Reason #857 Why Women’s Rights Still Matter

By: Kelsey O’Hara, Arizona List Intern

Personhood debate in Mississippi in 5 words or less:

Ridiculous, Unconstitutional, Fanatical, Uneducated, and Insensitive

 

Though this legislation (thankfully) did not pass there is still cause to keep an eye on the development of personhood debates in states other than Mississippi.  There is talk of bringing a personhood bill to 6 states in the next election.  

What can you do? 

Talk about how you feel.  Take the initiative to speak about the right to choice with the people around you; there may be more in common than you think.  Pro-Choice does not have to be a partisan issue; it is a woman’s right to choose and to have control over the decisions that specifically affect her.  Help others to understand that Pro-Choice is also Pro-Family and Pro-Child.

Organizations such as Arizona List are vehemently opposed to legislation that takes away a woman’s right to her body.  We would enjoy your support in spreading this message through electing pro-choice, democratic female candidates.

No Fluffy Kittens Allowed

By: Guest Blogger, Melissa Rasowsky

Let’s talk about WOMEN. Every man reading this has now quickly exited the screen and looked over his shoulder to make sure no one was watching. Don’t worry men, there will be no discussion of

 low calorie ice cream

or fluffy kittens

And I’m sorry but the Charlie’s Angles will not be making an appearance any time soon.

But seriously, let’s talk about women. What does that phrase mean anyway, ‘Let’s talk about women’? Everyone ‘talks about women’ but what do they actually say?

I wasn’t quite sure how to answer that, so I did what anyone who has a question does these days, I Googled it. Typing “women” into my search bar, I expected to find lots of fierce feminist blogs and empowering stories of women’s conferences. What I found was anything but.

The first article was a Wikipedia entry on the ‘Woman’-mostly fact-based and not so scary. Scrolling down the page I came to article 2: the Top 99 Most Desirable Women of 2011-AskMen. Horrified, I scrunched my eyes shut and clicked the link; the page was full of pictures of slender, sultry looking female movie stars with quotes thanking the readers of AskMen for the nomination. Other search results included a Myspace page of women’s music, various classified ads, several pages on weight loss and fitness and a HowStuffWorks article on “How Women Work,” attempting to provide a biological explanation for the differences between rational men and irrational women.

It’s no wonder little girls skirts keep getting shorter and popular music becomes raunchier each day. Media and the internet are chock full of images and articles of over-sexualized women.

Why? Why are some of today’s most well known and powerful female movie stars thanking men for rating them as desirable? I’ve never seen an article rating male movie stars where the nominated stars have thanked women for their votes. Why are Google search results for ‘women’ all focused around sex and dating, beauty and fitness?

That’s what movies like MissRepresentation by Jennifer Siebel Newsom and books such as So Sexy So Soon – The New Sexualized Childhood and What Parents Can Do to Protect Their Kids by Dr. Jean Kilbourne try to answer. Join us this Saturday, October 1^st to see the film and hear commentary by Dr. Kilbourne on what’s going on in our society and how we can work together to change it.

Share your own Google search results or comment on mine below.

We’re on to you, Advertisers…

By: Kelsey O’Hara, Arizona List Intern

The media’s involvement in the degradation of women has been the underlying current shaping women, views on women, and ideas of what it means to be a woman. I know what you’re thinking, “whoa now, calm down, and the media is just talk.” Unfortunately the media is not just talk. The media has a sincere effect on how we code gender.

The easiest example I can think of to explain this is the idea that when looking at photos in fashion of both women and men. There are different energies, poses, subjection, etc. that we as viewers find acceptable.

This example shows the difference between what is acceptable for a man’s touch versus a woman’s touch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Women caress. Men grab.
Women are off balance, throw their head back (exposing the neck). Men stand stable, holding women.

Why bring this up? It’s just fashion?
Miss Representation delves into how these images and codes that are produced over and over again seep into our way of being and performing our own gender. The norms created from the media are powerful. Not only does this affect how we behave ourselves and what we see in others but it moves into the professional world, particularly the realm of politics. Miss Representation investigates how the media is affecting women’s mobility in the world.

Whether you agree, disagree, think I’m crazy, or are curious to hear more about the media’s stronghold over reproducing women’s oppression join Arizona List for the view of Miss Representation at the Loft this Saturday, October 1st. Dr. Jean Kilbourne is an expert in the area and looks forward to sharing her ideas with attendees.

