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We mourn his death and celebrate his life.  I'll write more in the next few days.

Meanwhile, join in the conversation at Daily Kos.

from On The Issues Magazine

Women on Waves, an organization that uses a ship to help women in countries where abortion is illegal, recently secured a major victory from the European Court of Human Rights. The court ruled in early February 2009 that Portugal violated Women on Waves' freedom of expression when it ordered two warships to blockade the boat's entry into the Portuguese harbor in 2004.

Women on Waves is a Dutch organization led by Dr. Rebecca Gomperts. Its ship sails to countries where abortion is illegal and transports women to international waters, 12 miles off the coast, where national laws do not apply and it is legal to provide safe medical abortions.

Of the five missions sailed in the past decade, Portugal was arguably the most successful because enough momentum was generated during the heated campaign to sway voters on shore to liberalize the abortion law. Abortion within the first 10 weeks of pregnancy has since been legalized in Portugal. This latest triumph in the courts suggests that Dr. Gomperts has identified a space of limitless potential in her use of the offshore, for both international abortion rights, and indeed for related struggles for social justice.

For example, in 2006, South Dakota Governor Mike Rounds signed a bill that would ban abortion in all instances, including rape and incest, an antediluvian condition presently in existence in only four countries on earth: Nicaragua, El Salvador, Malta, and Oman. His mission was to instigate a lawsuit that could potentially challenge Roe v. Wade in a conservatively stocked U.S.Supreme Court. Rather than sue, Planned Parenthood of South Dakota collected the signatures to refer the law to a ballot vote by the population under a referendum procedure in that state. While in debate, Cecilia Fire-Thunder, the first female chief of the Ogala Sioux tribe, announced that if the anti-abortion provision became law, she would build an abortion clinic on Sioux land -- land outside of the jurisdiction of state. She began gathering signatures and donations for the effort. The people of South Dakota voted against the referred law by a 55-44 margin. But in the interim, the Sioux removed Chief Fire Thunder from office, suggesting that her claim was outside of the limits of her authority. Her action was significant, however, in that she, like Gomperts, identified an "offshore" space that could be occupied and used as a legal platform from which to challenge law, using direct action.

Following suit, several provocative and revolutionary ideas arise. Could embassies of countries where abortion is legal provide RU-486 to residents in countries that prohibit its use? How subject to international navigation laws are intrastate rivers -- could a riverboat function similarly to Gomperts's ship? Could the same apply to rivers that cut through U.S. states like Mississippi, which has extensive restrictions on abortion access?

Pirate radio found its home in offshore havens, could similarly housed radio broadcasts be used to broadcast the accurate dosage of Cytotec, a drug frequently used in Latin American and other countries for self-abortion? If every abortion provider added an Internet abortion pill service to its website, would antiquated and dangerous laws be relegated into obscurity?

Dr. Gomperts innovative use of space, science, and especially law, has much to inspire a global activist community. The recent attention by the European Court opens Pandora's Box further by categorizing Portugal's action as a violation of the freedom of expression. With the codification of international human rights law still in its relative infancy, the question must be explored: where else might abortion rights fit into its codes?

February 18, 2009

Tonight on ABC News at 10 p.m. a program called "What Would You Do?" will air. The aim of the show is to measure the responses by real customers in a pharmacy waiting area who overhear an actress, playing a teen seeking birth control, being denied contraception by the actor pharmacist for "moral" reasons.

ABC News Senior White House Correspondent Jake Tapper interviewed the executive director of Nightlight Christian Adoptions, who facilitates the "adoption" of frozen embryos, and questioned why those against embryonic stem cell research are supportive of IVF technology when the majority of embryos used in the process do not result in a live birth.

Despite assumptions that Obama would place restrictions on embryonic stem cell research, limiting federal funding to cell lines made from discarded embryos at fertility clinics, the decision of what embryos will be used in research will largely be left to the National Institutes of Health: (via Washington Post).

Huffington Post writer Kirsten Moore responds to a column written by William Saletan which said that women need to take more responsibility in using contraception in order to prevent abortion, saying Saletan is pointing his finger at women and failing to compassionately understand why they need more education and a better sense of self-ownership.

Amanda Marcotte at Pandagon.com agrees, taking Saletan to task for an interview on Hardball with Chris Matthews, and arguing that his desire to lecture women about birth control is an attempt to find "common ground" with misogynistic conservatives who want to lecture women about sex in general.

Sex education advocate Shelby Knox writes about New York's lack of statewide standards that leaves sex education up to individual teachers, noting that the Healthy Teens Act would create a grant program to fund comprehensive sex education but may very well be vetoed by the governor due to dire financial straits: (via RH Reality Check).  

Today is National Woman and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day and groups are organizing in New York City in order to draw attention to the alarming rates of HIV among women in NYC, where 1 in 3 who have the disease are female and 90 percent of HIV-positive women are either Black or Latina: (via Newsday).

