Cross Your Legs, Ladies

This post is dedicated to all the warriors out there

 who have been on the front lines -

men and women friends everywhere. 

You are so awesome.

Thank you.

Yes dear ladies, it's time to cross our legs. Our minds and bodies are being invaded by a mob of crazed philistines who know little to nothing about our body parts. Like a convention of mad scientists, they insist on poking and probing the deepest recesses of our bodies. Wake up. No more lying on our backs, dear hearts. We have a civil war to wage.

So far this year, nine state governments have been roaring over us with demonic frenzy in their efforts to pass abortion laws that date back to prehistoric times. Iowa Governor Terry Branstad has even appointed himself arbiter of every single Medicaid-covered abortion in his state, including victims of rape and incest. No doubt it will come as a huge relief to these traumatized women that he plans "to be thoughtful." Whew, that's noble of him.

In short, we have been invaded by a bunch of sexually oppressed, repressed and depressed Republicans who in their sick twisted minds think they not only have the medical expertise, but the God-given right to tell us what choices we can make regarding our own bodies. This, in 2013 - 40 years AFTER Roe vs. Wade.

Yes, Ladies, we are at war. But there is something we can do beyond signing petitions, protesting at state houses, writing letters to the local newspapers, bitching on Facebook and even voting - all of which are vitally important. Don't get me wrong. But we have another weapon = the most powerful weapon known to man. S.E.X. - the very thing that sends them into a catatonic state.

No, no, no, we're not going to give it to them, Ladies. Hah, they should be so lucky. Nope, we're going to cross our legs and and just say "NO" - to all of them, even those who support us. It's amazing how much harder people will work to get one thing when they're denied another.

If 300 women in the small town of Barbacoas, Columbia, S.A. can bring the city fathers to their knees by keeping their legs crossed for a total of nearly three months, there's no reason why the women of America can't do likewise. Besides, we have a hell of a lot more at stake here than getting a 35-mile road paved.

Sex strikes are nothing new. They go back at least to the the Ancient Greek comic play "Lysistrata," in which women withheld sex from their husbands as a way to end the Peloponnesian War.

Recently in Belgium, a senator suggested women withold sex until an agreement was reached to form a government. In 2009, Kenyan women pledged a week-long sex ban to stop political infighting.

They're not even a new tactic in Colombia. In 1997, the country's military chief called for a sex strike among the wives of paramilitaries, guerrillas and drug lords to work for peace. In 2006, wives and girlfriends of gang members in the town of Pereira reportedly withheld sex from gangsters who failed to turn in their arms.

Originally, I planned to stop here, but when I checked around before adding the finishing touches, all hell was breaking loose in two states. For the second time in a few short days the NC legislature passed abortion limits, this time via a motorcycle safety bill. The governor has indicated he will approve the vaginacycle bill although originally he declared he'd never change the abortion law. Nevah!

Around 1300 miles from Raleigh, the Texas Senate was turning the final screws on the right of women to make their own decisions and to have access to safe abortions. I don't think anyone was particularly surprised at the outcome but the indignity that many protesters suffered at the hands of troopers was degrading, insulting and offensive.

“In front of, all of these male troopers took away my maxi-pads, and made a huge deal out of flashing them around and showing… and then saying that I couldn’t go into the gallery, I couldn’t take maxi-pads into the gallery. I’ve never been… I’ve never been so humiliated in my life.”

It was also reported that this poor lady had her diabetic supplies taken as well.

Maddowblog reported at the time:

Women are being forced to throw out tampons and maxi pads to enter the Senate gallery, which has been confirmed by DPS. [...]

However, people with concealed handgun licenses are allowed to bypass long lines to enter the Gallery through the expedited CHL entrance, and per DPS, if a person has a CHL, they can take their gun into the gallery. [emphasis mine]

My friend Rusty Gordon made this astute observation: "They won't confiscate the bloody one in your hoo-ha, and THAT'S the one to throw at the legislators!"

*******

In the meantime Ladies . . .

KEEP YOUR LEGS CROSSED

UPDATE: It seems I'm not the only one who believes it's time for women to take action - or non-action. Here are more great suggestions. 