Accessible health care for women should be a right, not a fight

By: Eliza Molk, Arizona List intern

Eliza Molk is a senior at the University of Arizona. She is a native Phoenician, but truly loves Tucson and Southern Arizona. She is majoring in journalism with a minor in sociology. She is an assistant news editor for the Arizona Daily Wildcat, the school newspaper for the U of A, and thoroughly enjoys writing and reporting. She plans to attend law school after graduating and wants to practice media law.

When bad bills are passed, sometimes people think nothing can be done. Planned Parenthood Arizona, however, is continuing to fight for accessible health care to all women across the state.

House Bill 2416 and Senate Bill 1030, two bills signed into law by Governor Jan Brewer, would drastically limit access to abortion in Arizona by imposing medically unnecessary limits on which trained medical professionals can provide abortion by pill. On June 29, 2011 Planned Parenthood Arizona was able to put a hold on the enforcement of the restrictions until a further hearing is held. This means that instead of the statues going into effect on July 20, they will not until at least the next hearing, slated for August 22. The judge will then decide whether to grant a preliminary injunction at the final hearing and therefore continue to prevent the statues from going into effect.

Although this is a temporary “win” for Arizona women, the fact that trusted health care providers like physicians assistants and nurse practitioners could have to stop giving exemplary medication abortion care services is plain ludicrous. These potential limits could create delays in accessing care for women throughout Arizona and could shut down abortion services altogether in places like Flagstaff and Yuma. This could force women to travel across the state just to access basic health care! If a woman has the right to choose what she can and cannot do with her body, she should also have the right to accessible health care without unnecessary roadblocks.

Medical providers should be able to give their patients accessible, affordable care in all communities. The legislators who want to disenfranchise that are ignorant to best practices that already exist thanks to organizations like Planned Parenthood. It is both sad and frustrating that Planned Parenthood Arizona can’t just do their job, they have fight against their own government in order to provide affordable access to health care for women and families. Whether the Arizona legislature likes it or not, more than 1 out of 3 women in the U.S. have an abortion by the time they are 45 years old. Therefore, women across the state and across the nation need options, and physicians assistants and nurse practitioners have the qualifications and education to provide those options.

Arizona women cannot afford for laws like this to pass in the future. If pro-choice democratic women are elected, however, fair health care can help be ensured. Now is the time to support Arizona List, and now is the time to support legislators who advocate for women, not against them.

Meet our interns!

Throughout the year, Arizona List offers internships to students who want experience working for our political action committee. The interns help us organize and run events, enter information in our database, research potential candidates and volunteer on the campaigns of our current endorsed candidates. Our organization currently has nine interns, seven in Tucson and two in Phoenix.

Tucson interns

Hi everyone! My name is Courtenay Parsons. I know what you’re thinking, what a strange way to spell a name. I was blessed with a loving mother who wanted to make first grade the worst experience ever. Can you imagine being tested on learning to write a 9-letter name? I was totally envious of my friend April at that time. Anyway! I am 22 years old and am finishing up my final credits at the U of A. I am majoring in Interdisciplinary Studies with a focus in Public Administration, Social Justice, and German. I would love a career working in a non-profit to help children.  In the near future I want to take the opportunity to volunteer in Thailand or Brazil helping orphaned children and teaching them English.
I’m currently an intern with Arizona List. What drew me to this organization was the idea of empowering women. I may not be your total hard liberal, but I definitely believe in leading women. At this internship I do everything from fundraising, helping out at events, and sharing with the community the candidates we endorse. One of the greatest parts of interning with Arizona List is actually being able to meet the women who are endorsed by our organization.

My name is Amber Mask and I am an incoming senior at the University of Arizona majoring in Political Science with a minor in Gender and Women’s studies. I am originally from Phoenix, Arizona, where most of my family still lives. I wanted to intern with Arizona List because I believe it is important that more women establish themselves in the political system and get their voices heard. Women face many struggles, especially in the political field, and the stronger our voice, the more likely we are to succeed. At Arizona List I have researched potential donors, helped inform patrons of upcoming events, as well as helped with various events throughout Arizona. After graduation I hope to work for a women’s rights organization, working to advance and strengthen women throughout our community.

