Ms. Magazine Launches Women's Petition on Abortion, Birth Control

[EarlG]

For your information. Received via email.

PRESS RELEASE

Ms. Magazine Launches Women's Petition on Abortion, Birth Control
Groundbreaking New Petition Will Put a Face on the Abortion Issue

Arlington, VA - Ms. magazine has launched a groundbreaking new petition to make visible the millions of women in the United States who have had abortions.

"We must put a human face on the abortion issue," said Katherine Spillar, executive editor of Ms. magazine. "Ms. calls on women who have had abortions to step forward publicly by signing our petition, which we will send to Congress, the White House, and state legislators. Politicians need to know that their decisions affect their neighbors, their colleagues, influential movers and shakers, and even their own daughters. For the sake of women in the United States and around the world, we cannot lose the right to safe and accessible abortion and access to birth control."

The "Women's Petition for Safe, Legal, and Accessible Abortion and Birth Control" is based on the petition that ran in the 1972 debut issue of Ms., in which 53 prominent American women, such as Ms. co-founder Gloria Steinem, publicly declared that they had undergone abortions before the procedure was legal. These women called for the repeal of anti-abortion laws in the United States to end the "untold suffering" and deaths of women who were forced to have unsafe, illegal, back-alley abortions.

Today, the new Ms. petition comes at a time when the South Dakota legislature has voted to ban abortion, and nearly a dozen states have moved similar abortion bans forward. If Roe v. Wade were overturned by the Supreme Court, 17 states would immediately outlaw abortion based on trigger laws or pre-Roe bans still on the books, and another dozen would soon follow. Already, each year, some 70,000 women in developing countries are dying because of botched, illegal abortions, caused in part by U.S. policies such as the Global Gag Rule.

The petition will be printed in the Fall issue of Ms., which hits newsstands October 10, and online at www.MsMagazine.com.

For more information or to read the full petition, visit www.MsMagazine.com.

[antigone382]

1. This is wonderful.

I've never needed an abortion myself, but I know lots of women who have. It's time for the shame to end.

[Karenina]

2. It's telling that THIS is what is required

to get a private, health care, family decision to remain PRIVATE. I. JUST. DON'T. GET. IT. This planet is overpopulated and the LAST THING we need is children who are unwanted being born onto it. It's a no-brainer, much like nuclear power. We cannot properly manage the waste so THAT ALONE "should" preclude its use. At least I THOUGHT SO as a 10 year-old way back in pre-historic times. ;-) Frankly, I think we're useless and destructive as a species and will not mourn our demise.

[Cha]

3. This is excellent! We have to do

"groundbreaking" maneuvers now to combat all the fascist propoganda coming from the white house through the corporate media and the faux christian propoganda coming though the corporate media from the zealots who don't mind lying to further their cause(whatever that may be..I'm thinking it's power and money).

[countryjake]

4. Tried to sign but....

it seems that a donation is also required. As I recall, that is not how the first petition worked.

Does anyone see a way at that petition page for signers to add their name without making a donation?

[lukasahero]

7. That's gotta be a glitch

They have a check box for if you want to make a donation (btw, it wouldn't hurt to do so...) and then require the card info. That's just bad programming. I'm going to email them about it. The donation is a great idea but the petition is even bettr. I'm sure they don't want to lose potential signatures over this.

[countryjake]

9. As a signer of other petitions, way back then,

I've been wondering why this hasn't been done again, with all of the attacks on women's rights flying at us.

I tried to sign it from this link, but it came back telling me that I needed to include my "card number" (I have no cards), even tho I did not check the "make a donation" box. I then closed out, deleted cookies, and tried again, but it did the same thing.

I can't even afford to donate to the charities I've always supported, anymore, things are harder than ever. I'd donate if I could, but there is truly not a penny to spare, anywhere.

The petition is needed, for us to make our voices heard, but they shouldn't assume that everyone who has had abortions in this world have suddenly become magically economically secure.

[lukasahero]

10. Sorry, I didn't mean to be snarky

and the "it wouldn't hurt" comment was simply rude (although, truly, it wasn't meant to be.)

Based on the way the page is designed/developed, I do believe the requirement is a programming glitch and have written them informing them of the error.

[countryjake]

11. Oh no, I didn't take any snark from your post, at all...

but I sure hope this petition isn't riding on those donations...that would be a mistake I think, considering that so many of us have been held down and not being able to afford children is one aspect of the reasons we need reproductive rights, for all. Unless a failsafe method of birth control is invented, besides sterilization, there will always be instances of women needing to make such choices.

And thanks for emailing them...they will lose many signers if that glitch (hopefully it is one) isn't fixed!

[Tsiyu]

5. Givin' this one a kick

:kick:




Thanks for the heads up, EarlG

[Missy Vixen]

6. I haven't had an abortion, so evidently my signature's not needed

I would have been happy to sign as a woman who uses birth control, however.

Julie

[lukasahero]

8. There's a spot for you on the petition

"I have not had an abortion but I stand in solidarity..."

[Missy Vixen]

12. lukasahero, thank you so much

I'll be signing it and sending a donation as well.

Julie

[Raffi Ella]

13. .....

:kick:

[snot]

14. Direct link to sign petition:

https://msmagazine.com/donations/ms/womenspetition0725.asp

Read the options carefully to make sure you check the correct box.