Trump's Rollback of Birth Control Rights Will Run Into a Legal Buzzsaw

LA Times

HARD TO SWALLOW–The Trump White House is trying to shove a rollback of contraceptive rights down your throat. And NO, that is NOT a form of birth control!

Trump’s Department of Health and Human Services under Tom Price-Is-Wrong wants to change the rules to allow ANY employer who claims to have “religious beliefs and moral convictions” to deny their employees birth control coverage.

And they’re breaking the law by trying to put the rules into effect without any notice or public comment—an understandable approach since the public’s comments are going to be along the lines of NO FUCKING WAY!

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Florida Will Offer Birth Certificates To Miscarried Fetuses Now

Bustle

CERTIFIED CRAZY!

Remember—no matter how crazy things get, they’re always weirder in FLORIDA. Florida’s latest foray into the fever swamp of anti-abortion nuttiness is to mandate the offer of “birth certificates” for miscarried fetuses as early as 10 weeks! (They’re actually called “Certificate of Non-Viable Birth.)

Make no mistake—this is a “personhood” ploy as obvious and slimy as the fetal funerals being proposed in other states. It’s an attack on anyone who wants to control their own uterus—and a cynical slap in the face to those who experience the trauma of a miscarriage.  

Knock it off, Florida, before you start mandating obituaries for spilled semen.

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Dominican Republic: Vote Against Decriminalization of Abortion, A Betrayal to Women

Amnesty International

IT’S A CRIME!

Abortion is a crime in the Dominican Republic—and it’s going to stay that way after a cowardly vote by the DR Senate against the decriminalization of abortion. Amnesty International said “Instead of playing political games with women’s lives, authorities should focus their time and efforts on protecting their human rights.”

Meanwhile in the US there are people working every day to make abortion a crime and to make anyone who gets one criminals. Move the Dominican Republic forward and don’t let the US slide backwards!

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A writer searched for a Planned Parenthood clinic emblematic of all others. She found it in Phoenix.

AZ Central

File under WELL MEANING BUT MISGUIDED.

For an article in Allure magazine, a writer wanted to find one Planned Parenthood clinic that represented all of them. She ended up choosing a clinic in Maryvale, a neighborhood in Phoenix, Arizona. It was a great article about an exemplary clinic–one that serves a bilingual area where over half the population is below the poverty level.

One small problem–this particular clinic doesn’t perform abortions. Now, not all PP locations do. But the fact that many do is the reason the organization is in the crosshairs of nut-bag politicians who are trying to shut down funding for ALL Planned Parenthood clinics, even ones like this that don’t offer abortion services.

PP provides lifesaving and compassionate service to underserved communities, including breast exams, pap smears, birth control, and–at some locations–abortion services. All of that was made clear in the article. But the point could have been made with more sensitivity to women who seek abortions by choosing a clinic that performed abortions.

Allure’s efforts here are much appreciated! But we have to be careful not to accidentally stigmatize the very rights we’re trying to protect. So SAY IT WITH ME: “THERE’S NOTHING WRONG WITH HAVING OR PERFORMING ABORTIONS!”

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Georgia 6th: Handel Faces New Attack Over Komen Stance

Atlanta Journal Constitution

HARD TO HANDEL

In the brief time that she was VP for policy at the Susan G. Komen Foundation, Georgia pol Karen Handel, now running for Tom Price’s vacated Congressional seat from Georgia, used that position to stop Komen’s partnerships with Planned Parenthood. It caused such a backlash that Handel had to resign in disgrace.

Handel’s actions jeopardized breast cancer screenings for thousands of women, just so she could advance her radical anti-abortion agenda. The run-off election in Georgia is on June 20th—tell Karen HANDEL THE TRUTH will force her to be accountable!

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Vagical Mystery Tour Update!

Birmingham, Alabama was a dream come true! A lot of people put their contact information on the LPJL signup sheet, and others… well, let's just say they left their calling card.

“Place of Death” just sounds like the description for a comedy show where EVERYONE ONSTAGE KILLED IT! HOW'D THEY KNOW!? These anti-choice are wackjobs- emphasis on JOBS. They are some of the busiest people around. How do you balance a “Sidewalk Psycho/Comedy Show Psychic” schedule all in one day? That takes skill.

But wait… There's more!

Binge on the one-episode (Facebook Live clip) season premiere of LPJL Presents: “Bullies” On the Street below!

https://www.facebook.com/lizzwinstead/videos/1310674448982023/