War on Women Rally April 28, 2012 Austin, TX

Today was the War on Women Rally. Jessica made a good point that it was a little anti-climactic. Unfortunately I too have been to a lot of these rallies and I had urges to leave early several times at this event. It was great to see SO MANY people out and from so many parts of Texas, but when you live in Austin and go to these rallies all the time it is kind of... same ol' same ol'. (I'm THRILLED so many people got involved. I can only hope that they will trek to the polls to make their voices heard where it REALLY COUNTS!) Anyway, there are ALWAYS great signs to be had, I got a picture with Dawnna Dukes, I signed some people up for Planned Parenthood's mailing list, did some voter registration, and signed a petition against new outrageous abortion reporting in Texas, so I'd still say it was a success!

Kathy Miller, president of Texas Freedom Network

Dawnna Dukes! She gave a shorter rendition of the speech below- truly inspiring.

Representative Dukes and me... SHERO

(Governor Jan Brewer Signs Arizona's Extreme New Abortion Law)

Voices for Reproductive Justice GYT Pub Crawl

Voices for Reproductive Justice hosted our first social event last night! The Get Yourself Tested Pub Crawl consisted of food, drinks, condoms, and spreading the word on getting yourself tested. We had tons of fun, and sincerely appreciate everyone's participation! 

Haley making SWAG BAGS before the event.

SWAG BAG (minus the condoms we passed out)! 

me, Dru, Haley: before the event... I get too excited sometimes.

Pizza from East Side Pies- delish.

Lots of Healthy Sexuality Peer Educators, Texas Freedom Networkers, Public Health students, and Social Work students in this group!

Walking to Rio Rita

Hanging out at Rio Rita

Rio Rita made VRJ a special ginger cocktail called "The Second Thought"- YUM!

Social Workers! Alexa, me, Haley, Candace

VRJ Exec Board: Liz, Haley, me, Megan

Special thanks to MEGAN for getting Rio Rita, Cheer Up Charlies, and Volstead on board. We couldn't have done it without you!

Be on the look out for more VRJ events in the near future!

Before you go...

THE WAR ON WOMEN RALLY IS UPON US! IT'S TODAY AT 4PM ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE CAPITOL. GET OFF THE INTERNET; I'LL MEET YOU IN THE STREET!

Rally Info

Austin 10/20, TFN Leadership Training, Lilith Fund Bowl-a-Thon, After Work Activism Group

Austin 10/20


This morning, bright and early, Social Work Council volunteered at the Austin 10/20 marathon. Our group helped unpack medals for the runners at the finish line. I only got to stay for about an hour and a half, but I did see the first 10 runners cross the finish line. Pretty exciting! I think Social Work Council should sign up for a race and train together (okay, maybe I just want/NEED a workout buddy/something to work out for.) COME ON, SWC!

TFN Leadership Training


I left volunteering at the marathon to go to The Texas Freedom Network's Leadership Training. I only got to stay for the first half, but it was extremely informative. They also provided binders full of information about civic engagement that I look forward to reading. THANK YOU, TFN!

Austin Chapter and Texas State Chapter Presidents 

Lilith Fund Bowl-a-Thon
I left the TFN training early to attend the Lilith Fund's Bowl-a-Thon! This was the big event I have been fundraising for the past several weeks. Thank you to everyone who donated. We had a rock star fundraiser on our team, but I am still inspired that I was able to raise $500 with your help! Thank you so much. (Our team raised over $3,500!)

This event was a blast. I got to chat with my favorite blogger, I met some of my thus far anonomyous Twitter friends, and I caught up with the Social Worker from Whole Woman's Health. Plus, I broke 100 when I bowled, woo hoo! I also left this event early to finish a paper, but I still had a great time!

Team OCCUPY BALL STREET

Part of the participants in the Lilith Fund Bowl-a-Thon Fundraiser

After Work Activism

Later in the evening I attended a focus group for some of my classmates Social Justice project. Their idea was to create an "After Work Activism" group for students who work and cannot participate in many activist events because of conflicts in their schedule.

We talked about some of our interests: the two that were repeated consistently were women's rights and education.

