#Reproductive Rights Month

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Joan McCarter at Daily Kos:

Senate Democrats are planning to make June Reproductive Rights Month, commemorating the anniversaries of Roe v. Wade in 1973 and Dobbs v. Jackson Womens’ Health that overturned it in 2022. With the Supreme Court ready to rule on access to both abortion pills and emergency abortions, they should have plenty of fodder. But Donald Trump gave them even more with his gaffe Tuesday suggesting that he’s coming up with an “interesting” and “very comprehensive policy” on birth control. Never mind that he tried to walk it back—he put it out there, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer grabbed it up. Schumer announced Wednesday that he is fast-tracking the Right to Contraception Act next month, so Republicans will be on record blocking it. “Contraception is a critical piece of protecting women’s reproductive freedoms, standing as nothing short of a vital lifeline for millions of American women across the country,” Schumer said in a statement. “Senate Democrats are committed to restoring women’s freedoms and will fight to protect access to contraception and other reproductive freedoms that are essential safeguards for millions of women to control their own lives, futures, and bodies.”

[...] Over the next month, Senate Democrats will hold votes and events to highlight just how out of touch the GOP is on all reproductive health issues—access to care, birth control, in vitro fertilization, and abortion. That will likely include another vote on the bill from Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois that would grant a federal right to IVF, in sharp contrast with GOP Sen. Ted Cruz’s effort to stake a weak claim on the issue.

Senate Democrats are planning to launch Reproductive Rights Month for the upcoming month of June to prepare for the 2nd anniversary of the Dobbs ruling that overturned Roe.

[dhddmods]

Intersex Guide!

Hello and happy pride! We wished to share a passion project we have been working on for months - a guide to intersex traits and variations! Please reblog to spread awareness.

Now, a question that many ask - what is intersex? Well, we will be answering that question for you here! Anything on this post that is written in red is NOT intersex, so if you wish to skip over any of it, you can. And if you wish to get straight into the intersex types, scroll down to the read-more and start from there.

Intersex, also known as the intersex spectrum, is a term used to describe when someone's biological sex - as in the sex they are born with/what they naturally develop during puberty - is not clearly defined as the typical male or female sex traits.

(This does not include someone that was born male or female, and later chose to have their sex traits changed due to being transgender, transsex, or altersex. It also does not include males that experienced circumcision/dorsal slits or penis splitting, females that experienced genital mutilation, or males & females that indulged in modifications such as piercings and beading.)

This only applies to primary sex traits - chromosomes, genitals, reproductive organs, and hormones. Atypical secondary sex traits (breasts, muscle tone, body/facial hair, deepness of voice) do not make someone intersex unless it is paired with "abnormalities" in primary sex traits.

Before you can understand what it means to be intersex, first we must clarify what it means to not be intersex.

A typical male has XY chromosomes, a penis, two testicles within the scrotum, and more androgens (mostly testosterone) than females. Upon puberty, they usually (but not always) develop more facial hair & muscle tone than females, and a deeper voice than females.

(Note: A penis has a phallus, a scrotum beneath the phallus, foreskin protecting the head of the phallus, and a urethra on the head of the penis. It is is straight or slightly curved when erect.)

A typical female has XX chromosomes, a vulva, two ovaries, a single uterus, and more estrogen than males. Upon puberty, they usually (but not always) develop larger breasts and wider hips than males.

(Note: A vulva has two labia, a single pea-sized clitoris, a single vaginal entry, and a urethra above the vaginal entry and under the clitoris.)

Here is a list of non-typical sex traits that, by themselves, are not intersex.

Accessory Breasts (Polymastia): Having more than two breasts. Accessory Nipples (Polythelia): Having more than two nipples. Athelia: Having only one nipple, or no nipples at all. Amastia: Having only one breast & nipple, or no breasts & nipples at all. Breast Hypertrophy/Macromastia/Gigantomastia: Having extremely large breasts Gynecomostia: Breasts on a male. The reason this is not considered intersex is because all sexes (except for people with amastia) have breast tissue, which can vary in size regardless of sex. Females can have small breasts, and males can have larger breasts than is expected. Hypotonia: Low muscle tone. Bicornuate Uterus: A heart-shaped uterus. Septate Uterus: A uterus that internally has a partition down the middle. Macropenis: A penis that is 7 inches/17.78 centimeters or larger. Macroorchidism: Testicles that are 4 milliliters or above pre-puberty, and above 30 milliliters as an adult. Macrovagina: A vagina that is deeper than 5 inches/13 centimeters. Labial Hypertrophy: Labia that is longer than average (above 2 inches/5 centimeters)

Now, onto the intersex spectrum! First, some notes.

