drafted by local Roman Catholic bishops.

According to Reuters, Reverend Father Melvin Castro of the Episcopal Commission on Family and Life calls the bill unconstitutional and alleges that it infringes on citizen's religious rights. Supporters of the bill contend that since the Philippines has one of Asia’s highest population rates, the legislation is essential to curbing population growth, according to Agence France Presse

California Supreme Court Will Hear Arguments on Proposition 8

11/20/2008 - California's Supreme Court said Wednesday that it will consider the constitutionality of Proposition 8, which eliminated same sex marriage in the state earlier this month. The proposition, which passed 52 percent to 48, overturned a May ruling of the state Supreme Court that legalized same sex marriage.

According to the New York Times, the Supreme Court will also consider the legality of the nearly 18,000 same sex marriages that were performed in California before Proposition 8 was approved by 52 percent of voters. The Court will also consider the question of whether same sex couples have been denied equal protection under California's state constitution. According to the Los Angeles Times, lawyers representing gay rights will continue to argue that the proposition denies protection to a minority group that has historically been discrimination against.

Until there is a final ruling, same sex marriage ceremonies will be unable to resume. Shannon Price Miller, a litigator in the case and a lawyer for the National Center for Lesbian Rights, told the Los Angeles Times that "we are concerned that there may be some couples who will never be able to marry because of this." The Court does not plan to hear oral arguments until March.

Gender Gap Played Key Role in Begich Victory

11/20/2008 - A wide gender gap played a key role in Anchorage mayor Mark Begich's victory over Republican incumbent Ted Stevens, who has served six terms in the Senate. Though Begich won this razor-close race by less than 4,000 votes, the gender gap is around 16 points. Exit polls showed that 55% of women and 39% of men supported Begich.

In other Senate Races, women's votes elected Jean Shaheen (D-NH) over anti-choice Republican incumbent John Sununu; 60% of women and only 45% of men voted for Shaheen – for a whopping 15% gender gap. Victor Kay Hagan (D-NC) enjoyed a solid 8% gender gap (55%-47%) which produced her win over incumbent anti-choice Senator Elizabeth Dole.

See a full analysis of the gender gap and election results here.

Annual Transgender Day of Remembrance Honors Those Lost to Violence

11/20/2008 - Today is the tenth annual Transgender Day of Remembrance, which honors those of the transgender community lost to violence. Several recent incidents of violence against transgender individuals makes the day more poignant.

Yesterday, a former Memphis police office pleaded not guilty in the beating of a transwoman, Duanna Johnson, according to the Associated Press. The beating, which took place at a local Memphis jail, was caught on tape by a surveillance camera. At the beginning of this month Johnson was shot and killed in Memphis by an unknown assailant.

Friday night, Lateisha Green was shot and killed outside a house party in Syracuse, according to Edge Boston. Though an investigation is underway, Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund Executive Director Michael Silverman told Edge Providence that "Lateisha's senseless death demonstrates the increased risk of violence transgender people face."

According to Edge Boston, at least 15 people have been murdered in transgender related hate crimes this year.

ACLU Questions Limitations on Reproductive Services for Undocumented Teens

11/19/2008 - The American Civil Liberties Union requested documents from the federal government Monday on current US policy that limits teenage refugees' access to reproductive care. According to the Richmond Times Dispatch, the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) initiated a policy earlier this year that limits reproductive health services for undocumented teenagers, including access to contraceptives and abortion. This policy was implemented following a Virginia case in which employees of Commonwealth Catholic Charities assisted an undocumented 16-year-old who procured an abortion in January of this year.

According to an ACLU press release, an injunction requesting government documents on the issue was filed in a US District Court of New York.

Brigitte Amiri, an ACLU Reproductive Freedom Project staff attorney, said: "many unaccompanied teenagers come into the U.S. fleeing abuse and torture in their home countries. Some have been sexually abused or assaulted, or forced into prostitution. As a matter of law, the U.S. cannot deny reproductive health care to these teenagers, and as a matter of compassion, the U.S. should do everything it can to ensure the health, safety and well-being of these teens that have no one else to turn to."

Focus on the Family to Lay Off 200 Staff

11/19/2008 - Focus on the Family, a Colorado Springs-based Christian non-profit group, will eliminate 202 jobs this week. According to the Colorado Springs Gazette, the decision to cut jobs was made after Focus' chief operating officer determined that the organization will not receive enough income from donations this year to sustain the costs of their workforce.