I'm so happy there was group consensus to focus our efforts on education. While I am very passionate about women's rights and reproductive health, I have been yearning to learn about a new social justice issue.

At the TFN training, I learned about the State Board of Education, an organization I'm still not very familiar with. All I know for sure is that they are a small group that holds a lot of unbalanced and unchecked authority- and that the 10 year re-election of this board is upcoming.

And so that's the group. We will pursue knowledge about the candidates for the board and help spread awareness. Because it is an After Work Activism group, the main goal will simply be to spread awareness through social media.

I am hoping to have the time to do enough research to write an op-ed on this topic, and of course share it here.

Interested? You do not have to be a UT student. This is a community group, not a student group. Check it out: After Work Activism Facebook Group

I am hoping to do more ground work on this issue with TFN, but if you don't have time for that, please heavily consider joining the new community group that can easily be worked into a busy schedule. The main focus is awareness, so even if you can't contribute, you should still join to learn and help make a positive change in your community (and state... and nation! REALLY!) just by being informed and VOTING.
SBOE District Map
Texas Tribune SBOE Election Bracket

Public Health Week, Empowerment Week, Take Back the Night, FD of the Year, VRJ Update, White House Forum, Lilith Fund

Public Health Week

me, Liz

Voices for Reproductive Justice helped table on Monday for Public Health Week. Several organizations tabled at this event. Students were to receive information from five tables of their choice and have representatives from those tables sign off. Then they got to make their own free t-shirt. Liz tabled for most of this, but it was a lot of fun for the short time I was able to help!

Don't worry if you didn't get to see this sweet birth control poster in person; VRJ will be toting it around whenever we table.

Social Work Council's 2nd Annual Empowerment Week


Social Work Council's 2nd Annual Empowerment Week was a huge success! We scheduled Gregory Plaza for four hours on Tuesday and Wednesday, but we handed out all of our goodies in just two hours each day.

Ana, Meredith, me, Angelica, Haley, and Krista on Day 1

Special thanks to Denise for painting our a-frame! I am bummed I didn't get a picture of Denise and Augie tabling on Day 2, but THANK YOU!

And another special thanks to ResistAttack for donating pepper spray, C.A.R.E program for donating female condoms and dental dams, Planned Parenthood/Voices for Reproductive Justice for donating male condoms, UT's Alcohol and Drug Peer Educators for handing out t-shirts and literature on knowing your limit, and UT's Senate of College Councils for funding our t-shirts. 

I can't wait to put this event on next year. Thank you Social Work Council for donating your time and for all of your hard work.

Take Back the Night


I attended my first Take Back the Night on Tuesday. What a powerful experience. Voices Against Violence did a great job coordinating this event. I don't think I would do the event any justice by recapping it in a blog. All I can do is highly encourage you to attend next year.

Angelica, Ruth, Krista, me, and Haley

UT's Senate Financial Director of the Year


Well, the second Senate General Assembly I miss all year, and I am awarded Financial Director of the Year! I really did not think there was a shot in hell I would be nominated by my fellow FD's for this honorable award. When I knew I couldn't attend, I sent Bhargav (the Senate FD) an e-mail asking him to congratulate the winner. The next morning I received this e-mail:

SO STOKED. I went to pick up my award on Friday. 

me, Bhargav

Thank you Bhargav and Carisa for not only giving me a certificate, but a special inspirational photo that I can keep forever. 

Voices for Reproductive Justice


Voices for Reproductive Justice will be tabling on Gregory Plaza this Tuesday, April 10th. Please drop by  for free condom goodie bags, to register to vote, and/or to sign up for our org!

VRJ is also in the works of setting up a pub crawl for the end of April. We will be promoting free STI testing taking place at Planned Parenthood clinics on April 30th.


White House Forum


I received another exciting piece of news this week: I was accepted to the White House Young American Series hosted at UT this Tuesday, April 10th! If you didn't apply but are interested, the event will be live streaming. I don't believe the link has been released yet, but I will post it here as soon as I find out.

