Dear John,
As many of us take some time off from our regular routines this week to spend time with friends and family or just enjoy a much-needed break, we’re taking stock of what we’re thankful for. And as feminists, there’s a lot we’re thankful for this year.
For example, this most recent election. We saw another decisive round of victories for abortion advocates—from Ohio, where voters (including a resounding 60 percent of women voters, and 53 percent of male voters) approved an amendment that secures the right to abortion and other reproductive healthcare in the state constitution; to Virginia, where a new Democratic majority holds both state house chambers, putting a stop to Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s anti-abortion crusade for now.
These victories prove that no matter how much Republicans may try to disguise their anti-women policies or sway election outcomes—whether by voter suppression, gerrymandering, or by altering ballot text to confuse and mislead voters as they did in Ohio—abortion wins elections. But above all, they prove that women will show up to defend their rights—and as long as their rights are under attack, they won’t stop showing up.
We know you’re probably being bombarded with emails this weekend—between black Friday and giving Tuesday, I know I’m already overwhelmed. So I’ll keep this short: if you’re struggling to find holiday gifts for the feminists in your life, why not give them our new book, which the New York Times called an “illustrated guide to toppling the patriarchy”: 50 YEARS OF Ms.: THE BEST OF THE PATHFINDING MAGAZINE THAT IGNITED A REVOLUTION?
And if the feminists in your life like to stay informed year-round, now is your time to get a great deal in the Ms. store: this weekend only, take 50 percent off all Ms. memberships with the code PINKFRIDAYMS23, and 20 percent off all merch with the code PINKFRIDAYMERCH23.
This long weekend, I’m feeling grateful for our readers and supporters—who continue to show up and support feminist reporting year in and year out. As our recent collaboration with the International Women’s Media Foundation highlights, feminist journalism is crucial to democracy—and our democracy, and feminist reporting, are both in peril in this moment. We’re facing a rising tide of authoritarianism—both in the U.S., and abroad. But just like women voters at the ballot box, we’re going to keep showing up—because far too much is at stake.
Onward,