Focus on the Family was the seventh largest donor in support of Proposition 8, the California ballot measure that overturned California's state Supreme Court ruling that legalized gay marriage. According to the Colorado Independent, the organization gave $539,000 in cash, $83,000 in non-monetary support, and an additional $450,000 personal donation from a wealthy member of the board to the Yes on Proposition 8 effort.

For the third time in as many years, Focus on the Family is laying off employees due to budget cuts. Mark Lewis, an anti-Proposition 8 activist told the Colorado Independent, "If I were their membership, I would be appalled," said Mark Lewis, an anti-Proposition 8 activist, according to the Colorado Independent. Focus' substantial donations to Proposition 8, when the issue will ultimately be decided in the courts, were "just a waste of money."

ACLU Questions Segregation in Mobile, Alabama School

11/18/2008 - The American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Alabama sent a letter last week to the Mobile County School System, the largest school system in Alabama, warning that mandatory sex segregation policies are illegal. Hankins Middle School, one of the system's schools, was segregated by sex for the 2008-2009 school year and currently has no co-educational options. This move was allegedly made without notifying students’ parents and goes so far as to prohibit students from interacting socially with those of another sex, according to the ACLU.

The letter (see PDF) states that the segregation reported to the ACLU by parents of students at Hankins Middle School "appears to violate Title IX and its implementing regulations, the Equal Educational Opportunities Act (EEOA), and the Constitution."

According to Allison Neal, ACLU Alabama staff attorney, "mandatory sex segregation in public schools is not only clearly against the law, it's also an empty promise for failing schools…Inevitably these experimental programs deny equal opportunity to girls and boys and distract much needed time and money from efforts that we know work like smaller classes, highly trained teachers, sufficient funding and involved parents."

Professional Japanese Baseball League Drafts First Woman Player

11/18/2008 - Sixteen-year-old pitcher Eri Yoshida became the first woman to be drafted by a professional Japanese baseball league this week. Negotiations are still being made, but Yoshida could become the first woman to share the field with professional male players, breaking a huge barrier for female athletes.

According to Fox News, Yoshida, who began playing baseball in second grade, said in a news conference, "I want to pitch against men." Known for her knuckleball, Yoshida pitched to eight batters in her November tryouts without giving up one hit.

It was only about 10 years ago that Japanese women were allowed to join little league teams other than softball. Yoshida's recruitment has been met with skepticism, but opens a new door for aspiring women professional athletes.

Military Promotes First Woman to Four-star General

11/17/2008 - Lieutenant General Ann E. Dunwoody became the first woman to be promoted to the rank of a four-star general on Friday. According to CNN, Dunwoody became a three-star general in 2005, which made her the highest ranking woman in the Army at the time.

According to MSNBC News, the Army promoted its first woman one-star general in 1970. Women have not reached the four-star rank because women are prohibited from "serving in combat roles, which historically have been the path to the highest-ranking positions" according to FOXNews.

In a previous statement on her promotion, Dunwoody said "I grew up in a family that didn't know what glass ceilings were. This nomination only reaffirms what I have known to be true about the military throughout my career—that the doors continue to open for men and women in uniform" according to MSNBC.

Forced Abortion Planned by Chinese Officials

11/17/2008 - Arzigul Tursun, pregnant with her third child, is hospitalized under orders by Chinese officials who plan to forcibly terminate her pregnancy. China has a one-child-per-family rule. Tursun is allowed to have two children because she belongs to the Uighur minority group. Local officials determined she should undergo an abortion when she became pregnant with her third child, according to the Associated Press. She and her husband are the parents of twin girls.

Forced abortions are not unheard of in China, but Tursun's case is particularly controversial because she is six months pregnant. International pressure has delayed the procedure. She tried to flee her village to avoid a forced abortion procedure, but her family was then threatened with the loss of their house and property in the rural village of Yining, according to the China Digital Times.

Tursun's husband commented on Tursun's return and entry into the hospital: "We considered our two girls. If the house and properties were taken away, how would they live?"

Sex Traffickers Plead Guilty to Fraud and Prostitution Charges

11/17/2008 - Ten members of an internet-based sex trafficking network were sentenced last week in the United Kingdom after pleading guilty to money laundering and prostitution charges. The group was arrested earlier this year following raids on brothels in Surrey and Central London.

According to the Norwich Evening News, 40 women were recovered during the raids, many of whom are suspected to have been illegally trafficked into England. Allegedly, once they were "bought" by the group, they were told they would have to pay off their debt with money made through prostitution, despite the fact that they rarely saw their earnings.

Human trafficking is a growing problem in Western countries. According to BBC News, a United Kingdom Home Office spokeswoman said the country was prepared to confront prostitution more fully.