Hi,
My name is Amanda Rodenberger and I will be a Senior at the UA this fall. I’m majoring in Sociology with a minor in Business Management. My passions are event planning and children. So ideally I’m looking to have a career in event planning or to be a children’s behavioral specialist. I’m from Phoenix but hope to move out of the state once I graduate, preferably North Carolina.

The reason this internship for Arizona List sparked my attention was to get more involved. I love to learn about new things and be in the middle of events so is the perfect fit for me. I’ve helped look at potential venues for the annual luncheon that Arizona List  puts on and have spent a lot of time researching potential candidates. I am really enjoying interning for Arizona List and hope to have a connection with them in the future.

My name is Dave Colangelo. I am 22 years old and just graduated from the University of Arizona.  I majored in Public Administration with an emphasis on Criminal Justice with a minor in Spanish.  I am still attempting to decide what I want to do with my life but I am relatively sure it will involve a job working for the Federal Government (most likely a federal law enforcement agency). I hope to return to Haiti in the future to volunteer at an orphanage I visited for two weeks four years ago.  It is called Proje Espwa (Project Hope) and it is a place devoted to helping the thousands of orphaned children in the country.
At this time, I am interning at Arizona List.  This type of organization is one that empowers women.  My family at home is my mother, an older sister, my older brother, and a younger sister.  I was raised to see the benefits in a pro-choice society and this belief drew my attention to Arizona List.  While interning here, I have helped at events (house parties, etc.), done database work in the office, worked phone banks, and research potential Arizona List members.  I have greatly enjoyed my time at Arizona List and believe strongly in the cause it promotes.  I can only hope its mission continues to be successful in this state and can spread throughout the nation.

Hola Hola! My name is Priscilla Salcedo, but as you get to know me, you’ll come to learn that my nickname is Piti (pronounced pee-tee). It’s what I go by and I won’t likely respond to Priscilla. I’m 21 and this is my first year interning for Arizona List! I’m in my last year at The University of Arizona and I’ll hopefully graduate in May 2012 with a degree in Communication and a minor in Spanish. Learning about the world and all the beautiful people that comprise it basically sums up what I’m interested in doing throughout my life. I’m passionate about learning and experiencing something new every day. Interning for Arizona List was one of those new learning experiences that I enthusiastically took; I’d never been into politics or anything of the sort, so interning for Arizona List was a must. I’ve had the opportunity to participate in events such as “Cocktails and Conversation” an event that Arizona List hosted and interns helped out. I’ve also had the opportunity research and learn about potential candidates. It’s been an exciting and fun experience so far and it’s motivated me to apply and hopefully get into Law School after I graduate.

Hello all! My name is Eliza Molk and I am an intern here at Arizona List. My motivation for interning is my strong democratic and progressive women ideologies, as well as a strong desire to learn more about all facets of politics. I believe in the importance of being involved in the political process, and at Arizona List, I am by helping organize events, reaching out to members and potential members, working in our database and much more.

I am a senior at the University of Arizona studying journalism and sociology. In addition to this internship, I am a reporter and assistant editor at the Arizona Daily Wildcat, the university’s newspaper. Writing and reporting are two of my greatest passions in addition to politics, and working at the paper has taught me how to work in a team setting, meet deadlines, thoroughly check facts and research information from science to the arts. When I graduate, I hope to attend law school somewhere on the west coast and practice media law. It is my goal to protect our freedom of speech and the rights of those who wish to distribute factual information that will help the greater good.

Phoenix interns

Hello, everyone! My name is Ira, and I recently moved to Arizona from Orange County, CA. I went to school in California and double majored in Women’s Studies and Communications and spent most of my time studying, practicing, and competing as captain of the Speech and Debate team. I now live in a small suburb of Phoenix, work a part-time job, and take part in a lot of community organizing consisting of facilitating workshops with a local feminist group on a variety of topics such as transgender 101, consent, poetry, etc. During my free time, I write a blog about my female-to-male transition, educate people about trans* related issues, and write poetry.

I came to Arizona List, because I feel that reproductive rights and maintaining personal autonomy are absolutely imperative for gender equality and equality in general. As an activist, I have noticed that there are many different routes to success, and for issues such as abortion rights, there is no other way than through the legislative process. So, I came to the forefront of this battle. I love this internship thus far. I get to help organize – and therefore attend – events for locally and nationally known candidates.