"Republicans Prefer Their Women Lightly Battered"

Guest column by Erin Nanasi from Poking at Snakes:

As we all watched, glued to our televisions and computers, the Republican congress barely avoided the so called fiscal cliff. Included in this oh-so patriotic bill were things from NASCAR funding to VAWA oh wait, no, I'm sorry. NASCAR-yes. The Violence Against Women Act? Nope.

What is it about a bloodied woman that the GOP likes so much? Is it the trembling split lip? The chunks of hair missing from a woman's scalp? The bruising? What is it exactly that would cause an entire political party to tell female victims of rape and domestic violence to go fuck themselves? Well, duh, the GAYS and the INDIANS.

Yes, the new and unimproved version of the GOP refused to reauthorize VAWA because it would have helped lesbians and Native American women receive help and treatment. Want proof? Here:

The current term of Congress ended on Wednesday without re-authorizing the Violence Against Women Act, a nearly two-decade-old measure to aid victims of domestic and sexual violence.

Though the Senate approved the VAWA last year with bipartisan support, Republicans in the U.S. House had opposed the legislation because it added new protections for illegal immigrants, LGBT individuals, and Native Americans.

“The House Republican leadership’s failure to take up and pass the Senate’s bipartisan and inclusive VAWA bill is inexcusable,” Sen. Patty Murray said in a statement to The Maddow Blog. “This is a bill that passed with 68 votes in the Senate and that extends the bill’s protections to 30 million more women. But this seems to be how House Republican leadership operates. No matter how broad the bipartisan support, no matter who gets hurt in the process, the politics of the right wing of their party always comes first.”

Rather than vote on the Senate version of the VAWA, House Republicans passed their own watered-down version of the bill that omitted the new provisions. The White House warned it would veto the House bill, which was opposed by groups like the National Network to End Domestic Violence, the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, the National Alliance to End Sexual Violence, the American Bar Association, and others because it ignored vulnerable populations. (From Raw Story)

A bi-partisan bill, backed by the Senate, fails in the Tea Party house because Native American women and lesbians should, what, expect to get raped and beat up? Aren't real people, so they don't deserve protection and help? This is disgusting, it's wrong and it is certainly not Christian. The Tea Party congress's behavior, however, does mesh perfectly with their twisted and demented version of Christianity, so well done, Baggers. In 2010, our own apathy let men like Steve King and Eric Cantor and John Boehner and the rest of the Tea Party congress take over. And look what we got-nothing. The 112th Congress is the most unpopular in modern history and the most unproductive that I can remember. The icing on the cake is their absolute hatred of women. As a woman, and a survivor of domestic violence and rape, this hits pretty close to home for me. There are millions of women in America tonight who are shocked and saddened by the misogyny of the Republican party.

I guess we only matter when we're pregnant."

The Divine Inspiration of a Blue Belle in Red Hell

Thank the Lord I wasn't eating my grits when I read "A Southern Lady's Rant" by Blue Belle in Red Hell. I'd still be mopping them off of my monitor, the keypad, the table, my books and papers, and everything else within a five foot radius. Appearing on UniteWomen, I was delighted with every phrase, every nuance and every delectable detail. Thankfully, she gave her permission to re-post it here. As we say say in the South, "Divine, honey, simply divine."

* * * * *

Gentility, decorum and just plain old good manners are the mark of a proper southern woman. We pride ourselves on our hospitality and adherence to the social graces.

That is, until some scurrilous individual takes advantage of our inherent good nature. Then all Hell breaks loose and I am here to tell you all Hell is breaking loose all over this country.

It seems they have taken our politeness as a sign of a lack of intelligence or power. That shows they know absolutely nothing about how a woman thinks or wields her power.

Those sanctimonious misogynistic Neanderthal politicians have been messing in women’s business for too long now. They do not respect women as equals and decided they will run our pocketbooks, health, reproduction and our lives. I for one will not stand silent while they disrespect me just because I am a woman.

In polite society unless someone “invites” you into their business you do not mention it or mess in it much less try to change it. To make sure I did not accidentally invite them in some margarita induced madness or during some euphoria after a particularly satisfying evening I have checked my text messages and emails and other than that silly little note to one of my elected officials regarding his asinine stance on women’s issues, which in no way could be misconstrued as an invitation to do anything but kiss my ass, I found nothing.