-An intersex trait is a singular atypical trait. For example, someone with ambiguous genitals, but no other "abnormality" has an intersex trait. -An intersex variation is when multiple atypical traits are present, with at least one of them being an intersex trait. For example, someone with ambiguous genitals and fused kidneys has an intersex variation. Equally, someone with ambiguous genitals and cryptorchidism also has an intersex variation. -CTF stands for "close to female." CTF traits are when the traits are predominantly "feminine" (vulvas, uteruses, ovaries, estrogen as the main sex hormone, breasts, widened hips, XX chromosomes, etc.) -CTM stands for "close to male." CTM traits are when the traits are predominantly "masculine" (a penis, testicles, androgens as the main sex hormones, increased hair growth, higher muscle mass, a deepened voice, XY chromosomes, etc.)

Also, when we state that an intersex trait/variation is "fairly common", we mean that it is fairly common amongst the intersex population, not that it is fairly common in the general population. Being intersex is still classified as "rare" statistically speaking (as statistics define "rare" as 1 in 1,000 people.)

So for the sake of this post, here is how we are classifying the following:

"Fairly common" = 1 in every 5,000 (or less)

"Rare" = above 1 in every 5,000, up to 1 in every 100,000

"Extremely rare" = above 1 in every 100,000

Similarly, when we say "higher risk of _", it does not necessarily mean that risk is very high, just that its a higher chance than a person without that trait/variation. It could be as low as 1% higher of a risk. Every sex has its risks, whether its male, female, or on the intersex spectrum. To put it into perspective, females are at a higher risk of breast cancer than males.

Also, keep in mind that "may include" means that not all of the features will be present on every single person with that variation; in fact, none of the extra features could be present. However, for chromosomal variations specifically, it is highly likely that at least 1-5 (or more) of the listed extra features will be present.

And finally, when we say that "fertility is average", what we mean is that the gonads are fully capable of producing healthy average numbers of sperm/eggs, and/or the uterus is capable of carrying healthy babies. Struggles with the sperm reaching the eggs still might occur, but if direct insemination is done (as in the sperm is directly injected), then pregnancy should occur perfectly fine.

---

Penile Traits/Variations (not including those on the agenital spectrum)

Urethral Traits/Variations (not including those on the agenital spectrum)

Ambiguous Genitals

The Agenital Spectrum/Agenital/Agenitalia

An umbrella term, describing those born with no genitals, closed-off genitals, small genitals, or genitals that are missing typical penile or vulval traits.

(Anorchia & Monoorchidism fall under this as well.)

Gonadal Agenesis

An umbrella term, describing an individual that is born with an absence of one or both gonads (ovaries, testicles, or ovotestes).

Other reproductive traits/variations

Hypergonadism

An umbrella term, describing an individual that is born with gonads that produce high levels of hormones compared to males and females.

Hypogonadism

Primary Hypogonadism/Hypergonadotropic Hypogonadism: when its the gonads themselves that have low production levels. The brain is still communicating to produce the average male/female levels of hormones, but the gonads are failing to keep up with the brains-signals.

Secondary Hypogonadism/Hypogonadtropic Hypogonadism/ Central Hypogonadism: when the brain has low levels of communication with the gonads. The brain is failing to send out typical levels of signals to the gonads, and the gonads only produce hormones when a signal is received.

Other Hormonal Variations

Chromosomal Variations

And thats all!

Again, please reblog to spread awareness. Intersex people are highly discriminated against. Their bodies are still regularly mutilated at birth, in order to make them "look right."

This mutilation can cause complete infertility, a loss of sensation in genital areas (making sex unsatisfactory), gender dysphoria, body dysmorphia, and even chronic pain.

Additionally, intersex children are often bullied at school for looking or sounding "abnormal" for their age/gender. And as they grow up, they face the same difficulties transgender individuals do - judgement for not being a "real man" or "real woman" (or for being non-binary), difficulty dating, struggles finding jobs, complications in receiving proper healthcare, and they are at an increased risk of being abused and assaulted. Many are also left out of sports or kicked out of public bathrooms as well.

This is all due to the lack of education. Tolerance and acceptance needs to be taught to children. Many doctors have no idea how to treat intersex patients, as they didn't learn about their bodies, even in advanced schooling. We need to put a stop to this.

[liberaljane]

Feminist victories– from legal reform to workplace rights to control over our own bodies– have not been the result of solitary efforts but legacies of collective action. Right now, our world is at a crossroads. Climate catastrophes. Violence. Inequality and threats to roll back our rights. The stakes keep rising.

