California NOW

Listen Up Advocates!

The CA Commission on the Status of Women will be holding public hearings throughout California on all issues regarding women. They want to hear from you about what issues women and girls are facing and how the state should address them. The hearings will be comprised only of testimony from individuals and organizations, so it’s a great time to get your voice heard by those who recommend policy to the state regarding women and girls.

There will be three hearings:

June 19, 2008
1:30 to 5:30 PM
Hiram Johnson State Building
Milton Marks Auditorium
455 Golden Gate Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94102

June 26, 2008
1:30 to 5:30 PM
California Western School of Law
Moot Court Room
225 Cedar Street
San Diego, CA 92101

July 23, 2008
1 to 5 PM
Lewis Library and Technology Center
Steelworkers Auditorium
8437 Sierra Avenue
Fontana, CA 92335

For more information visit: www.women.ca.gov

From our friends at CodePink and Global Exchange

Anne Lamott is one of my favorite writers on the planet. Check her out at this CodePink and Global Exchange event!

Check it out: LGBT March/Rally in Sacramento

The Sacramento Gay and Lesbian Center will hold a Day of Silence/Night of Noise, a march from the Center to the State capitol, as a memorial for Lawrence "Larry" King, on Friday, April 25, 2008 at 5:00pm.

Senator Darrell Steinberg, President Pro-Tem Elect of the Senate, is among the scheduled speakers.

Sacramento LOVES Consensual Sex

We know that sex sells. But usually when advertising executives use sex to sell something, it's for a product like a car or a hamburger or another luxury item that has nothing to do with sex. Why not use sex to sell…well, sex? That's exactly what California NOW's "I Heart Consensual Sex" campaign is doing and there are several chapters that are doing it, and doing it, and doing it well.

Recently highlighted in their local weekly publication, the Sacramento News and Review, the vivacious Sacramento chapter has taken a particularly innovative approach to the I Heart Consensual Sex campaign. Paired with a gallery-style art display, accompanied by a number of local, very talented musicians and hosted at an adult erotic toy store, the chapter is hosting sex-themed variety show. But it's not what you think. Well, not all of it.

The Sacramento chapter, affectionately known in their community as "SacNOW," has partnered with their local domestic violence prevention program, WEAVE, and their local Planned Parenthood to present a program filled with informative and sex-positive facts. The program will include the important and necessary information about sexual assault prevention and rape awareness but will additionally include a non-traditional curriculum on the latest technology for sexual pleasure and stimulation as well as poetry and spoken word ranging the topics from sexual assault to sexual desire and everything in between. The chapter published a resource book for the event that includes a number of articles including a piece on sexual harassment in the work place and a well-researched expose how poverty affects consent. The resource book is littered with amusing quotes about sex and includes an original comic by April Brayman that is a sexy instruction manual of sorts on the topic of consent and communication. The art for the event is provocative and was highlighted at the top pick by the definitive resource for Sacramento's 2^nd Saturday Art Walk, a well-known and highly trafficked monthly event in Sacramento's trendy midtown. The chapter and its hosting facility, Grind and Groove, expect a large and enthusiastic turn out for the event this Saturday, April 12^th at 6pm-10pm at 22^nd and K Street in the heart of Sacramento. Bring and friend and get ready for some consensual sex!

 

Hilary Hodge

Co-president, SacNOW

Hey Media! Here's a Story for you!

How about a story about how feminism is not dead, is alive and well, and how feminists young and veteran work together to make the world a better place for women and girls?!

I've got it for you: The CA NOW "Women in the Public Eye" conference in Hollywood. It is a story chock full of celebrities, politics and powerhouse women. How about taking that one for a spin?

"Women in the Public Eye," at the West Hollywood Hyatt, in West Hollywood, California on April 19, 2008.

Presenters will include singer Helen Reddy, writer Jill Soloway, and lunch at Justin Timberlake’s Chi Restaurant with blogger Jessica Valenti. Each of CA NOW's issues committees will host forums with outstanding women working on that issue. These include: Vicky Barker, the legal Director of the California Women's Law Center; Ausma Kahn, editor of Muslim Girl Magazine; Mary Hunt, author of In Women We Trust; Kimberly Pinkson, founder of the Ecomom Alliance; Candis Cayne, star of ABC's “Dirty Sexy Money”; Nina Hartley, renown porn star; Susan Davis, producer of “The Invisible Women”; Frances Fisher, film actress and member of the Peace Alliance. Other speakers include Kimberly Danek Pinkson, of Eco Mom Alliance; Vicky Barkley, director of the Women’s Law Center speaking on Athletic Equity; Angela Robinson, from “The L-Word,” Alexandra Billings, from “Grey’s Anatomy” and “ER,” Peter Mensah, actor and humanitarian; Robyn Ritter Simon, president of the NWPC-LA Westside caucus; and Veronique Vial, photographer for Cirque de Soleil. Elected officials and of course all the fabulous CA NOW feminists will be speaking and rallying attendees to the call for change on behalf of women and girls.

There will also be an evening out Saturday night for the OBJECT “Lady Party” at the Viper Room on Sunset Boulevard, with singer-songwriter Nellie McKay. That's a sexy lead, don't you think?