Laws have been introduced and passed all over this country that make me look like some kind of ninny who does not have the mental capacity to decide if I should take contraception, how I should deal with a pregnancy or how much money I should get paid for equal work. Now who would do such a thing? I don’t really think the everyday crooked politician really cares two twits about my vagina. Some don’t care about their own damn wife’s vagina. So what is the fascination with our lives? The politicians need votes and will do ANYTHING to stay in power. They are taking away women rights to garner votes from the Religious Right who wants to rule all women with their religious tenets. They are banking on women being too busy with their everyday lives to say or do anything about what is being taken away from them.

The current hot topic is our vaginas. Now ladies don’t shy away from that word we hear it from our doctors all the time and if it scares them that much it must have power. Some very important lady politician in Michigan dared to stand up to all those old cronies who want to mess with our vaginas, and not in a good way because no damn way I would ever let one of them near my dog much less my vagina. Those meddlesome cretins think that vagina is some kind of dirty word and they had the gall to ban her from speaking. They SILENCED her. As she tried to speak the head idiot in charge gaveled her down.

Ladies, there is a theme going on here. They pull some underhanded business to restrict our rights that the majority of Americans do not agree with and when women speak up they do everything in their power to SILENCE us. The last man who tried to silence me by putting his hand over my mouth removed it quickly. I planted the pointy heel of my 4 inch stiletto through his shiny leather shoe and into his foot. That solved that little problem; he couldn’t walk away with a hurt foot and had to hear what I had to say anyway.

We need to shout “Vagina” until their ears bleed. We need to let the dust collect under the couch and forget about the ring in the toilet bowl. We need to let them know we will not be silenced when they show their disrespect by infringing on our personal rights. As a southern lady I want them to understand that when they call us “SLUTS” it actually meansSouthern Ladies Up To Something.

----------

About Blue Belle in Red Hell: "I am a proud liberal Democrat living in Louisiana red state, bible belt hell. This page has only one purpose. It is a venue for me to openly express my views and save my sanity."

She can be found on Facebook (link provided in above paragraph) but I'm hoping she'll create a blog soon and quit denying the rest of us more of her divine inspiration.

Uppity Women Unite: Knit Those Vaginas

MK Carroll @ Knitty

Recently I read about a proposed "panty raid" on Congress. Women were supposed to send a pair of panties to Boehner and other members of Congress who are waging war on women. I think I like this idea from a Colorado knitter even better.

In the midst of Women's History Month, a new knitting and crochet group was borne across social media networks yesterday to protest the attacks on women's health by the Republican Congress. Inflamed by the recent Rush Limbaugh lambasting of Sandra Fluke and the never-ending attempts by males to control women's choices, a politics-savvy knitter from Colorado hatched the idea on Twitter to send every interfering male government representative a knit or crochet vagina, cervix, or uterus, marked: "Get your prehistoric laws out of my V-JJ! Better yet, here’s one of your own!”

Twitter messages sent by @Druchunas announced the new group's effort on two million-member knit and crochet network site, Ravelry: "Rav group #govtfreevjj is live. Pls join & RT. Send a uterus to male gov't reps: 'Hands off my v-jj. Here's your own.' " Influential forces across the knitting community showed their support as fast as the iPhone tweets could beep. Donna Druchunas is a knitwear designer, author, and teacher. Yes, the empowerment of women is a beautiful thing. . . . 

To support this effort, join the Ravelry group, "Government Free V-JJ;" tweet, using the hashtag #govtfreevjj; send your knit and crochet feminine body parts to the congressional representatives of your choice. Links to knit and crochet patterns and congressional addresses can be found on Ravelry. Free pattern links are below as well.

Following are links to other free patterns. I kind of like "The Snatchel" myself.

Crochet uterus pattern on CraftFrog by Joy Koestner.

The felt cervix project pattern by Sonja Philip.

Tink Edward's uterus crochet pattern.


MK Carroll's womb on Knitty.

The Snatchel by Zabet Stewart, "It may not be pretty, but it's mine!"

Photographs are used with permission of owners and in accordance with federal law.

Follow knitnscribble on Twitter.

Republicans Target Women - Again (With Link to Emily's List Petition)

In another frontal assault on women, those sneaky little devils are at it again. "This week, the GOP House is considering H.R.3, a bill so restrictive it would limit a woman's access to reproductive care even when her life was in danger." Hearings begin tomorrow.