Lilith Fund Bowl-a-Thon Fundraiser


If you've been following my blog, you know my original goal for this fundraiser was $100. But with your help, I've raised $486!!! Please help me hit the $500 mark- I only need $14 more! DONATE HERE.

Here's a little more about Lilith - the fund has been around for 10 years.  Its first challenge was to raise $10,000 to begin assisting low-income folks with abortion funding.  Last year, Lilith gave away $80,000 to over 1,000 patients - so the average grant is around $75.  Once clients have an appointment with a clinic and know how much money they need, they call the hotline.  A volunteer responds to their call, provides financial counseling, and ultimately determines the amount of money they can grant to the client.  They work with clinics across Texas from El Paso to Beaumont, as far north as Killeen and south into the RGV.  The TEA Fund is Lilith's "sister" fund for North Texas. 


Other Links

"Like" UT Social Work Council

"Like" UT Voices for Reproductive Justice

RSVP to the War on Women Rally April 28th at the Capitol.

Check out the We Are Women March website.

Follow me on Twitter

SOCIAL WORK COUNCIL'S EMPOWERMENT WEEK!

I've been working tirelessly along with my peers to bring UT a great Social Work Council Empowerment Week!

Join us on Gregory Plaza Tuesday, April 3rd, and Wednesday, April 4th from 10am-2pm for Empowerment Week. Both days will include the same events. This year, SWC's Empowerment Week focuses on Safety: Personal, Sexual, and Alcohol. Free t-shirts at the event! Personal Safety: ResistAttack has donated 100 pepper sprays that we will be giving out for free. Around 90% of sexual assaults occur between people that know each other. Although pepper spray cannot change the intent of an attacker, it is our hope that carrying this bottle will empower you. Being attacked is NEVER your fault. To speak with someone about relationship violence, sexual violence, or stalking anonymously, call UT 24-hour Telephone Counseling at 512-471-2255 or go to the Counseling and Mental Health Center on the 5th floor of the Student Services Building (SSB). If we are out of pepper spray when you drop by, please visit our personal fundraising page through ResistAttack to purchase your own. 25% of the proceeds will go towards Social Work Council's mission to empower UT students. If you don't want to purchase anything, you can still make a donation by clicking the "Donate" button. Sexual Safety: UT's Voices for Reproductive Justice teams up with SWC to hand out condom goodie bags. Special thanks to C.A.R.E. Program for donating female condoms and dental dams! Come out to learn more about how female condoms can work for you and your partner.

Learn more about female condoms by watching this video!

Alcohol Safety: UT's Alcohol and Drug Peer Educators join us on April 3rd to distribute free t-shirts and literature on knowing your limit. The literature will be available both days.

Special thanks to UT Senate of College Councils.

Other Links

"Like" UT Social Work Council

"Like" UT Voices for Reproductive Justice

"Like" ResistAttack


"Like" UT HealthyHorns

"Like" UT Senate of College Councils


Follow me on Twitter

Op-Ed: Texas Loses The Medicaid Women’s Health Program Over Politics

            Rick Perry made a big mistake when he denied Federal Medicaid funding for the Women’s Health Program to make a political statement over abortion.

            The Women’s Health Program (WHP) is a Medicaid program that provides low-income Texas women with annual pap-smears, STI testing, contraceptives, and diabetes screenings among other preventative care.

            At the beginning of the year, Texas state governor Rick Perry decided to make an executive order denying abortion affiliates from receiving federal Medicaid funding for the WHP. He made an exemption for hospitals, meaning that the only affiliate being excluded was, can you guess? Planned Parenthood.

            Texas’ new law explicitly disregards federal Medicaid law that requires women be able to choose any medical provider that is qualified to perform services covered under the WHP.

            Excluding Planned Parenthood from the WHP because they are an abortion affiliate is nonsensical; to qualify for WHP you have to be between the ages of 18 and 44 and importantly, not pregnant. Under the Hyde Amendment, no state or federal money has helped pay for abortions since 1976.

            The Medicaid Women’s Health Program is 90% funded by the federal government- for every $1 Texas invests the feds give us $9. Texas is denying nearly $35 million dollars in federal funding for preventative care for women. Texas pays about $1.3 billion annually for unintended pregnancies, the highest price tag in America except for California whom we are tied with for first place.