President Barack Obama has created a new post within the administration for an ambassador of international women's issues, and appointed Melanne Verveer to fill the position under Secretary of State Hillary Clinton: (via AP/Google).

The Australian government has decided to repeal their own version of the global gag rule, which prevented overseas aid from being used for abortion advice, and to allocate an additional $9.5 million for family planning services over the next four years: (via Reuters).

President Obama has lifted stringent restrictions on embryonic stem cell research put in place by the Bush administration, saying that his administration is working to "make scientific decisions based on facts, not ideology": (via NY Times).

Yesterday was International Women's Day and an opinion piece in USA Today written by a UN commissioner celebrates the ability of women to better themselves despite widespread discrimination.

Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) is pushing for the Senate to ratify the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), a treaty that was implemented by the U.N. in 1979 but never ratified by the U.S., though some liberals are wary of ratifying CEDAW if Republicans add too many restrictions: (via Chicago Tribune).

An RH Reality Check article highlights some of the sex-shaming and gender stereotype-reinforcing language included in taxpayer funded abstinence-only sex education.

The Georgia bill that would limit the number of embryos that can be created and implemented in IVF fertility treatment looks unlikely to reach a vote this legislative session, though a similar bill is expected to be reintroduced next year: (via AP/Augusta Chronicle).

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has appointed a former board member of Planned Parenthood of Alaska to the state Supreme Court: (via AP/Google).

On Friday, the Wicker amendment to strip United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) of $50 million of funding was defeated in the Senate 55 to 39: (via RH Reality Check).

(Apparently without my even knowing it, since I don't believe in me, Satan.)  :-)

Democrats boycotted an Arizona House Health and Human Services Committee meeting that endorsed a Republican-led measure that would require pre-abortion waiting periods, "mandatory disclosures", and strengthen parental rights laws, as well as allowing pharmacists to refuse to fill emergency contraception for personal reasons: (via KOLD.com).

A recently released study commissioned by the Texas Freedom Network found that 94 percent of Texas public school districts are teaching abstinence-only until marriage sex education that contains factual errors and misleading information about condoms and presents sex as shameful and immoral: (MySanAntonio.com).

The Pittsburg School District, which serves 31,000 students, voted 8 to 1 to expand their abstinence-only sex education to a comprehensive approach that will teach about contraception: (via MSNBC).

Cristina Page writes a tongue-in-cheek article on the Huffington Post about a hypothetical world where anti-abortion groups such as the Family Research Council admit their moral agenda to keep women from having sex with contraception trumps their dedication to abortion reduction.

In a 7 to 2 majority led by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg the Supreme Court ruled that criminals with a misdemeanor charge relating to domestic violence cannot legally possess firearms, a clarification for states that do not have specific misdemeanor charges for domestic violence: (via CNN.com).

An elementary school teacher in the Boston area has discussed the recent news of a domestic violence incident between pop stars Chris Brown and Rihanna with students and has noticed some disturbing truths about how the students view abusive relationships and engage in victim-blaming: (via The Boston Globe).

Republican state Senator Dave Schultheis from Colorado was the sole no vote on a bill that would require pregnant women to take HIV tests, unless they opt out, saying that HIV is caused by promiscuity and government should not remove the consequences of poor behavior, causing outrage by state Democrats: (via RH Reality Check).
Responding to the controversy over his statements the Senator said he hopes that babies are born with AIDS so that their mothers feel guilty about their actions and that people begin to see the negative consequences of promiscuity: (via Rocky Mountain News).

Jodi Jacobson of RH Reality Check disagrees with some of Saletan's points, namely that it is women's "cavalier attitudes" about sex and not restrictive access to birth control that is to blame for many unintended pregnancies.

A Spanish parliamentary committee approved a reform on the country's restrictive abortion laws, recommending that abortion be legalized for the first trimester to bring Spanish laws more in line with other European countries: (via The Telegraph).

A recently released Guttmacher Institute study estimates that currently 1.94 million unintended pregnancies are prevented each year through the use of publicly funded family planning services, noting that if these resources are cut unplanned pregnancy and abortion rates among low income women would nearly double: (via AP/Google).

Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe has signed legislation banning a certain procedure used in late-term abortions that includes an exception to save a woman's life, but does not include a health exception: (via Associated Press).

Obstetrician and medical geneticist Mark Evans writes in Newsweek on his professional opinion that selective reduction for women pregnant with multiples is often the best choice to ensure a healthy pregnancy and healthy babies.

A spray-on contraceptive for women that requires smaller doses of hormones which are absorbed through the skin on the arm is being tested by an Australian pharmaceutical company: (via WA Today.com).

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has returned to the bench only two and a half weeks after undergoing surgery for pancreatic cancer: (via Reuters).

Legislation passed in the Mississippi state House this week that will allow two school districts to teach comprehensive sex education in a pilot program, though the bill stipulates that abortion cannot be mentioned during the lessons: (via KSLA.com).

