May. 30, 2012 @ 9:26 PM _

Is breast-feeding while in uniform conduct unbecoming to a military mom?

The debate over nursing in public got a new layer recently, when photos taken on an Air Force base began to circulate online. In the series of tasteful professional photos showing beaming moms as they nurse their kids, one jumps out: the photo of two servicewomen with their uniform shirts unbuttoned and hiked up to breast-feed.

side 1: ”There isn’t a policy saying we can or cannot breast-feed in uniform,”  Echegoyen-McCabe says. “I think it’s something that every military mom who is breast-feeding has done. … I think we do need to be able to breast-feed in uniform and be protected.”

side 2:

“I would never nurse in uniform. I took my child to the bathroom or a private office when her nanny brought her to me …. Not because I was ashamed of nursing, nor of being a mother. All the guys knew I pumped. The military is not a civilian job. We go to combat and we make life or death decisions, and not just for ourselves but for those we lead. The same reason I would never nurse in uniform is the same reason I do not chew gum, or walk and talk on my cell phone, or even run into the store in my utility uniform. … We are warfighting professionals. Women before us have worked too hard to earn and retain the respect of their male peers. I don’t want my Marines to look at me any other way than as a Marine. When I am asking them to flyinto combat with me and do a dangerous mission, I do not want them to have the mental image of a babe at my breast. I want them to only see me as a Marine. Let’s be a realistic folks. We give up many freedoms being in the military…Breastfeeding in front of my fellow Marines was one of them.”

Dec. 16, 2011 @ 6:00 PM _

+ High-res

YEP is a mentoring program for low-income pregnant and parenting teen girls in the Los Angeles area. They are currently competing for a $25,000 grant from the Pepsi Refresh Project. It is a fantastic organization and they are so deserving of your support (and of this grant). Please take 60 seconds to cast your vote! :)

http://www.refresheverything.com/yep

Nov. 19, 2011 @ 6:36 PM _

Here is a full length, Academy Award nominated film on the the history of back alley abortions: When Abortion Was Illegal: Untold Stories. It is by film maker Dorothy Fadiman and part of her Social Documentaries Collection.

The film features “compelling first person accounts which reveal the physical, legal, and emotional consequences during the era when abortion was a criminal act. Remembrances include those of women who experienced illegal abortions, doctors who risked imprisonment and loss of their licenses for providing illegal abortions, and individuals who broke the law by helping women find safe abortions.”

Oct. 13, 2011 @ 6:28 PM _

hmmm…

Oct. 1, 2011 @ 7:31 PM _

+ High-res

Did you know that some scientists are working toward a male contraceptive? The one that is up as a topic right now happens to be a male hormonal contraceptive. One man is quoted as saying that he doesn’t want to have to medicate himself and with the onslaught of problems women face at the hands of hormone therapy, he is not going to be eager to participate any time soon. Hmm.

It is said that in the near future, hormonal male contraceptives could become commercially available as they already are within reach. This means men may have the option of taking a daily oral pill, gel or patch for the skin or a three times a month shot. But, to almost no one’s surprise, men don’t seem to be clamoring to admit their fervor for the devices. I wonder why?

 In fact, people seem to be so, shall we say, luke warm on the idea that scientists at the Population Center of Research in Reproduction say there still is a chance for it not going through due to lack of funding. Which is too bad, it sounds interesting. The contraceptive releases testosterone over three months and is “potentially safe and practical.”

Female contraceptives use hormones as well as progestrins and estrogens. These are used in order to shut off the release of eggs. Male ones would work very similarly, shutting off sperm production.

What are the side effects? 45 year old Quentin Brown noticed sweating and headaches; he has no complaints. He dodged some of the other listed side effects such as acne and weight gain. He believes in the idea behind the pill and has hopes other men will take his lead and also use it once it is on the market. He is quoted by saying,  “It is time for men to have some control. I think it would empower men and deter some women out there from their nefarious plans, some women are out there to use men to get pregnant. This could deter women from doing this. An athlete or a singer is someone who could be a target and they could put a stop to that.”

Hold the phone. I was on board with good ole Quentin for a second there. Men need empowerment? Only women have nefarious plans? Since when? Well, that was erroneous and pathetic of him.

