Category: Activism

Babe Weekly: Idaho abortion bill, RBG memorial, best & worst states for women, and more

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At Catcall, we’re all about turning catcalling on its head and calling out the patriarchy with stories that inspire the shes, theys and gays and highlight the work that needs to be done to dismantle systemic inequalities. We’re proud to bring you the Babe Weekly with the latest headlines, stories, and stats in feminist news.

The road to equality — progress and setbacks

Idaho House OKs legislation to defund abortion providers

On March 2, the Idaho House of Representatives approved legislation that, if passed by the Idaho Senate, would halt public funding to “abortion providers”  — that includes schools, public health departments and other health care providers that so much as tell a patient that abortion is an option. Read more here.

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Uzazi Village is nurturing Black mothers and birthing bodies, and fighting health inequities in Kansas City

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By Kelcie McKenney

Sandra Thornhill came to Uzazi Village in 2018 when she was pregnant with her son Jerren Junior. 

“That’s where I met the co-founder and CEO of Uzazi Village, Mama Hakima,” Thornhill said of Uzazi Executive Director Hakmia Tafunzi Payne. She had stopped by for a labor and delivery class and got to talking to Payne about where she wanted to give birth. At the time, Thornhill wanted to have a home birth, but felt like going to the hospital was easier. 

“But [Payne], being the true, authentic, warrior sister that she is, called me out,” Thornhill recalled. It turned into an hour long conversation about the autonomy of Thornhill’s body and that she had every right to determine how she wanted her birth to take place.

“Two years later, that has taken me on a journey to always question, ‘Am I being the most true and authentic?’” Thornhills said. “So after having my son, who is a boy, I realized that my first child would be a Black male. And looking at the climate of the existence and history of Black men in America—not only in America, because I’ve traveled internationally—and seeing how the Black male was treated, that made me realize I don’t want him to have to wait until he’s 27 or 28 to realize that your voice matters.”

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Trans Folx + Orgs You Should Support this Trans Day of Remembrance

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By Kelcie McKenney, Emily Park

On the last day of Transgender Awareness Week, we remember the trans lives who have been victims of transphobic violence. 2020 is the deadliest year on record for Transgender lives. Close to home, Nina Pop was killed in her Sikeston, Missouri, apartment in May. 

Know their names. Say their names. 

Today, Elle shared this comprehensive list of the names we must remember. But while we mourn and memorialize these trans lives, we wanted to remind you that support for trans lives doesn’t start after we’ve wrongly lost them. We need to support our transgender community now. So we put together this quick-list of trans folx and organizations to support right now. We know this list is nowhere near comprehensive or complete, so tell us the trans folx in you’re life who you’re supporting today and always.

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Who runs the world? All the womxn & LGBTQ+ running the U.S. after election day

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By Kelcie McKenney, Emily Park, and Jen Harris

After Tuesday’s election, the U.S. not only ended up with the first woman—and a half Black, half Indian woman at that—to hold the title of Vice President of the United States, but also with a record-breaking 134 womxn winning seats in the United States Congress.

New Mexico became the first state to elect all women of color to represent the state in the U.S. House of Representatives. Delaware voted in the first transgender member of the U.S. Senate. Republicans elected their first Native American woman to Congress, who will represent New Mexico. And those are just some of the wins for womxn on election day. 

These are the womxn behind historic firsts of Nov. 3’s election:

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Help the November election go smoothly in KC with early voting, poll work volunteering

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By Emily Park

The presidential election is now less than a month away, and local election boards across the United States are preparing to make assignments for the polls. 

In the months leading up to the election, experts have warned that COVID-19 could cause a deep shortage of volunteers to work the polls. A shortage of election workers forces counties to limit the number of available poll locations, and would likely cause longer lines at the polls for the Nov. 3 election day — which is already projected to have a record turnout.

This election is an important one. It’s not just about deciding whether Donald Trump or Joe Biden will be the US president for the next four years, or which senators and representatives will form the US Congress, or even which officials will take up state office. 

The election on Nov. 3 is about the future of not only our country but the world too. It’s about equality—for women, for people of all races and backgrounds, for the LGBTQ+ community,— it’s about the environment, the economy, the US response to COVID-19, and much, much more. So this is an election we especially want to see run smoothly, and there’s plenty you can do to help.

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