Hi John,
I am now seriously considering switching to an IUD.
Y’all’s responses to my last email (shout out to Pat!) were not only helpful, but heartwarming.
(Even my own OB/GYN has never given me such careful attention).
As we enter the ✨holiday✨ season, I wanted to thank you all, so much, for reading and responding to this often-unhinged, and most-always-concerning, newsletter. To express my (and my uterus’) gratitude, I’m going to send you off with some big—dare I even say uplifting—gender-justice wins.
Uncles and Opponents!!!
On November 7, Ohio voters approved ballot measure “Issue 1”—which enshrines the right to abortion in their state’s constitution—by a DOUBLE-DIGIT margin!
Now, this was no easy feat. Much like my problematic uncle at Thanksgiving—who raises his voice rather than backing up his argument—our opponents did not go down without a toddler-tantrum fight.
In the months leading up to this vote, they...
- Purged 26,000 voters less than two weeks before the voter registration deadline.
- Tried to raise the threshold needed “to enact new amendments to 60% of the vote, instead of a simple majority of 50% plus one,” which would have all but ensured Issue 1’s failure.
- And spewed an “avalanche of messaging and counter-messaging, misinformation and complicated language around what the amendment would do, and even an entirely separate ballot measure with the same name.”
Luckily, the great folks of Ohio saw through this bull**it. Now, it is abortion advocates who are raising their voice—to every uncle’s dismay.
Let’s Get Catty!!!
Outside of middle school, cliques aren’t always a bad thing.
As this past month (and year) have shown, states (not just Congress) have the power to turn the tide for gender justice!
That is why, on November 1, the National Women’s Law Center and State Innovation Exchange (SiX) launched the State Gender Policy Collective, which will deepen and expand policy, research, and communications support–and cross-state collaboration–for state policymakers and leaders advancing gender justice across all states.
In other words, we’ve formed an all-powerful clique.
The sexist, racist, and transphobic extremists—at their mean girl table—don’t stand a fighting chance.
Must-Dos:
- Tell Congress to Pass the Judicial Ethics & Anti-Corruption Act!
- If the Biden administration does not finalize new Title IX regulations before the end of the year, students will likely be forced to continue suffering under the harmful DeVos regulations through May 2024. Tell the Department of Education to restore civil rights protections for ALL students.
- Tell Congress to protect the reproductive health of service members and their loved ones today!
Must Read:
“I remember thinking that if we had to leave the state to get access to the essential care that my wife needed, I would never forgive this country.”
Read the congressional testimony of Lindsay Church—the third-generation veteran who is leading the fight for veterans’ abortion rights on the Hill.
Feminist Moment of Joy/Gravy!
On November 1, President Biden nominated five highly qualified individuals to federal district courts. Four of the five nominees are women, including two Black women and one Latina, who will not only bring a wealth of experience and expertise to the judicial system, but also bring us another step closer to a judiciary that looks more like our country.
This, of course, is a major (and yes, even uplifting) feat. However, with Thanksgiving around the corner, it is not in my Pisces nature to leave you on a solely positive note.
So, here’s a holiday tip from me to you: When your problematic uncle starts raving against abortion, spoon some gravy onto his head, and then promptly rub it in, in an act-of-protest scalp massage.*
*Our lawyers would like me to clarify that this is a joke.
Good luck out there, I will be thinking of all of you!
Gemma Simoes Decarvalho
she/her/hers
Writer and Editor
National Women’s Law Center
