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Story Time: Reflections from the South Regional Conference

Repo Repro — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 17:09:04 +0000

Call it beginner’s luck: my first year in law school and the first-ever Law Students for Reproductive Justice South Regional conference just so happen to coincide, and for one fruitful day, my activist, academic, and professional worlds were temporarily united. The conference started with presentations by two women near and dear to my RJ-heart: Heidi Williamson of Sistersong and Tonya Williams of SPARK Reproductive Justice Now.

Anyone wondering about whether the RJ movement is alive and kicking in the south had their fears alleviated by the time these remarkable women finished speaking. Both Ms. Williamson and Dr. Williams did a fantastic job of explaining the concept of reproductive justice, and they did an even better job of explaining the significance the term has in the South, where reproductive justice work faces particular challenges. (more…)

RJ Events at Rutgers School of Law

Repo Repro — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:32:53 +0000

There are two events happening at Rutgers in March and in April that are directly related to reproductive justice and women’s rights worldwide. The first one is being hosted by the Rutgers Women’s Law Forum. It is a screening of Mrs. Goundo’s Daughter, which is a documentary about a woman’s struggle to obtain asylum in the American immigration system. If she is deported to Mali, she will have to bring her daughter with her, who would then be subject to Female Genital Mutilation, or excision. Approximately 90% of women and girls in Mali are subject to FGM, some as young as two days old, which can lead to infection, reproductive problems, and death. It is an ancient tradition, linked by some to Islam, that many people are fighting against in local communities, at the statewide level, and across the world. The movie Mrs. Goundo’s Daughter explores not only the cultural and social issues surrounding FGM in Mali, but also reviews the legal process by which Mrs. Goundo attempts to protect her daughter from FGM. (more…)

Sexual Violence against Native American Women and the Denial of Reproductive Healthcare Services

Repo Repro — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:25:06 +0000

As I sat in the audience at Friday’s symposium on “Law, Gender & Citizenship: Contemporary Issues for American Indians and American Immigrants,” I was shocked by what I learned about the endemic sexual violence perpetrated against Native American women in the United States. Data indicates that a minimum of one out of three Native American women has been the victim of sexual violence. One of the speakers shared that in conducting her research she had yet to talk with a Native American woman who had not been the victim of sexual violence. Research further shows that 80% of perpetrators of these crimes are non-Native American persons. High rates of women being violently sexually assaulted by men not of her ethnic or racial group, like this, are the type of statistics I have come to associate with war zones rather than common life experiences.

The violence perpetrated against Native American women, however, is only one of the many offenses carried out against them. The U.S. government under the responsibilities assigned to Indian Health Services (HIS) is responsible for providing all health care services Native American Indians. However, the U.S. government and IHS have failed to meet this mandate. Native American Indians must often travel long distances to reach health facilities whose services are limited. (more…)

Getting Inspired in Atlanta

Repo Repro — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 01:16:41 +0000

Last weekend I went to the posh city of Atlanta, GA and was greeted by the wonderful ladies of Georgia State University College of Law’s LSRJ chapter. I want send a special thank you to my host Sarah Scott…she WAS AWESOME!!!

The South Regional Conference discussed issues about human trafficking, Reproductive Justice Asylum cases and LGBT issues within Immigration Law.

I thank you for the wonderful panel of speakers from SisterSong, Alia El Sawi, Dazon Dixon Diallo, our very own Jill Adams just to name a few. These ladies brought knowledge and showed commitment to the LSRJ struggle.

I am truly excited about the work that needs to be done in the southern region! It is most comforting to know that there are committed men and women gaining a legal education and equipping ourselves with tools to adequately combat these issues.

Law school as we all know is hard, but it’s encouraging to know we share a common goal. I wish everyone a safe spring break and thank you for taking the time out to read this blog.

Jennifer Ngoie

Why am I the only 20-something in the room?

Repo Repro — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 23:17:44 +0000

On January 1, 2010, I began a three-year service on the Board of Directors of Planned Parenthood of San Diego and Riverside Counties. Last week, I experienced my first event as an official board member by attending the President’s Council Speaker Series at one of our local affiliates. I was one of the first to arrive, and since I am new to the board, I only knew a handful of people. However, I eventually found myself speaking with Dawn and Connie, two members of the community who feel incredibly committed to serving Planned Parenthood and its mission. They recounted how they worked as volunteers for Planned Parenthood when they were in college in the 70’s and now that they are retired, they are feeling an urge to volunteer again. These women were lovely to speak with; they were funny, intelligent, and passionate. And then Dawn said, “Now tell me, Jenn. Why are you the youngest person in this room? Why aren’t more people your age here?” I turned around and noticed that the reception area had filled with more than a hundred people in the time I had spent getting to know my new acquaintances . . . and they were right. Aside from the Planned Parenthood staff, I was the youngest guest in attendance—it was easy to tell that everyone else was from a completely different generation. And then it really hit me—why am I the only 20-something in this room? Why aren’t my peers more represented? Why aren’t more law students here? Aren’t law students interested in protecting “people’s rights”?

Law students are busy.* There’s no denying that. And it can be difficult to motivate students to attend an event where there may not be many lawyers present. But women (and men) worked hard to gain the rights my generation often takes for granted. We forget that there was a time when our mothers and grandmothers couldn’t walk into their nearest health clinic and walk out with a year supply of birth control, no questions asked. Many of us may enjoy certain rights today, but that doesn’t mean those rights aren’t limited for many people out there or can be taken away from the rest of us. There are people out there actively opposing us and trying to limit our rights . . . especially our right to control our reproductive freedom. I shouldn’t be the only 20-something in a room full of reproductive rights advocates and supporters. I urge those of you who want to get more involved but haven’t been able to find the time, to make the time.