Syndicated columnist Bonnie Erbe is confident that President Obama will overturn the ban on embryonic stem cell research, and hopes that if diseases are cured and lives saved as a result, "pro-lifers will admit they were wrong" for opposing stem cell research: (via Seattle P-I).

A Washington Post article quotes one researcher as saying the scientific community is "waiting with bated breath" for President Obama to overturn the ban on embryonic stem cell research and is concerned that the executive order doing so is taking so long.

Obama advisers disclosed yesterday that Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius is the front-runner for HHS Secretary, though the vetting process is not yet completed. Sebelius is known for working well across party lines, though her record on choice is mixed: (via NY Times).

A Salon opinion piece discusses why Bristol Palin was much more compelling in her FOX interview than her mother and interviewer Greta Van Susteren, who attempted to take Bristol's personal story and turn it into an unrealistic and political message.

Glamour magazine interviewed eight women, who use their full names and photos, about their experience with abortion and how they came to make the decision to end their pregnancies, in an attempt to bring up a topic many are still uncomfortable discussing.

Another article answers commonly asked questions about abortion.

An article in Glamour magazine discusses the emotional side to experiencing abortion and outlines some resources and questions for women to ask when deciding if abortion is the right choice for them.

Former GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin responds to the email campaign launched last fall to donate to Planned Parenthood in her name, calling the move "political theater" that resulted in her receiving notes by the boxful thanking her for the donations, and more than a million dollars for Planned Parenthood: (via The Olympian).

Lawmakers in Arizona have introduced anti-choice legislation that would, among other anti-choice provisions, allow pharmacists to deny women emergency contraception based on "moral objections". Now that former pro-choice governor Janet Napolitano has gone to work for Obama and been replaced with an anti-choice Republican, anti-choice legislation is likely to pass and become law: (via Feminist.org).  

An opinion piece on RH Reality Checkoutlines why ultrasound laws are unnecessary and more importantly, patronizing and offensive in suggesting that women undergoing an abortion do not accurately understand what being pregnant means.  

In accordance with a recent FDA mandate, Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceutical has launched a $20 million ad campaign for its popular brand of birth control pills, Yaz, to clear up previous commercials which the FDA and 27 state attorneys general found overstated the benefits of the pill and downplayed possible health risks: (via NY Times).

The Congressional Caucus on Women's Issues reintroduced the Health Care for Women Resolution into both chambers of Congress yesterday. If passed, the resolution would make sure any national health care reform would explicitly include the needs of women: (via Feminist.org).

A new survey by YWCA and the National Women's Law Center finds that while Americans are still divided on abortion, the vast majority of self-identified Republicans and Independents want greater access and affordability for contraception and prefer that schools teach comprehensive sex education over abstinence-only education.

John Young, columnist for the Waco Herald-Tribune, writes about his excitement over the end of a heavily government subsidized abstinence-only era, hoping that by signing the repeal of the global gag rule President Obama has shown his commitment a common-sense approach to family planning and sex education: (via Seattle P-I).  

An article on Huffington Post addresses the protest of Senate Republicans over the $335 million in the stimulus package for disease control and prevention, including for STDs, and says that much of the money would go to floundering state health departments that need the resources in order to keep jobs and crucial programs.

An article by Amy Benfer on Salon.com discusses a recent Newsweek article on the compromises being struck between groups that support abortion rights and groups that oppose them, including legislation to help pregnant women, but also notes that legislation sponsored by anti-choice groups often leaves out reasonable approaches, such as increased contraception access.

In this week's provincial elections in Iraq, 4,000 women are seeking office and about 1/3 should be guaranteed a seat under an electoral quota system: (via CNN.com).

Tara Parker-Pope writes in the Health section of The New York Times about "the myth of rampant teenage promiscuity", saying that though the media encourages us to believe teenagers are engaging in more risky sexual behavior at younger ages the data actually shows the opposite.

An article on Beliefnet.com discusses why repealing the global gag rule can be viewed as a "pro-life" position since no U.S. funds will be paying for abortions, but the money will go towards saving the lives of women and children in the developing world.

After a CDC report showing Mississippi has the highest teen birth rate in country and rising STD rates, legislators are discussing introducing comprehensive sex education into schools' curriculum, though the move is drawing opposition from some Republican lawmakers: (via The Sun Herald).

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has launched a post card campaign to protest the Freedom of Choice Act by having parishioners send mail to legislators urging them to oppose the legislation, though the bill has been around for 20 years, only making it out of committee once, and does not appear to be a priority for the current session: (via The Times-Picayune).

The Minnesota man who drove his SUV into a Planned Parenthood clinic last Thursday has been charged with two felony counts of first-degree criminal damage to property. The driver seems to have been motivated by religious beliefs, but according to his mother also may suffer from mental health problems: (via The South Washington County Bulletin).