Read the full press release here.

Don't You Want to Go Here?

If you are in the area, check out the Ventura County Women's Forum focusing on Educational Justice: Gender Equity and Social Change, on Saturday, April 12, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at California State University Channel Islands in beautiful Camarillo.

From the press release:

The daylong event will include an address by keynote speaker Anna DiStefano, Provost at Fielding Graduate University. There will be workshops led by educational leaders from throughout Ventura County on topics ranging from Empowering Underrepresented Women and Girls to Gender, Educational Policy, and Reform to Sex Education.

The organizers will also recognize four women as pioneers in education: Ella Flagg Young, Mary McLeod Bethune, Miriam I. Cruz, and Sucheng Chan.

The forum was inspired by the Beijing International Womens Conference of 1995 and the 12 critical issues identified at the conference: Poverty, Education, Health, Violence, Economic Justice, Power Sharing, Institutional Mechanisms, Human Rights, Media, Peace, Environment, The Girl-Child. The first forum in 2006 addressed Economic Justice.

The goal of the forum is to strengthen and inspire local women leaders. The attendees will discuss issues of gender equity and social change in education to develop coordinated action plans for improving womens educational opportunities in Ventura County.

The event is hosted by CSUCIs Center for Multicultural Engagement. Other sponsors include California Lutheran University and the Center for Equality & Justice, the McCune Foundation, SAGE, the Ventura County Community Foundation, the Ventura County Star, the Ventura-Oxnard Chapter of the National Organization for Women, AARP, and NWPC.

Registration is $60 and $20 for students (identification required) and includes lunch and refreshments.

Go here for more information about the forum, or call 805-658-4193.

Earth Hour 2008: 8pm, March 29th

Global Warming is our problem.

Earth Hour is our turn to fix it.

5 things to do in the dark:

1. Host an Earth Hour eco-party...candles, organic good, live acoustic music.
2. Give yourself an energy makeover by making a list of ways you can save energy. Then, on the following day, take action by replacing old light bulbs with energy-saving CFLs and installing power strips.
3. Take one hour for yourself to just unplug and chill out...turn off the screens, put down the handheld devices and just take some "you" time to reflect.
4. Give someone a massage.
5. Grab a flashlight and take a long walk with some friends through your neighborhood, picking up trash and recyclables as you go.

Keep the Wall Intact!

Everything You Wanted to Know About Separation of Church and State, But Were Afraid to Ask
A special simulcast event

From the presidential campaigns to city council races, candidates need to hear why protecting our Constitution and Bill of Rights matters! Join Barry Lynn, Executive Director of Americans United and Welton Gaddy, President of The Interfaith Alliance Foundation – make your voice heard!

Hosted by Actor/Director Peter Coyote
Featuring special guests: The Bacon Brothers (Kevin and Michael)

Messages and performances by...
Jack Klugman, Wendie Malick, James Whitmore, Catherine Dent, Dan Lauria, Marc Maron, Catie Curtis, Roy Zimmerman, with a personal message from Michael J. Fox. Meet individual church-state champions sharing their stories of courage.

Wednesday, March 26, 2008, 6:00 PM

Century Cinemas 16
1500 North Shoreline Blvd., Mountain View, CA 94043

Natomas Marketplace Stadium 16
3561 Truxel Road, Sacramento, CA 95834

Mira Mesa Stadium 18
10733 Westview Parkway, San Diego, CA 92126

Promenade 16
21801 Oxnard Street, Woodland Hills, CA 91367

RSVP for FREE tickets

Radical Eco-Feminist West Coast Spring Tour 2008: Friday, March 28, 2008

Two activists from the Portland Animal Defense League, Rising Tide North America and Stumptown Earth First! will offer a presentation and interactive two-part workshop on radical eco-feminism and environmental ethics.

Location: Long Haul Infoshop, 3124 Shattuck Ave.,
(across from La Peña, 1 block east of Ashby BART), Berkeley. Time: 7pm. Info: 510-540-0751

CA NOW Media Reform Committee Welcomes Susan Davis & Susan Valdes to 2008 State Conference

The CA NOW Media Reform Committee, chaired by Jerilyn Stapleton, is proud to host the producers of the documentary, INVISIBLE WOMEN which explores the fading image of mature women in the media.   The panel presentation at the 2008 State Conference will include showing  the twenty-eight minute documentary that challenges the youth-obsessed media and poses the question: Will the baby boomers, the largest, most powerful generation that's ever lived, allow themselves to become invisible on the screen?

Susan Davis has worked in many areas of show business.  On Broadway she co-produced the critically acclaimed "Conversation at Midnight" by Edna St. Vincent Millay.  An actress for over 30 years, she is most often remembered as Matthew Broderick's mother in "Wargames" and the nymphomaniac nurse on “Barney Miller”.   Her voice-over credits include the voice of Pippi in the movie "The Pippi Longstocking Story", Sesame Street and The Electric Company.

Susan Valdes worked for several years in film, commercials and on the stage before focusing on raising her two daughters.  A founding director of the Los Angeles based Our Workshop Theatre Group, she is also a partner in the film and television development company headed by her husband, film producer David Valdes.