Feminists For Choice

No seriously…. a Turkish girl was buried alive by her father for quote, “hanging out with boys.” The Huffington Post reports,

The body of a 16-year-old girl police say was buried alive by relatives in an “honor” killing carried out as punishment for talking to boys has been discovered in Kahta, Turkey.

Turkish police discovered the body after acting on an anonymous tip. The tipster told police that the girl was killed after a family council meeting, and had been buried under a chicken pen. Police say that the girl had complained two months earlier that her grandfather beat her for talking to boys. (more…)

I recently read an article about the correspondence and meeting between two of the most independent thinkers of the 20^th Century, Margaret Sanger and Mahatma Gandhi. The two activists met in 1936 when Sanger traveled to India to speak with Gandhi about birth control. By that time Sanger was advocating internationally for artificial contraceptives and sought to make Gandhi an ally.

Despite the fact that the movement was gaining popularity in a society with a serious poverty crisis, Gandhi was an outspoken critic of artificial birth control. His general attitude was that

“Persons who use contraceptives will never learn the value of self-restraint. They will not need it. Self-indulgence with contraceptives may prevent the coming of children but will sap the vitality of both men and women, perhaps more of men than of women. It is unmanly to refuse battle with the devil.”

Sanger, on the other hand, once told her granddaughter that “for intercourse, I’d say three times a day was about right.” (Go girl!) (more…)

In case you hadn’t heard, CBS has recently come under fire for accepting an ad written by Focus on the Family, featuring college football phenom Tim Tebow and his mother Pam.  While the specifics of the ad’s content have been kept carefully under wraps, the decision to air what will likely be a choice (pun intended) piece of anti-choice propaganda–a reasonable conclusion to draw considering that neither Tebow nor FOTF are known for a moderate stance on abortion and that the 30 second ad cost just under $3 million to air–has resulted in a firestorm of controversy for CBS.

Setting aside my already intense dislike for Tim Tebow (I mean, seriously, God–assuming such a being exists at all of course–would not, should not, could not give a flying rat’s ass if your team wins a football game! Its one thing to thank such a being for your talent or whatever, but to say that the outcome of a given game is divinely ordained is a level of hubris that drives me batty!), and for Focus on the Family (do I need to say why, really?)–CBS is dead wrong to air this ad. (more…)

Today is a good day.  Scott Roeder–the man who, in cold blood and with years of  premeditation–walked into a church and shot Dr. George Tiller in the head–was convicted of first degree murder charges. After only 37 minutes of deliberation, the jury in the case sent an unequivocal message:  there is no level of disagreement with someone that justifies killing them in cold blood.

Like many people, particularly people committed to ensuring that women have access to safe, legal abortion and family planning services, I am celebrating Mr. Roeder’s conviction and looking forward to the day when he is sentenced for his crimes.

But, even as I am thrilled with the outcome of his trial, I think Mr. Roeder is getting way too much attention today.  I am happy he was convicted but I am still mourning the loss of Dr. Tiller–a man who dedicated thirty years of his life to women’s health.  Despite having his clinic bombed, despite having been shot in both arms in 1993 (by another anti-choice zealot), Dr. Tiller continued his practice.  He chose not to let the daily threats, the attempts on his life, the violence with which his foes confronted him on a regular basis, deter him from providing LEGAL and necessary medical care.

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Some excellent pro-choice news to kick start your weekend…

You can breathe a sigh of relief, because after all that worry, it turns out Scott Roeder will not be given a chance at a lesser charge in the murder of Dr. George Tiller. After the defense rested its case Thursday, the judge ruled that the jury cannot consider a voluntary manslaughter charge, which Kansas law defines as “an unreasonable but honest belief that circumstances existed that justified deadly force” and carries a slim four-to-six-year sentence. (more…)

As Ireland waits for a landmark ruling by the European court of human rights, controversy over abortion and women’s health in Ireland has become a hotspot for international scrutiny. According to the Human Rights Watch, Irish legislation, in which women who obtain an abortion are sentenced to life in prison, is putting women’s lives at risk. In addition, recent legislation banning abortion has been inspired by deliberate misinformation from rogue anti-choice agencies.

Women have been told they may become infertile, require a hysterectomy or possibly need a colostomy bag after an abortion by agencies that target women seeking advice about unwanted pregnancies, says the report. (more…)

Every generation worries about the upbringing of the next. Many times this includes criticizing the younger generations’ way of dressing. In the 60s it was long hair and bellbottoms. In the 90s the midriff ruled. Now parents are dealing with what their children are wearing at an even younger age. Apparently, baby heels are all the rage!

Good Morning America featured this segment about little girls in high heels. Apparently, celebrity children are leading this trend. Like responsible adults parents are asking question about how these shoes may be affecting their child’s mental and physical development. Maybe it isn’t the best thing to follow a celebrity trend blindly?

I think it would be a shame to push girls to wear heels at 3 years old, 13 years old or even 30 years old. High heels won’t help if you want to climb trees, ride bicycles or walk on the beach. However, shoes are not the real issue here.
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Happy new year Lyndsey! I really need your help, comments, or suggestions..ok I have a partner who i am being sexually active with, and he always uses a condom. Yesterday I had this really bad pain in my lower abdomen and I felt the need of peeing…but I couldn’t pee and when i peed my vagina started to hurt really bad and it was burning..later that day i had to pee again constantly and i started to bleed really bad but chunks. then i didnt bleed anymore and it stop, but is starting back. i strongly believe is not my period..what should i do? Or why is this happening??

Thank you for writing me and I am very sorry to hear about your pain. What you are describing does not sound pleasant! Let me begin by saying that any information or advice given here is not a replacement for actual medical advice, and that my first suggestion to see a medical professional. With that out of the way, what you describe sounds most like a urinary tract infection and less like a sexually transmitted infection (repeat: the ONLY way to know is to go to a medical professional). So, what exactly is a UTI and what makes a UTI different from a sexually transmitted infection? (more…)

I’m sharing this news for two reasons; first, I wish I were as much of a bad ass as Kelly Kulick. Secondly, this is yet another example in which an extremely talented woman debunks social expectations of women in sports.

Anything you boys can do …

Kelly Kulick left all the guys in the gutter.

Kulick became the first woman to win a Pro Bowlers Association Tour title Sunday, beating Chris Barnes in the final of the 45th Tournament of Champions. Kulick outscored Barnes 265-195.

“It’s been a dream of mine to win a PBA Tour event, but I couldn’t have imagined it would have come in the Tournament of Champions,” said Kulick, 32, who earned an invitation by winning the women’s equivalent event. (more…)

Growing up in Spokane, I was never well liked among my peers. Since I was in third grade, I faced bullying, harassment, intimidation, threats, physical assault, and more. Child on child abuse like that is so difficult to get through; but I made myself survive, because the alternative was admitting defeat, which I refuse to do. I dealt with being bullied and assaulted by peers, even such attacks as a 13 year old boy trying to set a hat of mine on fire, while I was wearing it. But I managed to get support, and now I am leading measures in my city’s school system to enforce stricter rules on bullying and the like. It is like therapy for me, ensuring that no one goes through it again, or when they do, they get justice. (more…)