Oh, I’m sorry, I’m here to talk about contraceptives, not that idiotic quote. I’m sorry. Well, erm. Anyway…
It is believed these contraceptives may be on the market within 5 to 7 years and many, many trials are being done all over the word in places such as Asia, Europe and America.  Source.

Oh, speaking of which… I was told the trial in Germany was halted due to the obscene side effects. (citation needed on this last fact.) OH WAIT. They are the same effects as female contraceptives.

Anyway, as always, the real question is this: WILL MEN USE IT?
YOU WEIGH IN! Ask your boyfriend, friend, husband or any other man in your life. Also leave your personal opinion as well! 

Jul. 13, 2011 @ 8:05 PM _

Here it what I am replying to: http://smokefromthecrowd.tumblr.com/post/7587986909

I personally do not agree with this bullshit. I am literally sick and disgusted at the thought of it. To take your personal time to write something so inflammatory and hurtful, wether it is meant to be towards adopted children or mothers who decide to put their children up for adoption is completely unfathomable to me. The only reason I can see passable for writing something so heinous is if the original writer is being satirical. Other than that I don’t agree nor do understand why someone would write something so hurtful. Even with the first “passable” reason I gave is shit to me and the writer should be ashamed because they have no right to make adopted children nor mothers who put their children up for adoptions feel so upset. It is selfish and wrong to shame another human being for their decision which, by the way, is very difficult to make.

It is especially wrong because there are adopted people who are out there and that read posts like that. Talk about irresponsible.
And for all those other EXCUSES like; I did it to show people the ills of their actions; it will save children’s lives, etc. Grow up and learn that it’s not all about your opinion about what is right and what is wrong.
Adoption along with abortion are things I agree with. Giving up your child for adoption is not taken lightly and for many, it is the hardest thing they have to do. It is a selfless act of love. That’s just my personal option which I and the whole world are entitled to having.

Also I do agree with adopting children, for I am an adopted child myself.

By all means, adopt. But dont pretend like youre some sort of hero or saint that had to step up and help the needy and unfortunate. That is NOT what adoption is about. It is about starting a family and building a family- It’s no different from having your own child.  I even plan in my future to adopt a child. Feeling like you personally rescued a “unwanted” child is about as backward as feeling like you rescued an unwanted sperm whilst conceiving.

If there are any questions/comments I’ll be happy to reply.

Jul. 7, 2011 @ 5:32 PM _

I thought you all could use some humor today.
Here is a link to the 70 best Walk for Choice Signs from across the Country!
Click Here

Jul. 6, 2011 @ 5:31 PM _

Here’s something controversial for you to mull over. The baby lottery. In England, a charity called “To Hatch” will be selling 20£ lottery tickets as part of a charity. What you win depends on what your situation is.

If you are a couple, you win a fertility treatment.
If you are a single woman, you win the sperm along with the treatment.
If you are a single man, you are given your very own surrogate woman to carry an egg fertilized by your sperm.
If you are older, you are most likely going to be given a sperm and egg as you may be unable to produce eggs yourself.
* All winners will also be given accommodation in a luxury hotel before being chauffeur driven to a clinic for treatment. Winners also will be given a mobile phone in order to maintain contact with medics if needed.

Some people, like, Josephine Quintavalle, of ethical dilemma group Comment on Reproductive Ethics, say that this demeans the whole nature of human reproduction. ‘Creation of human life should not be reduced to a public lottery. Instead of this, shouldn’t more be spent on research into fertility problems?

Others think, well, otherwise. Those individuals believe it’s a great way for those who cannot afford to have children to be afforded the opportunity.

Where do you stand?

Jul. 2, 2011 @ 6:30 PM _

Asiaelzbieta just sent me an awesome story to something I know many of you have probably seen. I am going to write it up here anyway because I love it too.

There is a preschool in Stockholm who has instituted yet another interesting twist into gendered word and play with their preschoolers. Instead of referring to the children as “he” and “she” they refer to them as “friend.”