            Rick Perry has promised that the state of Texas will cover the funds we will lose by the implementation of the new law. This notion is interesting, because last legislative session, Texas cut preventative care funding from $111 million down to just $38 million when facing a devastating budget crisis. This resulted in nearly 300,000 women losing access to care. By implementation of the new executive order denying abortion affiliates (wait, just Planned Parenthood) from receiving funding, an additional 130,000 women will lose care.

            Rick Perry’s argument has been that Planned Parenthood makes up only 2% of WHP providers. This is true, but they also provide a whopping 44% of the services. A lot of Texas doctors cannot cover Medicaid services, because they get a much higher reimbursement from private insurance companies. Doctors literally cannot afford to accept Medicaid.  Without Planned Parenthood, the WHP will not have the capacity to operate. Jose Camacho, the executive director of the Texas Association of Community Health Centers has said there is no way the remaining health centers that have suffered budget cuts will be able to build the capacity quickly enough to continue care for the 130,000 women who rely on Planned Parenthood for their annual exams and other preventative services.

            A reporter asked the governor what Texas would do if Texas could come up with the money, but providers still could not cover the services. Perry’s response was, “Well, I don’t live in what ifs.” That sounds like an extremely illogical argument, and a dangerous one. I for one am fond of back up plans when it comes to health care for 130,000 Texas women.

            Kay Bailey Hutchison, another staunchly pro-life Texas representative, has actually dissented against Rick Perry’s choice to reject federal funding, a move that surprised Planned Parenthood and its supporters. Someone with political will in Texas knows that the Women’s Health Program in no way funds abortions, because you can’t be pregnant and receive services from the program! There is hope for Texas.

            It is important for Texas’ governor to sit down at the table with the federal government, and decide how to resolve this issue. One in four Texas women lack health insurance, and Texas has the third highest rate of cervical cancer in the nation. Texas cannot afford to reject money for preventative health care for low-income Texas women.

Doonesbury Comics, Rick Perry, and Fundraising

Doonesbury Comic Strips

GOP War on Women

CALL TO ACTION
PLEASE take 2 minutes out of your life to call Rick Perry's Opinion Hotline at 1-800-252-9600. Don't know what to say? I made a little script for my call that I'm happy to share.

Governor Perry,

My name is ___________ and I'm from ___________, Texas. I am calling in regards to the defunding of the Medicaid Women's Health Program. Texas is about to reject 35 million dollars in federal funds for preventative care because YOU don't want Planned Parenthood to receive any money. Medicaid law requires that patients have the right to choose their provider. We both know that Texas does not have the 35 million to cover the lost federal funds like you have promised. It is also evident that Medicaid providers can not handle the influx of 44% of the program's patients that will lose access when Planned Parenthood is excluded. Please reconsider your decision to defund the Women's Health Program.

Lilith Fund Bowl-a-Thon

Like what I'm doing and want to support? Please consider making a donation to my Lilith Fund Bowl-a-Thon Fundraiser. By raising money, I am filling a vital health care gap by helping women pay for abortion care, emergency contraception, options counseling, child care during abortion procedures, and transportation costs to clinics. I'm supporting our community members when they need me the most.

Here's a little more about Lilith - the fund has been around for 10 years.  Its first challenge was to raise $10,000 to begin assisting low-income folks with abortion funding.  Last year, Lilith gave away $80,000 to over 1,000 patients - so the average grant is around $75.  Once clients have an appointment with a clinic and know how much money they need, they call the hotline.  A volunteer responds to their call, provides financial counseling, and ultimately determines the amount of money they can grant to the client.  They work with clinics across Texas from El Paso to Beaumont, as far north as Killeen and south into the RGV.  The TEA Fund is Lilith's "sister" fund for North Texas.  

My goal as of now is $100, but I'd love to blow that out of the water. PLEASE MAKE A DONATION! 

Other Links

Tell Governor Perry: Don't Mess with Texas Women. Sign the petition!