Hello! My name is Jaime Watson and I’m a women’s rights advocate. I’m a senior at Arizona State University double majoring in Political Science and Women and Gender Studies. I’m also earning a minor in Justice Studies and certificates in Human Rights, International Studies, and Civic Education. In between all of this, I intern at Arizona List doing everything from reaching out to new and current members to helping run events (with lots of inspiring and powerful women). I hope to help empower women by working to elect pro-choice female candidates to office to enact real change.

The Insatiable Republican Hunger for Money and the Starving American Women Impacted by It

By: Kimberly Roland, Arizona List intern

Kimberly Roland is a senior at Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame.  She is a native Phoenician, but has recently lived in Rome, Italy, and South Bend, Indiana. She is majoring in Political Science and Humanistic Studies, with a minor in Italian. She is especially interested in International Relations, Food Politics, Women’s Issues, Peace and Conflict Resolution Studies, and all things Italian. She plans to attend graduate school and law school, and looks forward to a future in government.

Do you hunger for justice and thirst for gender equality?  Thanks to many House Republicans, if you’re an American woman in need, that hunger and thirst might become very literal because of recent cuts in food aid.  Allow me to elaborate: last month the Agriculture Appropriations Bill (H.R.2112) passed by a vote of 217 to 203.  At first glance, most Americans would wrongfully think: great!  It is fantastic that a seemingly benign agriculture bill has lived to see another day.

However, anyone interested in politics, gender studies, or food justice, among other things, knows that the structure of the US Farm Bill is not all peaches and cream. Rather, said bills continue to pad the pockets of large scale farmers by further extending subsidies on American cash crops such as soybeans and corn.  A recent Time Magazine article succinctly put it: Want to Get Rich? Be a Farmer.

So the unnecessarily expensive farm subsidies have been extended, surely the “budget conscious” Republicans would want nothing to do with this, or any overtly large expenditure during a recession.  However, considering the Farm Lobby is one of the largest, most influential of any lobbying organizations (it falls, perhaps, just short of the NRA in influence and power), and many agriculturally rich areas of the country, or rural areas, are often more conservative, it’s not difficult to see the cost benefit analysis. However, the mere politics of farm subsidies are not what specifically anger me today, although the delinquency of it does anger me on a daily basis.

My real quest in writing this blog was to disseminate pertinent information.  After all, that should be the objective of any good writer.  So in passing this bill, the House Republicans, who love their Farm Lobbying money, decided to cut funding from a different area and were able to slash an impressive 13.4% of discretionary funding.  This sounds very promising until you learn where the money was cut from.  The Women, Infants and Children Program!

Women and children should not have to worry about being at nutritional risk, but if this bill passes in the Senate, they just might.

 

Enraged yet?  Wait until you hear the mission of the Women, Infants and Children Program.  According to the USDA website: WIC provides Federal grants to States for supplemental foods, health care referrals, and nutrition education for low-income pregnant, breastfeeding, and non-breastfeeding postpartum women, and to infants and children up to age five who are found to be at nutritional risk.  The House bill cuts some $650 million from WIC.  According to NPR, “About half the babies born in this country are eligible, and up to 350,000 people could be turned away if the cuts are sustained.”  Additionally, it cuts government food safety spending in a time when our food supplies are far from safe, and food safety programs are already under resourced.  It also cuts funding to school lunch programs and devastates international emergency food aid by slashing the budget by one third. 

How can we stand for such injustice and idly sit back while the rich continue to amass wealth, and the poor continue to struggle to survive?!  The bill has yet to pass in the Senate, so if you’re moved, write your Senator and tell them: the American people control the ballot box, not the Farm Lobby!  How can women ever attain equality in a country that denies them access to the most basic necessities, such as food?  The insatiable thirst of a few hundred Republicans for money and power literally continues to oppress the most vulnerable American citizens.

Male politicians and sex scandals- Enough already!