In an article for The Huffington Post by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and Sen. Richard Blumenthal:
 
The 2010 elections were about one thing: jobs. So what on earth is going on in the GOP-controlled House?

When John Boehner campaigned to become the Speaker, he promised a party and a chamber devoted to fiscal responsibility and economic growth. Then, he pulled a bait-and-switch on the American voters.

Far from creating jobs, the bills Republicans have brought to the floor of the House are focused on an entirely different agenda: taking away health care and opportunities for women and their families. First, they sought to overturn our nation's health care law - which would end guaranteed maternity care and once again allow insurance companies to discriminate based on gender.

This week, the GOP House is considering H.R.3, a bill so restrictive it would limit a woman's access to reproductive care even when her life was in danger.

We know a woman's right to make her own health decisions must be protected. But this is about even more than choice, this is about making sure women and families can get the care they need when they need it.

You probably recognize the Republican agenda as a radical departure from the days when they promised jobs. And you know their claims of "limited government" shouldn't include limits on our access to health care.

We're committed to stopping these dangerous measures if and when they reach the Senate. But we need your help.

We're both members of EMILY's List, an organization devoted to electing pro-choice Democratic women who will stand in the way of Republicans trying to limit the rights and opportunities of American families.

Today, we're asking you to join us by signing the EMILY's List petition telling Republicans you're not fooled by their bait-and-switch.

We're standing with EMILY's List, and we're standing together, because this is not only a women's issue.

When we talk about access to health care facilities and services, we're talking about the health and safety and stability of all American families.

It's what we're in the Senate to fight for. And we won't stand by and let Boehner's radical agenda carry the day.

Please join us in telling Republicans we won't let them roll back the clock on our rights and opportunities. Hearings on the appalling H.R. 3 begin tomorrow. Make your voice heard today.

Republican Women Help GOP Turn the Screws on Women Workers

Today Republican Senators Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins of Maine and Kay Bailey Hutchinson of Texas told their sistahs to just eat cake. A lone Democrat, Ben Nelson of Nebraska, followed their lead like a bird dog in heat.

All three, who had previously voted for the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act in 2009, joined the Good Old Boys We-Hate-Women Club to kill the Paycheck Fairness Act.

The Lilly Ledbetter Act removed the barriers blocking workers from seeking compensation from discriminatory pay practices. At the time, Snowe said, “This new law sends a clear message to the American people that this Congress is committed to these core principles and will continue to work in bipartisan fashion to break down the barriers of wage discrimination in our nation."

The Paycheck Fairness Act would have helped end discriminatory pay practices against women by making it easier for them to sue their employers.

"More than 45 years after passage of the Equal Pay Act, the pay gap shockingly persists with women still earning on average 77 cents to every man’s dollar. According to the National Women’s Law Center, 'This persistent pay gap translates to more than $10,000 in lost wages per year for the average female worker.”'The gap is even worse for women of color: African-American women earn 61 cents and Latinas earn 52 cents for every dollar a white non-Hispanic man earns."

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) called Wednesday's failure of the Senate to end debate on the Paycheck Fairness Act on a 58-41 vote, "outrageous" and "egregious."

"If we care about our country's future and we care about our children we will support fair pay," she said today on MSNBC. "I think it was a partisan vote I think it was egregious and it's just a sorry state of some people in Washington who put politics first and people last."



Think Progress reports, "Unsurprisingly, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which has a long record of opposing women’s rights urged Congress to vote against the act, as it did with Lilly Ledbetter in 2009."

The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) also opposed the bill. Keith Smith, director of Employment and Labor Policy for NAM, said, "Manufacturers are committed to fair pay in the workplace, but it is difficult to imagine a scenario in which this bill would not have led to lower wages and fewer jobs."

The failure of this bill to pass should be a wake-up call to all Republican women everywhere, especially single mothers who are having trouble just eking out a living. It should also be a wake-up call to Democratic women to get active in order to ensure that Republicans can't keep screwing them in the back. Obviously the Grand Old Party is more interested in playing politics than it is in making life just a little easier for the working woman.

In an update, President Obama "put out a strong statement slamming the Senate GOP for blocking the bill: "I am deeply disappointed that a minority of Senators have prevented the Paycheck Fairness Act from finally being brought up for a debate and receiving a vote. This bill passed in the House almost two years ago; today, it had 58 votes to move forward, the support of the majority of Senate, and the support of the majority of Americans. ... But a partisan minority of Senators blocked this commonsense law."

