Letter from an Editor | February 1, 2025 |
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Dear John,
I wrote to you last week about Trump’s pardon of 23 anti-abortion extremists who were in prison for attacking women’s reproductive health clinics in four states and Washington, D.C.. The following day, the Justice Department announced they would stop prosecuting most anti-abortion extremists who violate the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, and dismissed three pending criminal FACE Act cases related to attacks on clinics in Tennessee, Pennsylvania and Ohio.
In short: Trump has sent a message intended to embolden extremists who seek to terrorize clinic workers and patients.
This is not theory. This is happening now. This is a stark reminder that our opponents are relentless in their efforts to undermine hard-won progress and endanger the lives of women.
As a new series of alarming executive orders and firings dominate the headlines this week, this moment can feel hopeless—but it’s not. This is a call to action for feminists everywhere. And as the cover of our Ms. Winter issue proclaims, we are “ROLLING UP OUR SLEEVES.”
In the issue, we feature how feminists and the feminist movement are fighting back. We talked to governors and state attorneys general and members of Congress who are acting to defend women’s rights and progress against the president’s attacks. But just as importantly, we lift up strategies for moving forward, even in this time of backlash. (As Winston Churchill said, “Never let a good crisis go to waste.”)
“Having fought for women’s rights for decades, I think that there will be many opportunities, including opportunities that aren’t foreseeable right now,” says Sue Frietsche, executive director of the Women’s Law Project in Pennsylvania. “We need to be alert, we need to be networked in and we need to be ready to pounce. We have to be strategic, full of energy and relentless.”
We showcase the new feminists in Congress, including the first two Black women serving in the Senate simultaneously: Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Delaware) and Sen. Angela Alsobrooks (D-Maryland). Delaware is also home to our first openly trans member of the House of Representatives, Democrat Sarah McBride. And many new women won seats in state legislatures and down-ballot races—including in a number of states where women now comprise the majority of state senates or houses/assemblies.
“This is not the first time that politics has created tension,” said the third new Democratic woman in the Senate, Michigan’s Elissa Slotkin. “We’ve always gotten through those periods with two things: engaged citizens and principled leaders … ready to receive the ball and do something about it.”
Granted—it’s important to take moments to grieve what we lost, and the attacks we will face over the next four years, as many of the most vulnerable people in this country are adversely impacted by the new administration. But we owe it to our communities—and to ourselves—to fight back.
Our sleeves are rolled up. Are yours?
Onward, |
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This Week's Must-Reads from Ms. |
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| Tune in for a new episode of Ms. magazine's podcast, On the Issues with Michele Goodwin on
Apple Podcasts + Spotify.
We begin 2025 on ‘On the Issues’ with special guest Dr. Anthony Fauci. In this episode we discuss some of the most important issues currently confronting the health of our nation and the world—from vaccine skepticism, COVID denialism, and health misinformation and disinformation to the rising tide of violence aimed at medical providers. Dr. Fauci joins us to express his hope for the future, offer insights on the pushback against vaccines, and speak candidly about how his life changed after being in the public spotlight at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the toll it took on him and his family.
We hope you'll listen, subscribe, rate and review today! |
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U.S. democracy is at a dangerous inflection point—from the demise of abortion rights, to a lack of pay equity and parental leave, to skyrocketing maternal mortality, and attacks on trans health. Left unchecked, these crises will lead to wider gaps in political participation and representation. For 50 years, Ms. has been forging feminist journalism—reporting, rebelling and truth-telling from the front-lines, championing the Equal Rights Amendment, and centering the stories of those most impacted. With all that’s at stake for equality, we are redoubling our commitment for the next 50 years. In turn, we need your help, Support Ms. today with a donation—any amount that is meaningful to you. We are grateful for your loyalty and ferocity.
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