women’s rights

6 posts

Whose Streets? Our streets! Ovarian Psycos’ Clitoral Mass in Los Angeles

“Whose streets? Our streets!” was one of the chants repeated Saturday night by organizers of the Los Angeles edition of Clitoral Mass. The ride’s official start time was 5:00 pm from Watts Towers in South Los Angeles, and would take the women and women-identified cyclists throughout Los Angeles, traveling north through downtown Los Angeles, and east into Pasadena, Highland Park and Boyle Heights. Continue reading

The Best Signs from Austin Stand with Texas Women Event

Crowds estimated between 5000 (Planned Parenthood) and 10,000 (MoveOn.Org) gathered Monday on the South Side of the Capitol Building in Austin, TX to Stand With Texas Women. Dressed in burnt orange, the unruly mob filled the lawn for several hours listening to politicians, musicians, clergy, and leaders of the Pro-Choice movement.

A broad range of people attended the rally — more women than men; lots of children and infants; several pregnant women; fewer people of color than I hoped. Contrary to reports from Republicans, the protesters were from Texas. People came from all over the state, based on conversations with those standing around us, in bus and car loads. There was a positive, energized vibe despite the heightened police presence.  The rally organizers planned thoughtfully, providing kid-friendly areas, free cold water, and for a short time, electronic charging stations. Certainly the unusually comfortable weather and cool breezes helped.

As expected, the signs were witty, pointed, crass, and spot-on. Continue reading

The GOP Keeps Talking About Rape, Proves How Little They Care

You just have to wonder what the GOP endgame is here. Is it that rape/abortion has become such a big ditch that they are compelled to keep digging with hopes on settling on the right answer, but (double drat!) what they’ve ended up with is such a continuing cycle of ignorance, offensiveness, and smug assholery that they’ve really got no clue how to stop looking for the saving grace as desperation sets in? It would sure seem that way. Continue reading

I’m the Product of Rape and I’m Pro-Choice

This post was written by a member of the Crasstalk community who wished to remain anonymous. It originally ran on July 18th, but due to recent events, we thought it deserved another look. 

Originally posted August 22, 2012

To get to the point, I am a product of a rape. I didn’t discover this juicy little factoid until I was well into my thirties. My mother, bless her heart, had spent her entire life telling me a lie, and she had been telling me this lie for so long I think she actually began to believe it. She began to have migraines when she got older and the doctors gave her a variety of medicines for relief. One of her medications acted like sort of a truth serum, and the ugly truth spilled out in a phone conversation that ended up with me being pretty freaked out. Continue reading