California NOW

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.

Mrs. California to lobby against DV

Tracie Stafford, reigning Mrs. California, will be at the CA Capitol next week to talk with legislators about domestic violence. She'll be joined by over 100 domestic violence survivors and advocates who will converge on the capitol to try to stop the proposed 10% program cuts.

The California Partnership to End Domestic Violence (CPEDV) is hosting its annual Heart To Heart Legislative Advocacy Day on February 12th. The all-day event will include Stafford talking about her experience as a domestic violence survivor. Stafford says that after offering testimony to legislators, during last year’s Domestic Violence Awareness Month, she had a turning point in her life.

“It was very emotional for me,” she said. “It allowed me to assert power over a situation where I had been powerless. Legislators need to hear from survivors directly, to put a face to this problem. We have to build a bridge between the people who make the policy and the people who live the experience of domestic violence. No one can build that bridge better than survivors.”

Senator Romero, the highest-ranking woman in the California Legislature, will deliver the luncheon keynote address.

In addition to a legislative briefing in the morning, the Heart to Heart event will include a luncheon awards ceremony in which CPEDV honors its strongest allies in the Senate and Assembly, and afternoon visits when advocates and survivors deliver Valentines and have “heart to heart” talks with their State representatives.

So come out to the State Capitol Building Basement, Eureka Room on Tuesday February 12th, from 8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m and lend your voice to this advocacy work.

CA NOW is proud to be a part of The California Partnership to End Domestic Violence, California’s statewide domestic violence coalition, with 200 member organizations and individuals.

Commemorating 35 Years of Roe

National NOW press release:

Today marks the 35th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 decision that recognized a woman's constitutional right to abortion. The National Organization for Women is determined to not go back to the days when women suffered from health complications after giving birth to 10, 12, or 15 children, often dying in childbirth. Or they died from illegal abortions in back alleys or dirty motel rooms, or were left injured and infertile after botched illegal abortions. Our mothers and grandmothers had no self-determination when it came to pregnancy and childbearing, and we are determined that our daughters will never have that experience.

"It is no surprise that majority of people in this country agree with the core decision of Roe, but in the last 35 years the anti-choice groups have grown more vicious, lashing out against the landmark Supreme Court decision as part of their on-going campaign to eviscerate it," says NOW President Kim Gandy. "We have endured more than three decades of challenges and roadblocks from a well-funded opposition, and our rights are more tenuous than ever -- so now, more than ever, we have to fight to keep Roe alive," said Gandy.

Read the rest of the press release here.

Lindsey Horvath--Feminist Extraordinaire--Joins CA NOW Leadership

Lindsey Horvath has been named the CA NOW Young Feminist Vice President, and she is one amazing woman!

At 25 years old, Lindsey is president of Hollywood NOW and Chair of the Eco-Feminism Committee of CA NOW. She is also the Vice President of Theatrical Print Advertising for bpg Advertising Agency in Los Angeles, and plans to one day run for elected office. In addition, she is Vice President of Outreach of the National Women’s Political Caucus, LA Westside, and on the Board of Directors of the YWCA of Glendale and the Women’s Reproductive Rights Assistance Project. She was recently appointed by the City Council of West Hollywood to the Women’s Advisory Board and is the Community Producer for UTVS-LA, a two-week festival in Summer 2008 throughout Los Angeles to celebrate safety and empowerment for women and girls.

Lindsey says she believes, “there's an intergenerational disconnect in feminist dialogue, and I want to bridge generations of women to work together. I believe active political participation (voting, in particular); healthy body image; pay equity; and ending violence against women are among the top issues facing young women who are finding their voice and presence in the public sphere. I am excited about taking on the challenge to create a world that encourages ALL women to thrive and pursue their dreams - whatever they may be.”

Welcome Lindsey! You are a fabulous feminist super-star and we are psyched to have you join us!

What's Your Legislator's GPA?

CA NOW released our 2007 Legislative Report Card this week. Check out what your representative scored.

The report card is based on the voting record of legislators on 20 significant bills supported by California NOW, all of which came to a floor vote (a vote by all members) in both houses of the State Legislature. The issues covered by the bills included civil rights, marriage equality, women in prison, child support, homeless assistance, health care, pay equity, family leave, sex education, and disability benefits. 34 assembly members and 11 senators got perfect scores, five more total than got perfect scores last year.

It is critical to our democracy that people know what their representatives have been doing while serving in office. You need to know when your representatives are consistently voting against progressive policies that work to ensure equality and basic human rights for all, and who the heroes in our legislature are too.

Read the press release here.

CA NOW Blog Goes Live!

CA NOW will publicly launch the CA NOW blog on Wednesday, November 14. The state's largest women's rights organization hopes the site will be a portal for the women's rights community and will become a trusted source of news and commentary.

In a press release today announcing the launch, CA NOW president Mandy Benson said, “we hope the site will be utilized by other activists to stay up to date on what’s going on in the news and in the movement, and by individuals who want to get a feminist take on issues.” She added, “we also hope that the mainstream media will see our site as a source of information and perspective that they can check regularly to take the pulse of what we (in the women’s movement) are working on.”