*I realize that people may read this who are not law students. However, this is the lens I am applying since I am a law student, surrounded on a daily basis by other law students.

Jenn Kish

Building a Stronger Movement: Lessons from the Northeast Regional Conference

Repo Repro — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 15:59:34 +0000

I was delighted to attend the Northeast Regional LSRJ Conference at New York Law School on February 13, 2010. Leigh Campbell and Courtney Patterson did an excellent job organizing. The theme was “The New War on Reproductive Justice: The Changing Tactics of the Anti-Choice Movement.” The following are the primary pieces of information I took away from each informative panel.

Jordan Goldberg from the Center for Reproductive Rights and Alexa Kolbi-Molinas from the ACLU Reproductive Freedom Project discussed the importance of acting on a state and local level, rather than focusing only on Supreme Court decisions. The state representatives are much more likely to listen to individual members of their constituencies, meaning that time spent contacting legislators is certainly not wasted. Currently, there is legislation in many states throughout the country aimed at redefining life and personhood. If this legislation is passed it could effectively outlaw abortion, many forms of contraception and emergency contraception in that state. Additionally, it would open the doors to criminal charges on behalf of the fetus. Needless to say, the implications are staggering and those developments are worth following.

Sabrina Shulman, the Political Director at NARAL Pro-Choice New York, talked about the latest strategies of the anti-choice movement. Ms. Shulman described the movement as being an “under-the-radar campaign of fear and intimidation.” The most startling aspect to me (more…)

LSRJ Chapters Celebrate V-Week

Repo Repro — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 23:49:42 +0000

Law Students for Reproductive Justice at Thomas Jefferson School of Law in San Diego, CA held “Violence Awareness Week” (or V-Week) between February 15 and February 17 to raise awareness about domestic and sexual violence faced by women around the globe.

We used the three days as both an awareness campaign and as a method to collect toiletries to donate to a local women’s shelter. A large colorful poster bearing violence-related statistics was on display behind our table, and handouts were available for those wishing to learn more. Each day we posted a different question passersby could answer in an attempt to win a prize. The prizes were shirts that read “Don’t Turn Your Back on Violence Against Women.” One question was “what percentage of women are physically or sexually assaulted each year by either a husband or intimate partner or someone they know?” While a handful of people attempted fair guesses each day, the question on the last day (a nod to this being “National Condom Week”) yielded the most responses: a jar containing condoms was on display and students were urged to guess “how many condoms are in the jar?”

Finally, our members asked students to take a picture for UNIFEM’s Get Crossed campaign, which urges people to take a stand and “Say No to Sexual Violence in Conflict.” A large red canvas sheet that read “Stop Rape Now” was the backdrop for the pictures where people stood with their arms crossed in the shape of an “X” to demonstrate their solidarity with the campaign. The week of activities was a huge success for our chapter as it garnered a substantial amount of attention from students and faculty.

Jenn Kish

From Page to Practice: Join the Conversation!

Repo Repro — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 23:30:35 +0000

While most legal symposia consist of academics speaking at length about their current research intended for publication in an upcoming journal symposium issue, the NYU Review of Law & Social Change is seeking to do something different in its February 12th symposium, From Page to Practice: Broadening the Lens for Sexual & Reproductive Rights. As part of the Page to Practice model, we are integrating practitioner voices into the discussion. Through the conversations that develop, the symposium planners hope to bring an on-the-ground critical lens to academic work and encourage collaborations around strategy that extend beyond traditional silos.

As part of this collaborative model, we are posting some of the academic presenters’ abstracts here. Given that this is a one-day symposium, the organizers hope to begin the conversations early through comments and ideas posted here on RepoRepro and on the Reproductive Rights Prof blog.

For more information about the symposium, please see the invitation below: (more…)

From Page to Practice: Reclaiming the Entire Home After Lawrence v. Texas

Repo Repro — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 23:19:36 +0000

In Lawrence v. Texas [1] the United States Supreme Court not only struck down Texas’ sodomy law, but also provided a more expansive ruling, holding that immorality alone cannot serve as a justification to prohibit a certain practice. This case was considered one of the greatest victories in history for the LGBT community. However, some have argued that Lawrence, important as it is, offered only “domesticated liberty” for LGBTs in that its ruling did not extend beyond the private domain and gave no acceptance to the notion of a more substantial kind of sexual liberty that the queer community embraces.[2] Although I find merit in this critique, I believe that even the perceived domestic liberty provided by Lawrence did not truly offer enough of an opportunity for gays to freely practice a gay lifestyle in the home. In fact, it seems that Lawrence only offered gays freedom in the bedroom, but not in the rest of the home. The image of a gay family of any kind, with or without children, living freely and publicly was not part of the vision that Lawrence suggested. The majority opinion emphasized that its decision “does not involve whether the government must give formal recognition to any relationship that homosexual person seeks to enter.” Therefore, while Lawrence did provide for domestic liberty, the domestic liberty was intended to be confined to the bedroom exclusively. (more…)

From Page to Practice: Reclaiming Values and Morality

Repo Repro — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 22:31:04 +0000

“Reproductive rights” is a legal term. When a woman is making a decision about abortion, she’s not making a legal decision - she’s making a personal, moral decision that involves matters close to her heart - her religious beliefs, moral values, and life circumstances. Yet this is rarely recognized in legal and policy work, and that is having an adverse effect on efforts to preserve support for legal abortion. To claim or reclaim the language of values and morality in a positive way, we have to recognize that reproductive and sexual issues are primarily personal and begin to use moral - as opposed to rights - language when appropriate and sincere.

A decision about abortion is a moral decision in another sense: it can be more ethical - or more moral - to terminate an unwanted pregnancy than to continue it, for a host of reasons, including severe family conflict, the needs of other children, and a woman’s or family’s ability to care for another child. (more…)