Digital illustration of three people, from left to right: a blonde woman with green shorts and a green tank, a afro Latina fem wearing an oversized yellow shirt with text that reads, 'a feminist movement win is a win for everybody.' On the right is a Black man wearing a blue shirt and a young deaf girl of color wearing a shirt with a graphic of the earth that reads, 'vote for her.'

[fulltimecatwitch]

sorry to get personal again today, but i got sick yesterday and since i'm unable to go the the women's march i today i will be screaming here

I know today is International Women's Day and for a lot of people it's a day of celebration and conmemoration and that's okay, it is important to remember and honor those who fought before us

But in you live in Latin America, then you know that today is not really a celebration. It is almost a day of collective grief for all us. Especially everyone who has lost a a sister, wife, aunt, friend, etc to murder or disappearance

10 to 11 women dissapear in my country ( Mexico) everyday

10 to 11 every fucking day

remember those fucking numbers because i sure do every day i wake up

10 TO 11

And in Mexico the goverment cares so little that it has provided basically zero help to stop this violence.

It's the very same people who grieve their loved ones who have had to organize themselves so they are able to get answers about what happened to their lost ones.

The Madres Buscadoras are a collective who searches mass graves all throughout the country in hopes that they can find the remians of their loved ones.

Imagine having to dig the bones and remains of your wife, your sister or your friend with your own hands because the police refused to do anything to help you

and the worse thing is that even the madres buscadoras have disappeared while searching their loved ones because they want to keep them quiet, they don't want them and us to know what happened

where is the justice in that ?!?!?!?

I'm so fucking tired of feeling this horrible pressure in chest everytime my mom or sister go out alone and the only thing i can do is pray and pray they get home safely

i'm tired of having to turn on my location and take a picture of my outfit every time i go out because if i dissapear those will be the only references my family will have of me

i'm tired of listening to how many of us have been killed or assaulted everyday on the news because everyday you hear of a new case

i'm tired of the violence and injustice against little girls

i'm tired of the violence and injustice against my trans sisters ( unsurprisingly Mexico is only the second most dangerous country to be transgender)

im tired of people who think marching, burning and vandalising monuments is not an appropriate way to protest because they rather defend a monument than our bodies

I'M JUST SO FUCKIN TIRED AND ANGRY BECAUSE OF HOW THEY HAVE TAKEN OUR RIGHT TO EXIST IN PEACE

i don't know what else to say, except that i really hope one day the international community talks about this more, especially all the gringos who have come to gentrify our country here and never show you this side of mexico

i will leave you the links for a movie and documentary you can see on netflix about the raw reality of women who dissapear on Mexico

Las Tres Muertes de Marisela Escobedo

documentary about Marisela Escobedo, a mother who searched for her missing daughter and was killed for it

Ruido by Natalia Beristain

movie about a grieving mother searching for her missing daughter who finds a network of support as she connects with other women whose lives have also been disrupted by violence

finally i leave you cancion sin miedo 💚💜

[porttohuume]

Perhaps the most traitorous lie you believed as a child was that your body was your own. It's written down in law, after all, so naturally it should be yours. No one else but you can make it lift a finger, speak, dance or work. Or that's what you believed, anyway.

But your body is not your own, and it never will be. You know that now. And yet, you don't know who owns it.

It's not yours, but you walk around acting as if it was. And when its owner calls for it, you respond with resigned melancholy.

Your body is not your own and you loathe it for that reason. How dare it be subservient to something you can't even name or place. How dare it not fight back.

You learn that you can only be an autonomous body if you're wealthy. When you're wealthy, you have a body. When you're poor, you have a machine.

Your body is not your own and you mourn in solitude.

[whenweallvote]

As Women’s History Month comes to a close, we’re looking ahead to the 2024 general election. From our access to reproductive healthcare and voting rights to student debt relief and climate change — the issues that impact us the most are on the ballot. 

When All Women Vote, we determine the direction of this country. 

Make sure you are registered to vote NOW at weall.vote/register.

[thelifeelsewhere]

Two Important Books On American Women’s Lives

[thekimspoblog]

No really I'm so mad. They bait you in thinking the post is gonna be about how poverty can pressure people into getting abortions when they didn't actually want to. Get readers' hopes up that this is gonna be about how UBI is a feminist issue. But you keep reading, and OP is CLEARLY just an anti-abortionist who wants to play the "every sperm is sacred" game. KYS!