One 31 year old teacher at Egalia, Jenny Johnsson, said the following: “Society expects girls to be girlie, nice and pretty and boys to be manly, rough and outgoing, Egalia gives them a fantastic opportunity to be whoever they want to be.”

Here are some of the facts about Egalia:
- It is funded by taxpayers
- It opened only a year ago
- Children aged 1-6 are the attendees
- It is an example at the forefront of Sweden’s attempts to strive towards equality for both sexes starting in childhood and extending onward

In Egalia lego blocks and kitchen sets sit side by side and are open for both genders to play with. They do this to promote the idea that there are no mental barriers between cooking and building.

Annnd… wait for it… They foster an accepting environment for lesbians, gays and bisexuals! On their bookshelf proudly sits a book about two male giraffes who are childless and sad due to the fact, so they adopt a baby crocodile! In fact, it is said that most of the books on their shelf deal with homosexual couples, single parents or adopted children. No Cinderella on their bookshelf!

Of course their schools comes with protest from different groups. Some say its racist, other emasculating. I think its interesting and perhaps even a big step forward. What do you think?

Jul. 1, 2011 @ 6:30 PM _

Don’t  take this literally, obviously. This isnt a feminist belief, for anyone looking at this for the first time. If you do know a feminist who honest to goodness believes in these points, then they are most likely in the minority. I shouldnt have to state that to make things clear.

That being said, I love, love, love this illustration. Its perfect and heres why. It aptly demonstrates how easily anyone, no matter where in the gender spectrum, can make claims based on set gender baises. Usually one hears things like “women bear children, thus have a connection to homemaking.” This took the other side and made the same sort of generalizations for the male sex, showing how arbitary and erroneous claims made against women really are.

P.S.
I got requests from you all on how to answer general sexist remarks from men such as “go make me a sandwitch.” These bullets above are great examples of things to say back to prove your point on how messed up their sexism is. Although, I personally just ignore such comments all together because I refuse to deal with such adolescent immaturity. To me, to answer such erroneous insults is like saying to them, “you have such a valid point that I will validate it with a well thought answer.” Perhaps thats just me.

Jun. 25, 2011 @ 6:30 PM _

We rank 50th in the world for our maternal mortality ratios, despite our spending on health care.

Amnesty International found that African American women are 3 to 4 times more likely to die from pregnancy related causes than white women. Maternal mortality ratios are especially high for black, American Indian/Alaska Native and Asian/Pacific Islander mothers. However, no racial or ethnic group met the government’s Healthy People 2010 goal for reducing maternal mortality - in fact, the ratios were all 2 and a half times higher.

Aside from the issues of high costs and insurance coverage, lack of access also makes women of color more likely to die from pregnancy related causes. A shortage of health care professionals in the U.S., particularly specialists for women, creates a serious obstacle to timely and adequate maternal healthcare, especially those in rural areas and in inner cities. Gaps in family planning is also a major factor. Nearly half of all pregnancies in the U.S. are unintended, and rates are significantly higher for low-income and communities of color. Such pregnancies are more likely to develop complications and face worse outcomes for both mother and child. 

This year’s federal budget cuts do not bode well for maternal health prospects on either of these fronts. There was a $317.5 million cut to family planning, and a $1 billion cut to community health centers - a crucial source of care and access to low income and communities of color  —and medically under-served areas.

Jun. 24, 2011 @ 1:04 AM _

I cannot begin to tell you how incredibly moved I am by all of the messages, reblogs and personal storiies have come out from that article I wrote on reproductive coercion. It’s such an important issue we need to get out. It isnt some intangible idea that floats far away from us. It happens to our mothers, daughters, sisters and friends. Without further adieu, here are some of the many, many messages that have sprung from that post. I hope they paint how real and close this issue is to each of us.  Click here to view essay

“My ex husband did this shit to me. Once we got married I wasn’t allowed to use birth control pills, he refused to use condoms.” 

“I actually knew multiple women going through this when I was working at the domestic violence shelter.”

“Marital rape happens so often in some places people don’t see it as an issue. They think, if you’re married the man is entitled to have sex whenever he desires which is incorrect. Whether you are a complete stranger in a dark alley or married to me, you do not have any right putting your hands on me without my consent.”

