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NOW Hear This: April 19, 2024 Newsletter

Message from National NOW President Christian F. Nunes

Greetings Feminists,

LGBTQIA+ rights are one of NOW’s six core issues and NOW is committed to fighting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity in all areas, including employment, housing, public accommodations, health services, child custody, and military policies.

All people deserve to be treated with dignity—with no regard for gender, race, ethnicity, religion, nationality, or sexuality. We all know what’s missing from the phrase, “all men are created equal” and it’s not just women. Our society will remain incomplete until constitutional equality exists for LGBTQIA+ as well and NOW remains committed to this fight.

The ERA, of course, is part of our mission, because adding the ERA to the Constitution would secure the rights currently enjoyed by LGBTQIA+ people that are increasingly vulnerable to being rolled back by the Supreme Court.

The Dobbs decision, for example, ruled that the concept of “due process” and “equal protection” is not protected by the Constitution when it comes to abortion rights. According to this analysis from Columbia University [ [link removed] ],

“To the extent that the Supreme Court has recognized constitutional protections for LGBTQ communities, they too rested on the Court’s reading of substantive due process. The weakening, if not elimination, of abortion rights under the Constitution thus has the potential to undermine previous Supreme Court decisions finding that states may not criminalize same-sex sexual conduct and that states may not deny the right to marry same-sex couples.”

NOW members support the work of the Congressional Equality Caucus, whose agenda includes the extension of equal rights, the repeal of discriminatory laws, the elimination of hate-motivated violence, and the improved health and well-being for all regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, and expression, or sex characteristics.

For the 118th Congress, the Equality Caucus has identified the following legislative priorities:

• H.R. 15, the Equality Act
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• H.R. 1833, the International Human Rights Defense Act of 2023
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• H.R. 3850, the Pride in Mental Health Act
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• H.R. 3970, the LGBTQI+ Data Inclusion Act
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• H.R. 4326, the PRIDE (Promoting Respect for Individuals' Dignity and Equality) Act
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• H.R. 4422, the Global Respect Act
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• H.R. 4432, the LGBTQ+ Panic Defense Prohibition Act of 2023
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• H.R. 5685, the Tyler Clementi Higher Education Anti-Harassment Act of 2023
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• H.R. 6301, the Safe Schools Improvement Act
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• H.R. 6652, the LGBTQI Business Equal Credit Enforcement and Investment Act
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These priorities underline the urgency of NOW’s multi-faceted, intersectional mission. Constitutional equality is at the root of so many of our most intractable problems—which is why NOW is working so hard to enact it.

In solidarity,
Christian

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“I was going to die, if not sooner, then later, whether or not I have ever spoken myself. My silence had not protected me. Your silence will not protect you.”

~Audre Lorde

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NOW in the News

• How much do you tip? 15% and 20 if the service is good? 20% all the time? 10%? What if you knew that 70% of tipped workers were women, and they made as little as $2.13 per hour? This week, NOW National President Christian F. Nunes speaks with Saru Jayaraman, the co-founder and president of One Fair Wage, about the fight for economic equality, why tipped workers in the United States are a legacy of slavery, and what we all can do to make sure everyone earns a living wage. Check it out here~!
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• NWLC | AMICUS BRIEFS FILED IN SUPPORT OF EMTALA, THE FEDERAL RIGHT TO EMERGENCY CARE, INCLUDING ABORTION, IN IDAHO V. UNITED STATES AND MOYLE V. UNITED STATES
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• Vox | The Supreme Court case that could turn homelessness into a crime, explained
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• The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights | Supreme Court to Rule on Criminalization of Homelessness: A Primer on Grants Pass v. Johnson
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Resources

• NOW’s Core Issue | Constitutional Equality
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• Congress.gov | The Equality Act
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• American Bar Association | A Brief History of the Path to Securing LGBTQ Rights
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• LGBTQIA+ Rights | Guaranteeing LGBTQIA+ Rights and Marriage Equality
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• Columbia Law School | The Equal Rights Amendment and LGBTQ Rights, including Marriage Equality
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• NOW Young Feminists | April Newsletter
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• Press Statement | Pass the Equality Act (2021)
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• UNWomen.org | LGBTQIA Equality and Rights
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• Legal Momentum | Reproductive Rights Resources
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• JUSTIA | LGBTQ+ Legal Rights Under the Constitution
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• In Our Own Voice | Resources
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• WCASA | Reproductive Justice
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• Advocates for Youth | Reproductive Justice
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Action

• Support NOW's Work | Donate Today
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• NOW Action Alert | URGE Members of Congress to Fund WIC, SNAP, Childcare and Rental Assistance
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• NOW Action Alert | Call Your Senators to Urge Passage of the Equality Act
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• Social Goods | Shop to Support the Social Goods x NOW Collection
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• ERA Petition | Sign4ERA Petition [link removed]

• National Network of Abortion Funds | Donate for Abortion Funds
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• FreeWill | Your will is a symbol of everything you value in your life. You can use your will to support NOW and a feminist future. Click here to review.
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Upcoming Events

• Rally | Housing Not Handcuffs: Johnson v. Grants Pass Supreme Court Rally - April 22, 2024
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• Rally | EMTALA (The Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act) - Abortion Always, Abortion Is Health Care SCOTUS - April 24, 2024 
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• National Conference | Register today!
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National Organization for Women
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Washington, DC xxxxxx
United States
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