Women's Health Amendment Passes

After a three-day stalemate, the Senate voted 61 to 39 to approve an amendment to its health care bill. Insurance companies will be required to offer free mammograms and other preventative services for women.

Three Republicans - Olympia J. Snowe and Susan Collins, both of Maine, and David Vitter of Louisiana - voted in favor of the amendment. Two Independents also voted in favor. Two Democrats - Russ Feingold, Wisconsin, and Ben Nelson, Nebraska, opposed the proposal.

The Democrats’ legislation had already contained requirements that insurers cover a wide range of preventive care. The amendment, put forward by Senator Barbara Mikulski, Democrat of Maryland, goes further, mandating coverage for a broader package of services for women.

“The insurance companies take being a woman as a pre-existing condition,” Ms. Mikulski said. “We face so many issues and hurdles. We can’t get health care. We can’t get health insurance because of pre-existing conditions called a C-section.”

She added, “My amendment offers key preventive services, including an annual women’s health screening that would go to a comprehensive assessment, including the dangers to women in heart disease and in diabetes.”

H.S. Girl Can't Wear Tux in Yearbook

Way down in southwestern Mississippii, Ceara Sturgis makes no bones about being a lesbian. Everyone at her Wesson Attendance Center knows the 17-year old honor student, trumpet player and goalie on the girls' soccer team is gay.

Sturgis had her senior photograph taken last summer. When she submitted it for publication, school officials balked. No way is a girl going to wear anything other than a "drape." It's the same kind of garment women have been wearing in senior pictures since about 1901. Well, except for those institutions of learning which have chosen to move forward with the times. Broaden the mind and not the butt kind of thing.

Sturgis doesn't even own a dress -- certainly not a drape. So, it was only natural that she decided to wear a tux. She just wanted to express herself. "All I want is to be able to be me, and to be included in the yearbook."

The ACLU has given the school until Oct. 23 to respond before taking court action. Director Kristy L. Bennett said the teenager's constitutional rights are being violated and cited similar cases in other states which have been successfully challenged in court.

Insurance Companies Discriminate Against Women

It should come as no surprise that a recent study by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) found that women are frequently discriminated against by insurance companies. Among the hard cold facts:

A 22- year-old woman can be charged one and a half times the premium of a 22-year-old man.

Many insurers also consider pregnancy and Cesarean sections a pre-existing condition.

52% of women reported trouble accessing needed health care because of cost, versus only 39% of men.

27% of employed women work part time and are thus excluded from their employers' health insurance plan, versus only 13% of men.

Women's Sufferage

Chapter five in National Review columnist John Derbyshire's new book is entitled "The Case Against Women's Sufferage." In an interview with radio host Thom Hartmann, Derbyshire claims the logic of that chapter rests on the "proposition that women voting is bad for conservatism, and as a conservative, of course, I think that's bad for society."

Compliments of Think Progress:

Women with Cancer: Beware of False Claims from GOP Supporters

This has just been published by the reliable and respected factcheck.org. Please link to it and read the entire analysis, especially if you are a woman and most especially if you have cancer. The right knows no bounds and has no integrity. They are using "misleading" information and fear tactics in order to stop health care reform. But we already know that, don't we?

A conservative group with Republican ties called the Independent Women’s Forum is airing an ad that says “300,000 American women with breast cancer might have died” if our health care were “government run” like England’s, citing the American Cancer Society as a source for the figure. In fact, a spokesman for the cancer society’s advocacy arm says that figure is “not reliable” and adds: “[I]t’s not one that we have ever cited; it’s not one that we would ever cite.” Furthermore, an epidemiologist with the cancer society told us that the way this figure was calculated was “really faulty.”

In addition:

The ad uses outdated survival rate statistics. More recent numbers show England’s survival rate to be  closing the gap with that of the United States.

Experts with the American Cancer Society and the National Cancer Institute told us thatmortalityrates provide a much more accurate comparison. And the mortality rates for breast cancer for the two countries are similar.

And of course, nothing like England’s system is being considered currently by either house of Congress anyway, as we’ve often pointed out. We judge this ad’s main insinuation to be a false appeal to women’s fears.