“This is why I was on Depo when I was stuck with my abusive boyfriend.  He beat the shit out of me when he found my hidden birth control pills.Guess who opened 2 hours early so that I could get my Depo injection without my abuser knowing?  Planned Parenthood.”

 “thank you for this. people do need to realize that there are TONS of reasons why people seek out Planned Parenthood or other clinics that can get them help. This is one of them. This has been going on for thousands of years, and it has been an accepted practice in many cultures for just as long. This isn’t something thats happening half a world away from you; this could have happened to your own mother, to your aunt, to you.”

“This, depressingly, is the reason I’m in the world. Except that my dad thought if my mum had a baby she’d have to stop working, seeing her friends, and would be confined to the house. It worked, my mums now 56 and has only been living her own life how she wants for the last 10 years. My dad used to refer to it him having “clipped her wings”.”

“Many voters never consider how defunding these clinics could hurt victims of domestic violence who turn to them for counseling as well as pregnancy prevention.”

 “This is important and you should read it. Especially the men out there. Just because she’s dating or married to you does not mean you can demand sex whenever you want, and it certainly doesn’t entitle you to any kind of control over her body or reproductive choices. A woman’s body is hers alone, and any attempt to control it is a form of abuse.”

“Started crying reading these stories and thinking about how law makers are taking away one of the best resources for these women.”

“Wow. I went to get birth control at a doctor’s office in the community a lot of people use and they now have posters like this and one’s that explain forcing someone to get pregnant or denying, stealing birth control is abuse and where they can get help. Its great that more people are shedding light on this, just heartbreaking so many people are going through this.”

“I rarely talk about this, but my first boyfriend, who was abusive, tried to do this to me. I’m so lucky I never got pregnant.”

“I had some sort of vague knowledge that abuse like this happen, but after reading this post, I am absolutely appalled. I hope that we can continue to support programs such as Planned Parenthood to help protect these women— and the children!— from abusers such as those mentioned above.”

““Its like he wants to own me from the inside out.” Ownership, entitlement, control, power. The barefoot and pregnant tool for controlling women is still alive and well in many men’s minds today.”

“It’s about time we had one of these stories [written]”

“Planned Parenthood is so important. I’ve written and called in to all of my state officials and so many of them just don’t care.  It enrages me when all anyone can think of with this program is abortion.  They use this argument to rally pro-lifers and gain monetary support. It’s disgusting. We have to keep fighting.”

“One of the reasons that the whole ‘woman deliberately getting pregnant to ‘trap’ a man’ stereotype makes me so angry. The truth of that situation is that it is far more often the other way around: the man traps the woman by forcing her to carry his child. A baby is usually far more of a tie to a relationship for a woman than it is for a man because she is almost always the primary carer, so she will be unable to get a job and will be left financially dependant on her partner. It is the kind of thing that it makes perfect sense for a controling boyfriend/husband to try because pregnancy and then being a full-time mother leaves a woman so physically, financially and emotionally vulnerable.”

“My ex didn’t get violent until he was sure I was pregnant and theoretically trapped in our marriage. He was really invested in being a father until my son wasn’t enough of a reason for me to stay & I refused to have another child to “fix” things between us. To this day I am grateful for the invention of Depo since it was BC he couldn’t sabotage. “

“I almost started crying in class reading that. That’s so terrifying and awful…”

“This is too important not to share”
“I don’t want to get into details, but this is a subject that matters a lot to me.”

“Pay attention Folks. Marital Rape is Real. If my ex-husband had been able to get away with his plan, I’d still be putting up with his fat abusive ass. Thanks to Planned Parenthood I was able to protect myself and my uterus”

“I have a marital rapist in my family.  Yes, it is real. Yes it exists. Wedding vows do not mean a wife loses the ability to say “no”.

“This is super important. I know people that have suffered from this kind of abuse and it really disgusts me that so many people think it doesn’t exist. Everyone should read this.

I don’t understand why people think planned parenthood is such a terrible anti-life place. It’s a sanctuary and often saves women from the mental trauma that this describes.”

“My best friend recently divulged that her father had threatened her mother with divorce and financial ruin if she didn’t get pregnant with his third child.I was literally floored.”