@clawandcute

[glenandbrisketpowellsdogpack]

Coercive Reproduction, A Form Of Domestic Violence and Abuse

The Truth About Coercive Reproduction

When I was in my Abusive Relationship with my Ex-Fiance, he placed me in this exact position. at the time I was 23 and unknownst to me, in the middle of a full-blown active eating disorder. Honestly, I still had not been and still am Not Sexually Active. I entered into this relationship with my V-Card Status still intact as V-Card, I left the relationship with my V-Card Status still intact and Not Revoked. I got out before He Could Even Pressure Me Far Enough or Could Sexually Assault Me. I'm now 40 and Don't Give A Fuck About This Status Or Who Knows. I'm Just Glad I Got Away From Him! He Didn't Break Me Down Or Destroy Me, I Still Have My Voice And It Only Gets Louder And Stronger! I Refuse To Remain Silent And Let Him Be Comfortable!

Although it's been 16 years, it Still Enrages Me, and What Had Gone On During the Summer of 2022 in Regard to Violence Against Women and Women's Reproductive Rights When Roe V Wade was Overturned. A Man or A Woman, Let Alone the Fucking Republican Congressional Party/Goverment Cannot Force Or Decide, Let Alone Play God, Decide That People Cannot Use Contraceptives, That Any Woman Must Have Children Or Go Through With Pregnancy. I'm Still A Human And Have Full Control Over What's Going On With My Own Body! My Body Is My Own Property, Not Anyone Else's, My Fucking Body, It's My Own Fucking Choice What The Final Say Will Happen!

[bunnie-the-idiot]

the kids online safety act passed the u.s. senate.

long story short (for anyone who hadn't heard of this before) the kids online safety act, aka kosa, is a bill that will censor online content and resources for lgbtq+ matters, reproductive healthcare, activism (INCLUDING PALESTINE AND LIKELY OTHER CRISES GOING ON LIKE IN CONGO OR SUDAN), mental health, etc. everywhere--its effects likely won't be contained to just america.

today, july 30th, 2024, the senate passed it 91-3. it has officially moved to the house of representatives.

is this a pretty massive setback? yes. do you have every right to be scared, sad, angry, or whatever else about this happening? absolutely. but should you give up hope completely? NO!

even though kosa passed the senate, the house is on break/august recess at the moment. we have around an entire month to get emails, calls, and faxes in to house reps, maybe more depending on when they decide to vote on it.

should it pass the house and get signed into law, we still have a whole 18 months before it actually goes into effect. this is plenty of time for digital rights orgs (e.g. fight for the future, the electronic frontier foundation) and other groups that oppose it to file a lawsuit against it. even if, worst-case scenario, it flies through the house immediately after the recess ends, we can still fight this up to march 2026.

so, yes, remember what's at stake here, but also remember that it's not over yet. we lost a battle, not the war.

below are some resources to learn more about kosa and how to contact your reps (first link) + a page that lets you directly contact progressive house reps, sign an open letter opposing the bill, and view others' testimonies against it (second link):

FIGHT. FIGHT. FIGHT.

[suck-mein-pokeballs]

I know mexico is fucked up but moments when my mom tries to explain the Mexican healthcare system to my cuban stepdad legit hurt

[makingcontact]

7 Shows to Listen to this Women’s History Month

We’re knee deep in Women’s History Month and and Making Contact we’re celebrating the best way we know how: highlighting the stories of women making change and fighting for a better future for ourselves and all those around us along the way.  Check out these stories from Making Contact featuring the often untold stories impacting women everyday: 1.Don’t Let Them See You Bleed: PERIOD From period…

[knitmeapony]

In the law, there's this idea called the "last clear chance" doctrine.

If you are in an accident, and you had the last clear chance to avoid the accident, then you are, at least in some portion, responsible for the accident.

For instance, if you are driving and a car pulls out in front of you, and you could've slammed on the brake but do not, you're responsible for that, even if the turn the other car made was illegal. Moreover, you might be held partially responsible for the other person's injuries, depending on how things work in your location.

This is even true if you can merely mitigate the damage. If you have a chance to limit the damage -- again, let's say you don't brake and the result is a collision at 40MPH instead of 10MPH -- the additional damage you cause could be considered your fault.

To me, this seems very applicable to voting.

The two parties in the US are going to put a couple of candidates up in the next few months. Both of them might be dangerous. But in the end, everyone who can vote is going to have one last, clear chance to avoid, or at least mitigate, damage.

It sucks that both parties are out there driving like maniacs.

But the fact of the matter is, they've put us in this position. And if you don't put on the brakes -- that is, at least mitigate damage -- you are responsible for the additional damage caused.

In the national elections, a choice not to vote for Biden is a choice not to brake when some jerk pulls into your lane. And if there's an accident and a lot of damage -- to voting rights in general, to reproductive rights, to the health and safety and life of trans and other queer people, to education, to the environment -- then you are responsible for not attempting mitigation.

