A new report from Guttmacher Institute shows that the proportion of abortion patients who are poor has increased by almost 60%, from 27% in 2000 to 42% in 2008. According to the report, impoverished women are more likely to seek abortions because financial constraints deter them from wanting to have children. Additionally, financial constraints also make it more difficult to access contraceptives. Sharon L. Camp, president and CEO of the Guttmacher Institute, commented:

Gaps in unintended pregnancy and abortion between poor and more affluent women have been increasing since the mid-1990s, so—sadly—none of this comes as a surprise. Reproductive health disparities, and health disparities more generally, are endemic in this country and stem from broader, persistent economic and social inequities. We need to bridge these reproductive health gaps by ensuring that all women, regardless of their economic circumstances, have meaningful access to the full spectrum of information and services—both contraceptive services to reduce levels of unintended pregnancy and abortion services.

Read the full report here.

Obama has made his choice for Justice Stevens' nominated replacement on the Supreme Court: Elena Kagan.


And I ate my words when I predicted that Obama might not nominate a woman, out of apprehension for the crap he's going to get.

So who is Elena Kagan? She is a young 50 years-old, and has impressive credentials, though some say she lacks experience. Unfortunately, not a whole lot is known yet on her stance on feminist issues. Apparently, when she was a White House adviser in 1997, she urged then-President Bill Clinton to support a ban on late-term abortions. My prediction is that she holds a somewhat moderate stance on abortion, but given the chance would uphold Roe v. Wade. Reproductive rights organizations are optimistic, and anti-choicers hate her, so that's a good sign! Heh heh.

I also read that as dean of Harvard Law School, she mandated that military recruiters should be banned from campus because she disagreed with the discriminatory "don't ask, don't tell" policy. An awesome move on her part, but undoubtedly a part of her past that will come back to haunt her when Republicans try to shoot her down.

Still, it's likely she will win confirmation, since Democrats have a control of 59 votes in the Senate.

Although I'm sure many of us have our issues with the overly-commercialized "Hallmark" holiday that is Mother's Day, I can't imagine many of us have issues with honoring the women in our life who have made us who we are. That's how I see Mother's Day. Not everyone is lucky enough to have a mother like Lorelai Gilmore, but I sincerely hope that we are all lucky enough to have strong women role models in our lives.

Living with my mom hasn't always been the easiest task. I have nothing but happy memories of her as a kid - from her ability to always act as if I had given her diamonds for her birthday when really all I gave her was a bunch of pictures I scribbled, to her tendency to always stand up for me when I felt the wrath of my dad's temper (not to say that I don't love my dad - I love him very much, but the man can sure yell). But by nine years-old, she had been diagnosed with a nightmarish disease that over the years, has attacked her body and mind. At 57 years-old, though she needs constant care and is essentially wheelchair-bound, she is still kickin', defying all odds. There is a 50% chance I have inherited the disease from her, and while I don't know yet if I have it or not because I'm not at the point where I'm ready to take the test, I'm sure I inherited her never-give-up, don't-take-shit attitude. Go mom.

We have had our fair share of fights, as the disease attacked her ability to think rationally which made it increasingly difficult to be around her, but I have nothing but love for my mom. And not only was I blessed with an awesome mother, but also an older sister who looks out for me, defends me when people give me crap for being a feminist, and in a few weeks, will be sharing a house with me. I see how my mom's older sister treats her with nothing but the utmost care and love, and I know that if either my sister or me were affected by the disease (Heaven forbid) it would be no different. Because that's what women do, or should do, for each other.

So go give the women in your life big hugs, and tell 'em why they rock. Also, feel free to comment with your stories. Now, enough with the mushy stuff. I feel I have to post the hilarious video I always think of whenever Mother's Day is mentioned.

A Turkish anti-domestic violence organization, Mor Çati, set up displays in Istanbul of cardboard women with the slogan "I want freedom... from violence" and recorded men destroying them on hidden cameras.



Hmm. Does this really show us anything about domestic abuse? Maybe it just demonstrates an overall disrespect for women and women's issues. Or maybe, as Jezebel suggests, it shows more about vandalism than violence against women. I mean... not that I'm making excuses for what these men did, but to me they just seemed irritated with cardboard legs blocking their path.

Thoughts?

