I can remember a time — it wasn’t even that long ago — when even anti-choice Republicans agreed that there were some circumstances, such as rape or danger to the woman’s health, when abortion should always be allowable. Over the last few years, they’ve switched over to condescending arguments that survivors impregnated by a rapist should “accept what God has given to you” (Rick “Man-on-dog” Santorum), or even denying that pregnancy from rape is possible (Todd “Legitimate rape” Akin).
We’re now seeing similar dishonest tactics attempting to deny abortion in pregnancies that are dangerous or even life-threatening for the woman. Georgi Boorman at The Federalist argues for a potentially fatal “watch and wait” approach with ectopic pregnancies. An Ohio Republican tried to pass a bill mandating that ectopic pregnancies be “re-implanted” in the womb, a medical procedure that does not exist outside his very weird imagination. Now a group has put up a video on Facebook claiming abortions are “never” medically necessary. Facebook fact-checked it as false — then got arm-twisted into removing the fact-check.
Jessica Valenti, who went through a life-threatening pregnancy, contemplates how close she came:
Let’s say I got sick a few weeks earlier and needed to end my pregnancy to live, but my state only allowed for abortion if my life was in direct jeopardy. When would the doctors be legally allowed to act? Not when my blood pressure skyrocketed. Not when I started having excruciating pain and my vision became blurry, indicating a possible seizure. Not when I needed a blood transfusion or when my liver started to fail — because perhaps the doctors would worry that they still couldn’t legally act; in theory, I could get a liver transplant.
This is why we fight. Because women’s lives are that important.
As always, this diary is a group effort. hanks to SandraLLAP, elenacarlena, noweasels, ramara, officebss, Besame, and the WOW crew for links and discussion.
Reproductive Rights:
Federal Court Blocks North Dakota Law Forcing Doctors to Lie to Patients About Abortion Reversal.
Women seek abortions out of state amid restrictions.
The G.O.P.’s War on Women’s Health Gets Results.
Doctors Say Federal Rules On Discussing Abortions Inhibit Relationships With Patients.
Violence:
Aaron Persky, the judge who famously gave a lenient sentence to rapist Brock Turner, got a new job coaching girls’ tennis at a California high school — and lost it just as quickly after the backlash.
Here we go again: sexual assault defendant gets his bond reduced because he’s a “high achieving” student.
Former USC gynecologist George Tyndall has finally surrendered his medical license — after years of complaints from almost 400 women that he touched them inappropriately, photographed them, and made sexually harassing comments.
Intersectionality:
The swimsuits were school-issued, the same on everyone. But the winning swimmer — the one mixed-race girl participating — was disqualified because her “curvier” figure resulted in a “swim wedgie” that the referees deemed inappropriate. Fortunately, an appeal on her behalf was successful, but it’s worth noting again that dress codes are used disproportionately to penalize girls, and girls of color in particular.
During the Democratic debate, a Republican group took out a bizarre, threatening ad that included burning picture of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and comparing her with...Pol Pot?
Workplace Issues:
Nail salon workers are still fighting toxic working conditions.
September is Women in Medicine Month. Here is the AMA's newly adopted "Principles for Advancing Gender Equity in Medicine.”
A study finds that having more women in the workplace has positive outcomes for women — and men as well:
Having a higher percentage of female talent in an organization predicted:
- More job satisfaction;
- More organizational dedication;
- More meaningful work; and
- Less burnout.
Media:
Two major books are coming out about #MeToo: She Said by Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey, and Catch and Kill by Ronan Farrow.
Jane Gilmore’s Fixed It project corrects sexist headlines:
Uncategorizable:
Sahar Kyodayari aka “Blue Girl”, Iranian soccer fan, was arrested for sneaking into a stadium disguised as a man. She then committed suicide by setting herself on fire.
Good News:
45 nominees for Notable Women in Nonprofits.
Action Items:
UNICEF petition in support of the Keeping Girls in School Act.
Petition for El Salvador to end its total ban on abortion.