You have the last clear chance to minimize danger and damage. And while you can yell until you're blue in the face that the Democratic party put you in that position in the first place by not running another candidate, you are still responsible even if you try to abdicate that responsibility.

[reasonandempathy]

Walz has served as Minnesota’s governor since 2019 after 12 years in the House of Representatives and now chairs the Democratic Governors Association. He has built a reputation as a folksy politician who can get things done, as Minnesota has adopted a number of progressive laws during his tenure. According to a poll conducted earlier this year, Walz enjoys an approval rating of 55% among Minnesotans. Since Minnesota Democrats achieved a legislative trifecta in the 2022 elections, Walz and his allies have used their power to push a slate of progressive policies. The governor has signed bills protecting abortion access, expanding background checks for prospective gun owners and legalizing recreational marijuana. “Right now, Minnesota is showing the country you don’t win elections to bank political capital,” Walz said last year. “You win elections to burn political capital and improve lives.” That philosophy has endeared him to progressives, who threw their support behind him as the veepstakes kicked into high gear over the past two weeks. They reshared clips of Walz lovingly mocking his daughter’s vegetarianism and tinkering with his car to paint him as the dad that America needs right now.

This is fucking awesome! Honestly, sincerely good news and a very promising pick for the potential Harris Administration. An aggressive, unabashed, popular, populist left-winger with a track record of enacting real, substantive help for people is capital-G Great.

What has he done, specifically?

Abortion rights

In a 1995 ruling, the Minnesota Supreme Court upheld abortion rights in Minnesota. In January 2023, Walz signed the PRO Act (Protect Reproductive Options Act) into law, making abortion a "fundamental right," as well as access to contraception, fertility treatments, sterilization and other reproductive health care.

The law made Minnesota the first state to codify abortion rights in the aftermath of the U.S. Supreme Court's 2022 ruling in the case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, which nullified Roe. v. Wade after nearly 50 years of precedent. In April 2023, Walz signed the Reproductive Freedom Defense Act into law, shielding women and providers from any legal action originating from the patient's state.

Pro-LGBTQIA+ legislation

In March 2023, Walz signed an executive order to protect the right of residents to have access to gender-affirming health care. Weeks later, he signed the "Trans Refuge" bill, banning the enforcement of arrest warrants, extradition requests and out-of-state subpoenas for those who traveled to Minnesota for care.

"When someone else is given basic rights, others don't lose theirs," Walz said. "We aren't cutting a pie here. We're giving basic rights to every single Minnesotan."

Paid family, medical and sick leave

In May 2023, Walz signed a law creating a state-run program to provide paid family and medical leave for Minnesota workers, funded by a 0.7% payroll tax on employers, by 2026.

Legalization of recreational marijuana

In May 2023, Minnesota became the 23rd state in the nation to legalize recreational cannabis use. Three months later, people 21 and older could start to possess certain amounts of marijuana at home and on their person, in addition to legally growing up to eight plants at a time.

Restoration of voting rights for former felons

In March 2023, Walz signed a bill that restored the right to vote to more than 50,000 convicted felons who had already served their time.

Universal school meals

Amid the increase in food insecurity for many Minnesotans during the pandemic, and the subsequent strain on the state's food shelves that remains to this day, Walz signed a bill in March 2023 that ensures all K-12 students in the state have access to free breakfast and lunch on school days.

Do you know what makes this even better?

Fuck 'Em. I know negative partisanship is important and can help motivate right-wingers to vote, but they're going to vote anyway. And him being afraid of Walz is just a sign that he's a good pick, in policy and politics.

[socialistexan]

If I can put into the simplest terms of my current strategy for 2024 and probably every election going forward, it's this:

I'm voting for the person who I want to oppose and organize against for the next 4 years.

That's it. This might seem cointer-intitive, but it's really not.

Who would you rather advocate for Palestine under? The person that's been open to a ceasefire for months and is snubbing Netenyahu, or the person who said blantently and out loud that he wants Netenyahu to "finish the job" and wants to deport anyone who has been critical of Israel?

Who would I rather fight for LGBTQ rights under? The person who was fighting for marriage equality in 2004 and has a consistent (though imperfect) record on supporting the community, or the guy that wants to make my health care, access to bathrooms, and mere existence illegal?

Who would I rather fight for reproductive rights under? Who would I rather fight for drug legalization and record expungement under? Who would I rather organize mutual aid and community care under? How about civil rights? Voting rights? Immigration? Disability rights? Land back? Climate change? Gun reform?

That's the point of voting, to avoid doing things on extra hard mode. You fight the fascists in every arena, you don't cede a single inch to them anywhere.