With all the offensive lower-than-low crap slung by Republicans and right-wingers on a daily basis, this really shouldn't surprise me. But their ability to exhibit sheer stupidity and disrespect still amazes me. Rep. Betty Sutton (D-OH) was the target of a sexist attack when a Republican multimillionaire, Tom Ganley, who wants to take her place in Congress, funded a mailer sent out by the Republican party that said:

"Let's take Betty Sutton out of the House and send her back to the kitchen."

I still have a hard time grasping that people still actually think like this. Women have come so far thanks to feminism, but attacks like this are a blatant attempt to shove us ten steps backwards. Well, I'm standing right here. My feet are planted and I am not moving.

Sign the petition to push Tom Ganley to denounce this comment, and for Medina County Republican Party Chairman Bill Heck, who continues to defend this sexist attack, to step down.

"...I want somebody who is going to be interpreting our Constitution in a way that takes into account individual rights, and that includes women's rights... And that's going to be something that's very important to me, because I think part of what our core constitutional values promote is the notion that individuals are protected in their privacy and their bodily integrity. And women are not exempt from that."

Hmm. He's expected to choose Justice Stevens' replacement within the next couple weeks, and I'm really excited/nervous to see who he picks.

Today is Blog for Fair Pay Day.

The fact that over 45 years have passed since the Equal Pay Act was signed and women still face unfair pay shows that discrimination is alive and well. A wage gap still exists in every state, women are poorer than men in all racial and ethnic groups, and black women have a median net worth of $5.

We have a long way to go.

That's why calling awareness to unfair pay is so important. The ability to be economically stable and independent is crucial for women, and we cannot settle for anything less than 100% of what men make.

Take action today. And as usual, make some noise! Talk it, blog it, post it, tweet it.

WE WANT FAIR PAY, ALREADY!

Today is the National Day of Silence, a day in which "hundreds of thousands of students nationwide take a vow of silence to bring attention to anti-LGBT name-calling, bullying and harassment in their schools."

According to a 2007 study done by GLSEN, nearly 9 out of 10 LGBT students report verbal, sexual or physical harassment at school and more than 30% report missing at least a day of school in the past month out of fear for their personal safety.

The Day of Silence is close to my heart, because I began participating in it when I was a wee 9th grader in high school, and it unleashed my then-dormant activist side.

It's a great feeling to participate, and I recommend everyone do it at least once. Even if you aren't a student anymore. But if you aren't comfortable with actually staying silent all day, there are plenty of other things you can do to support the cause, if you visit the Day of Silence website.

Here's what people who walked into the library on my campus were confronted with today:

There are two bills underway in Nebraska that could severely limit a woman's access to abortion.

The first would require doctors to screen women for possible mental and physical problems before performing abortions for them. Doctors or other health professionals would have to also screen women to determine whether they were pressured into having abortions (are they going to start screening women who choose adoption or parenthood to see if they were pressured into that?) This ridiculous bill received final approval from Nebraska's "nonpartisan" legislature on Monday.

The second bill would ban abortions after 20 weeks based on the assertion that fetuses feel pain (?!). Nebraska is one of the few states that has doctors willing to perform late-term abortions.

Both these bills would cause severe barricades for women who need reproductive services. The bills are likely to be challenged in court, and we can only hope for the best.

After 34 years of serving on the Supreme Court, Justice John Paul Stevens has announced his retirement. He served until age 89 (!) and was first nominated by President Gerald R. Ford in 1975, who said he wanted to appoint "the finest legal mind I could find." I got e-mails from both NOW and CredoAction, commending all Justice Stevens did for equality. He was a proponent of women's rights, reproductive justice, affirmative action, and LGBTQ rights.

Stevens' are some enormous shoes to fill, but I'm hoping President Obama will appoint someone who is just as dedicated to fighting for justice and equality. NOW is calling upon President Obama to appoint a woman in order to better balance the male-dominated Court, but I'm afraid he might be hesitant to appoint another woman, out of apprehension for what crap the ignorant right-wingers will sling at him: "OMGZ, he lyke appointed another woman?!?! He's totes only appointing judges based on whether or not they're a part of oppressed groups!!! Because two women could not possibly be best qualified to serve on the Court... I blame affirmative action!!!1!!111"

But let's hope for the best, and take a minute to send Justice Stevens a thank you note, all of which will be delivered on his 90th birthday on April 20th. Thank you for your years of hard work, Justice Stevens, I wish you all the best.