RSVP to the War on Women Rally April 28th at the Capitol.

Check out the We Are Women March website.

Jezebel: Idaho Bill Requires Women to Go to CPCs Before Getting Abortions

Texas Observer: The Right Not to Know

Joyce Arthur: The Only Moral Abortion is My Abortion

Jezebel: Single Women Are Becoming the Evangelicals of the Democratic Party

Ashley Judd on Family Planning and Contraception 

Learn more about Rick Santorum's views via Huffington Post.

Please "Like" the Voices for Reproductive Justice Facebook page!

Follow me on Twitter!

Seeing Red Rally and Planned Parenthood's Final Bus Tour Stop March 13, 2012

CALL TO ACTION
PLEASE take 2 minutes out of your life to call Rick Perry's Opinion Hotline at 1-800-252-9600. Don't know what to say? I made a little script for my call that I'm happy to share.

Governor Perry,

My name is ___________ and I'm from ___________, Texas. I am calling in regards to the defunding of the Medicaid Women's Health Program. Texas is about to reject 35 million dollars in federal funds for preventative care because YOU don't want Planned Parenthood to receive any money. Medicaid law requires that patients have the right to choose their provider. We both know that Texas does not have the 35 million to cover the lost federal funds like you have promised. It is also evident that Medicaid providers can not handle the influx of 44% of the program's patients that will lose access when Planned Parenthood is excluded. Please reconsider your decision to defund the Women's Health Program.


Seeing Red Rally
This weeks Seeing Red Rally was way bigger!

The best part of rallies are the signs, and really they explain what's happening better than any summary I could come up with.

Second-wave sign

VRJ Prez, Liz

Rocking the "controversial" Doonesbury comics. (Has anyone been paying attention? If people are offended by the comics, why aren't they offended by the LAWS?)

YOUNG PEOPLE, YAY!

"Rhymes for the win," as this nice young lady says.

#winning

My mom says the same thing.

Please, and thank you.

Right? How is denying access to preventative/life saving health care pro-life?

"Roll over Rick Perry, we gotta probe for you."

I would have opted not to post this picture if I didn't see that little girl smiling and banging pans later. I think her pissed off face adds a little something special. DON'T MESS WITH MY MOM!

The last amazing thing that happened at this rally is I met the mysterious author of the Keep Your Boehner Out Of My Uterus! This blog is fantastic, and I highly recommend it as a regular read. 

Planned Parenthood Final Bus Tour Stop

This is what I saw when I came back to The Capitol later.

Liz and I held this sign through the rally.

"I'M MAD AS HELL!"

Let me just say, Representative Dawna Dukes is my new hero. By far the best speech of the night.

Liz and me after the rally.

KVUE News Report on Planned Parenthood's Final Bus Tour Stop.

Texas Tribune on What's Next for Texas' Women's Health Program.

Planned Parenthood's Bus Tour Tumblr.

The Texas Independent: Rule Excluding Planned Parenthood from Medicaid Program Takes Effect Today

Lilith Fund Bowl-a-Thon

Like what I'm doing and want to support? Please consider making a donation to my Lilith Fund Bowl-a-Thon Fundraiser. By raising money, I am filling a vital health care gap by helping women pay for abortion care, emergency contraception, options counseling, child care during abortion procedures, and transportation costs to clinics. I'm supporting our community members when they need me the most.

After interning at Whole Woman's Health, I am very aware of how helpful the Lilith Fund is. Their donations are made on a sliding income scale.

My goal as of now is $100, but I'd love to blow that out of the water. PLEASE MAKE A DONATION! Hugs will be aplenty. 

Other Links

Tell Governor Perry: Don't Mess with Texas Women. Sign the petition!

RSVP to the War on Women Rally April 28th at the Capitol.

Doonesbury Comic Strips about Texas abortion laws.

Donate to my abortion fundraiser. 

Jezebel: Hillary Clinton Urges Women Not to Take Any Shit

UT's Sexual Health Educator has an interview with CycleBeads.

Sir Richards: Sluts Unite

Please "Like" the Voices for Reproductive Justice Facebook page!

Follow me on twitter!