Grassroots stories, action items, state and national politics, and the odd bit of feminist philosophizin' from the women of Texas NOW. Every issue is a woman's issue - we talk about why and how.
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NOW's national office has started an Equal Marriage Story Bank. It's a lovely collection of stories from same-sex couples and allies - even some that talk about the ceremonies. I am a huge sap, so I'm all 'awwww...' Sniffle.
Got a great story? C'mon, share with the group.
As we wind up Pride Month, I want to share some of my favorite queer reads of the month:
Also, some queer blogs I recommend:
I'm officially rolling my eyes and saying I told you so. If you're one of those folks who didn't see how last year's amendment banning same-sex marriage affected people who aren't LGBT or why it's a feminist issue, here's one very compelling reason: when the state gets its fingers into defining the details of marriage, it can get in the way of prosecuting domestic abusers. Ohio's Third Circuit Court of Appeals struck a state domestic violence statute because, according to Ms.,
...it created a relationship between unmarried individuals living together for the purposes of prosecuting domestic violence offenders.
Without the protection of the statute, the punishment for domestic violence is lowered from a felony to a misdemeanor. This change leaves unmarried women increasingly vulnerable to physical abuse from their partners. A majority of victims of domestic violence are unmarried, according to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
So in Ohio, if your boyfriend or girlfriend beats you up, it's just assault. Still a crime, right? Yes. But when we don't define those assaults as domestic violence, it's harder for survivors to access the services they need, tougher to get restraining orders to protect themselves and their kids, and less likely they'll get their hearings scheduled more quickly - pretty important when you're talking about having a safe place to live.
Let's remember to connect the dots and stand up for the rights of all women. I've said it before, I'll say it again. We have to stand together, or we fall apart.