The Alliance Defending Freedom is the group that overturned Roe v. Wade. And they’re clear on what they’re coming for next: Trans rights. Gay rights. The separation of church and state. Secularism. Anti-discrimination laws. And contraception. The post They’re Coming for Birth Control appeared first on Ms. Magazine ..read more

Twenty-nine years ago, Congress passed the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), finally putting the full force of our federal government into efforts to stop domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking to help survivors. VAWA was transformative. In the years after it was enacted, domestic violence against adult women in the United States declined by more than 60 percent. The pandemic set us back, and there’s much more work to do. We will keep working to improve VAWA, and to support the Biden administration’s National Plan to End Gender-Based Violence: Strategies for Action, a ..read more

It'll only take us three more centuries to gain equality, because conservatives in the U.S., Iran and Afghanistan and elsewhere don't want equality at all. The last century has largely been a good one for women’s progress. But with every large step forward, we’ve seen backlash, and this is a global trend. The post Happy International Women’s Day? appeared first on Ms. Magazine ..read more

On Tuesday night, the U.S. Senate passed the Respect for Marriage Act, which protects same-sex and interracial marriages. In a statement, President Biden said the vote reaffirmed “a fundamental truth: Love is love, and Americans should have the right to marry the person they love.” RMA needed just 60 votes—including 10 Republican votes—to break a filibuster and pass. In the end, RMA, which was led by Sens. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Rob Portman (R-Ohio), Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), passed by a vote of 61 to 36, with 12 Republicans voting with their ..read more

Feminist movements around the world hold answers to some of the U.S.’s most intractable problems. Ms. Global is taking note of feminists worldwide. This week: news from Iran, Jordan, Brazil, San Marino, Italy, and more. The post Ms. Global: Protests in Iran; Malta Offers Free Gender-Affirming Surgery; San Marino Legalizes Abortion appeared first on Ms. Magazine ..read more

Dobbs sets a frightening precedent for the future of LGBTQ rights. Yet, we cannot lose sight that LGBTQ people—including women, transgender men, nonbinary people, and anyone able to become pregnant—are already in grave danger, right now. The post Abortion Restrictions Harm LGBTQ People Now appeared first on Ms. Magazine ..read more

U.S. patriarchal authoritarianism is on the rise, and democracy is on the decline. But day after day, we stay vigilant in our goals to dismantle patriarchy at every turn. The fight is far from over. We are watching, and we refuse to go back. This week: State lawmakers come for abortion providers; Texas sues the Biden administration over HHS guidance; more than a dozen House Democrats get arrested at an abortion rights rally; The House passes landmark legislation; and more. The post War on Women Report: Indiana AG Goes After Dr. Caitlin Bernard, ‘Paints Providers With Violent Lies’; Pro-Abortio ..read more

In every issue of Ms., we track research on our progress in the fight for equality, catalogue can’t-miss quotes from feminist voices and keep tabs on the feminist movement's many milestones. We're Keeping Score online, too—in in this biweekly round-up. This week: Activists fear the Supreme Court will come after same-sex and interracial marriage next; House passes bill protecting same-sex marriage, requests testimony from major gun manufacturers; Biden administration challenges states on enforcement of abortion bans; women participate in the Tour de France after 33 years; and more. The pos ..read more

The U.S. House of Representatives passed two landmark pieces of legislation: the Respect for Marriage Act, which would grant federal recognition of both same-sex and interracial marriages, and the Right To Contraception Act, would establish a right in federal law for individuals to obtain and use contraceptives. Democratic leaders say both bills are a direct response Justice Clarence Thomas' concurring opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson which called on the Court to “reconsider” past rulings codifying rights to contraception access, same-sex relationships and same-sex marriage. The post Bills to Defen ..read more

Focusing on other consequences of overturning of Roe v. Wade makes us forget that the Supreme Court's decision is really about misogyny. The post U.S. Culture Is So Deeply Patriarchal, We Can’t Even Admit Overturning Roe Is About Women appeared first on Ms. Magazine ..read more