Letter from an Editor | October 17, 2020

Dear John,

This week, as we watched Amy Coney Barrett’s Supreme Court nomination hearings, I thought often of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and her dying wish that her seat would not be filled until after the inauguration of the next president. I thought about the Republican Senators who have packed our courts—from the lower district court level, all the way up to the highest court in the land—with conservative jurists who uphold a far-right ideology. And, most of all, I thought of the people who will be most affected if Barrett is confirmed to the Supreme Court. There is no doubt: Barrett’s confirmation poses a clear and present threat to civil rights, and people of color, LGBTQ+ folks and women face the greatest threats of all. It is this knowledge that drives me to keep fighting another day.

On the site this week, we’ve continued reporting on these confirmation hearings from a feminist perspective—and laying out how you, too, can fight back. We’ve published daily updates on the hearings, laid out Barrett’s ties to an anti-LGBTQ+ hate group and her extreme views on abortion and birth control, explained the movement to unpack the Court by expanding the number of Supreme Court Justices, and much more. I know that there is so much going on that it can be hard to keep up with the news, but I urge you to follow this battle for the Supreme Court—what happens in the coming days will define what’s at stake in the coming elections as almost nothing else will.

This week we also released a new episode of our podcast, On The Issues with Michele Goodwin [[link removed]] that I am very excited to share with you. The new episode—"Equality is on the Ballot”—takes a deep dive into the current status of the Equal Rights Amendment, and is available now on Apple Podcasts [[link removed]] , Spotify [[link removed]] and MsMagazine.com [[link removed]] .

Dr. Goodwin is joined by Delegate Jennifer Carroll Foy of Virginia; Ellie Smeal, the co-founder and president of the Feminist Majority Foundation and former president of the National Organization for Women; Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton of Illinois; and Julie Suk, a visiting professor of law at Yale Law School and professor of sociology, political science and liberal studies at The Graduate Center of the City University of New York. Together, they ask: what promise does the ERA hold in the continued battle for equality and freedom? And why are the coming elections so critical? You won’t want to miss it.

There are just sixteen days left until Election Day. And this year, more than ever before, women voters truly have the power to decide the coming elections. Make your voting plan today [[link removed]] —and then get out and make sure your voice is heard. We’re in the final stretch.

For equality, Kathy Spillar
Executive Editor

You'll find the Ms. team wearing our new tRuth face mask—in RBG's honor—to the polls this year. Our limited edition mask will be available for just two more days, so get yours today. 100% of the proceeds from this mask will support Ms . magazine's reporting, rebelling and truth-telling. LAST CHANCE: Purchase your face mask today! [[link removed]]

This Week's Must-Reads from Ms .

In the Battleground States, Trump’s Got a Problem: Women [[link removed]]

The Amy Coney Barrett Nomination is a Threat to Civil Rights [[link removed]]

#UnpackTheCourt: Amy Coney Barrett and the Case for Expanding the Number of Justices [[link removed]]

Experiencing Voter Suppression for the First Time [[link removed]]

On The Issues with Michele Goodwin Podcast, Bonus Episode: Equality is on the Ballot [[link removed]]

What’s at Stake this November: Pay Equity (Show Me the Money!) [[link removed]]

How Trump and Biden’s Dueling Town Halls Addressed Women’s Concerns [[link removed]]

Women’s Representation: Is Amy Coney Barrett a Mother? We Hadn’t Noticed. [[link removed]]

Our friend, Cynthia Terrell, founder and executive director of RepresentWomen, is back with another installment of her weekly column, rounding up some of her favorite stories about women’s representation in the news this week.



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