By: Eliza Molk, Arizona List intern

Eliza Molk is a senior at the University of Arizona. She is a native Phoenician, but truly loves Tucson and Southern Arizona. She is majoring in journalism with a minor in sociology. She is an assistant news editor for the Arizona Daily Wildcat, the school newspaper for the U of A, and thoroughly enjoys writing and reporting. She plans to attend law school after graduating and wants to practice media law.

As we all know, Anthony Weiner, a now former U.S. Representative who served New York’s 9th congressional district, admitted to sending sexually explicit photos and messages to about six women using facebook, twitter and text messaging.

This public scandal is upsetting for a multitude of reasons. The first is the fact that Weiner is married to a smart, beautiful, and successful woman who is now pregnant. The second is the fact this promiscuous type of scandal in American politics is becoming commonplace between male politicians; Weiner can now join Eliot Spitzer, John Ensign, Bill Clinton and Arnold Schwarzenegger, among others, in the “misbehaving men” club.

It’s rather ironic that some Americans say that a woman cannot be president, or even run for any level of public office, because women are naturally “too emotional” to make serious political decisions. Does that then make it okay for Americans to say men are “too sexual” to be public leaders? No. Both arguments are invalid. If anything, both men and women who want to run for public office must understand the personal consequences that come along with being in a position of power. They must realize that they are both leaders and role models, and that they are not invincible from “ordinary” human consequences simply because they hold office.

Those who say that intelligent and politically experienced women like Hillary Clinton cannot run for president because of their gender are completely inaccurate.

Studies show that women are less likely to run for office and that it is harder to recruit them to do so. But why? Women, especially democratic women, want to be advocates for other women, children, the elderly and disabled. Democratic women are the voices for the unheard. And history shows us that if you elect a female politician, they will rarely get caught up in sex scandals, unlike their male counterparts.

So what have we learned from Anthony Weiner? That now more pro-choice democratic women should run and be elected for office in Arizona. That when women are involved in the political process, our democracy is truly representative. And that all politicians, male or female, should be honest and transparent with their constituents.

Not-so-happy anniversary, Griswold

By Eliza Molk, Arizona List intern

Eliza Molk is a senior at the University of Arizona. She is a native Phoenician, but truly loves Tucson and Southern Arizona. She is majoring in journalism with a minor in sociology. She is an assistant news editor for the Arizona Daily Wildcat, the school newspaper for the U of A, and thoroughly enjoys writing and reporting. She plans to attend law school after graduating and wants to practice media law.

The month of June marks the anniversary of Griswold v. Connecticut, a 1965 Supreme Court decision that states criminalizing the use of contraceptives violate the right to martial privacy. Not only was this a monumental gain for women, but it was also a stepping stone for legislative progress in women’s rights- eight years later, the Supreme Court decided in Roe v. Wade that this “right to privacy” under due process extended to a woman’s decision to have an abortion.

Griswold, (left) the former Executive Director of the Planned Parenthood League of Connecticut, excitedly reads about the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in her favor.

It is now 2011, and Republican lawmakers in eight states are saying anything but “Happy birthday” to Griswold. Republicans in Texas, Alabama, Montana, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Virginia, Iowa, Georgia and Mississippi have all tried to introduce and pass legislation that would not only make abortion completely illegal, but could make the birth control pill illegal as well by changing the meaning of the word “persons” or “human being” to include “all humans from the moment of fertilization and implantation into the womb.”

The argument behind banning birth control is not only illogical, it’s scientifically inaccurate. Republicans and pro-life enthusiasts alike should technically be birth control advocates because birth control prevents the need or want for an abortion. In addition, anti-choice groups like the American Life League who claim “the pill kills” need to take a science class or two- the pill does not kill a fetus or an unborn baby. It simply prevents-let me repeat that, prevents- an egg from becoming fertilized.

When groups like the American Life League distribute scientifically inaccurate propaganda, you have to question their validity.

Arizona could easily become the ninth state to start attacking a woman’s right to privacy. And once these laws banning abortion and the birth control pill start making it through state legislatures, republicans and anti-choice activists won’t rest until women lack reproductive health services in their entirety. The anti-choice movement is stronger than ever, and democrats at the local, state and federal level need to be fighting back.

There is no better time than now to get involved with Arizona List. Through the support of your contributions and volunteer efforts, we really can get pro-choice democratic women elected to actively fight against the war on women in our state.

Want more information on this topic? Watch Rachel Maddow’s video here.