Link to Rachel Maddow's great expose of the lunatic fringe and their assault on a woman's right to choose

http://littlegreenfootballs.com/article/38431_Rachel_Maddow_on_the_Violent_Anti-Abortion_Movement

Anti choice often equals anti-contraception

This great commentary from the NY times by Gail Collins highlights the common phenomenon that anti-choice people are also frequently anti-contraception.  Bottom line, it's all about controlling women and our sexuality.

http://community.nytimes.com/comments/www.nytimes.com/2011/04/14/opinion/14collins.html?sort=oldest&offset=5

Senate votes down amendment to defund Planned Parenthood

For once, Republican Senator Mark Kirk votes the right way.  Senator Kirk voted "no" on this amendment.  Even if it's painful, please email Senator Kirk and thank him for his vote.

senator@kirk.senate.gov

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/04/14/6472644-senate-rejects-measure-to-defund-planned-parenthood-enator Kirk

Illinois NOW Urgent Action Alert

Illinois NOW has the following urgent action alert:

Tell Senate Executive Committee to VOTE NO on Senate Amendment 1 to SB 1123!

Senate Bill 1123 Amendment 1 by Senator Koehler amends the Civil Union Act to allow religiously affiliated child welfare agencies to discriminate against parties to a civil union and to refer the parties to a civil union to DCFS  for information concerning non-discriminatory child welfare agencies for adoption or foster family home applications, licensure and placements. A fact sheet from the ACLU is attached.

This amendment will be heard in the Senate Executive Committee early Wednesday morning (4/13/11). Call these members of the Committee NOW and URGE THEM TO VOTE NO TO DISCRIMINATION! Call all the members of the Committee by calling the Capitol Switchboard at 217-782-2000 and ask for the Senator’s office. You can leave a message with their staff.

Chairperson :	Don Harmon	D
Vice-Chairperson :	Ira I. Silverstein	D
Member:	James F. Clayborne, Jr.	D
Member:	M. Maggie Crotty	D
Member:	John J. Cullerton	D
Member:	Kimberly A. Lightford	D
Member:	Antonio Muñoz	D
Member:	Jeffrey M. Schoenberg	D
Member:	Donne E. Trotter	D
Minority Spokesperson :	Dale A. Righter	R
Member:	Bill Brady	R
Member:	John O. Jones	R
Member:	David S. Luechtefeld	R
Member:	Matt Murphy	R
Member:	Christine Radogno	R

Equal Pay Day

NOW President Terry O'Neill released the following statement on Equal Pay Day:

Gender Wage Gap, Current Threats to Economic Justice Linked
Statement of NOW President Terry O'Neill

April 12, 2011

Today we mark Equal Pay Day, which occurs at a pivotal time for U.S. workers, particularly women. As feminists call attention to the persistent gender wage gap, we would do well to demonstrate its link to the various ways government and big business are breeding economic injustice in this nation.

Tomorrow, President Barack Obama will offer his deficit-reduction plan for the 2012 budget cycle. Will he stand with women? Or will he, in the name of misguided "compromise" with extremists, support cuts in Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security?

Currently, women are paid 77 cents on the dollar compared to men. Women workers -- full-time, year-round workers, mind you -- have been stuck making between 70 and 80 percent of male salaries for two decades now. Equal Pay Day is a vivid reminder of this inequity -- it illustrates how far into the new year the average woman must work in order to catch up with what the average man was paid in the previous year. It's important to note that women of color's salaries, compounded by race-based discrimination, lag even further behind the average.

The wage gap makes women especially dependent on Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. These programs keep millions of middle-class women out of poverty -- just one of the reasons a majority of voters strongly support these programs.

The Republicans' 2012 budget, introduced by Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, would voucherize Medicare, block-grant Medicaid and cut Social Security benefits, all in order to pay for increased tax breaks for corporations and multimillionaires. The Ryan budget is a stark betrayal of ordinary working women who already have a hard time supporting their families and saving for retirement on unequal wages.

Who will stop the Republicans from further dismantling the social safety net? Can we count on President Obama to stand up for economic justice?

Women will support those who take action to close the wage gap and preserve and strengthen Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. These are fundamental values that must not be compromised away.

###

It begs the question: what will President Obama do about the state of women in his plan for the 2012 budget? 


Do you plan on watching his speech tomorrow night? What do you think he will do? What do you think he should do?

Welcome!

We are pleased to launch our first official blog, where feminists throughout DuPage County and Illinois can unite and share their thoughts on women's rights, equality, and the patriarchy. 


We will be holding all comments for moderation, as we want to support our blog as a safe space for all feminists and womanists. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. We look forward to getting to know you!

We also meet in person every second Wednesday of the month at 7pm. Please feel free to stop by! Head over to duuc.org for directions.