Feminist Friday – October 30, 2020

Each month we will feature actions, projects, and articles to keep you in the loop with what NOW New Jersey is up to. With the election only 4 days away, we start this issue with a reminder to VOTE!

In the words of Vice President Joe Biden, “We are fighting for the soul of our nation.” We all know how important this election is and we know that women will make the difference. After the news of Amy Coney Barrett’s SCOTUS confirmation earlier this week, we know there is nothing as important as ensuring the Biden-Harris ticket wins a resounding victory next week. Do your part: VOTE!

Then tell us WHY YOU HAVE VOTED! Post a photo of you voting – mailing in your ballot (or simply post this image) on social media with the hashtag #VoteNOW2020 and tag @NOWNewJersey on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram! Then challenge five of your feminist friends or family members to show us that they voted as well! We can take back our country

HAPPENING NOW…

Take Action NOW: Contact Your Legislators to Support the Reproductive Freedom Act – The Reproductive Freedom Act (S3030/A4848) safeguards reproductive care, upholds basic rights, and respects personal decision-making throughout pregnancy. It protects and expands access to birth control and pregnancy-related care including abortion by breaking down medically-unnecessary restrictions that only serve to block access to care. Click below to take action today by telling your legislators to pass the Reproductive Freedom Act in New Jersey!

Take Action NOW!

NOW NEW JERSEY IN THE MEDIA

Congratulations are in order! On October 3, 2020, NOW New Jersey held its 2020 State Conference virtually. Members voted to elect officers for the 2020-2022 term. Learn more about our new leaders on our site (BTW did you know that NOW-NJ has a totally new, totally fabulous updated website). View the full press release here.

Experts and advocates say ACA is at risk – The Affordable Care Act, which faces a Supreme Court challenge a week after the election – is at risk now that Amy Coney Barrett has been confirmed to replace the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg for the nation’s highest court. NOW-NJ President Anjali Mehrotra was one of several New Jerseyans sharing their personal healthcare stories on a roundtable with Senators Menendez and Booker on Thursday, October 22. Read about it here.

We are insiders NOW – NOW New Jersey is proud to support the state’s LGBTQ community with a sponsorship to Insider NJ’s Annual OUT 100 LGBTQ publication! NOW has been fighting for equality and LGBTQ rights since its inception and here in the Garden State we have have always had representation from the LGBTQ community in all levels of leadership. Several of our chapter leaders identify as queer, and this year we are joined on the State Executive Committee by Danni Newbury, who is featured on the list.

IN THE NEWS NOW…

Tell Judge Amy Coney Barrett We are Out of the ‘Kitchen’ and We are Not Going Back
Op-Ed targeting the South Asian immigrant community by NOW-NJ President Anjali Mehrotra

Why Ruth Bader Ginsburg Wasn’t All That Fond of Roe v. Wade

“We Don’t Have to Put Up With This”: A Candid Conversation About Bodies

Women Remaking America: behind a documentary on Trump-era feminism

Scarlet A: The Ethics, Law, and Politics of Ordinary Abortion – By Katie Watson
Millions of Americans have participated in or benefited from an abortion, but few want to reveal that they have done so. Approximately one in five pregnancies in the US ends in abortion. Why is something so common, which has been legal so long, still a source of shame and secrecy? Why is it so regularly debated by politicians, and so seldom divulged from friend to friend? This book explores the personal stigma that prevents many from sharing their abortion experiences with friends and family in private conversation, and the structural stigma that keeps it that way.

WE HAVE MERCH NOW!

Visit our online store to get NOW-NJ themed apparel, home goods, and stickers including this limited edition Kamala Harris tee.

MEET THE TEAM

What made you join NOW? After the 2016 election, my birthday was in March. Instead of gifts I decided to make donations to two organizations that were fighting for Equality. NOW was one of them and my donation counted as a membership. But I only became active later that year when the Union County chapter was reinstated.

What feminist issue would you like to see addressed that is not getting enough attention? I was raised in culture that is extremely body and color conscious. Impossible ideals of beauty are set and fed to girls from a young age. Colorism, body-shaming, fat-shaming, are all rampant. In recent years, we have seen a body-positivity movement among influencers in the younger generation, but I would like to see it gain more acceptance in the main-stream media and have the fashion industry truly embrace it.

What’s your new quarantine hobby? I have always been a book lover. But in recent years I found myself reading less. This year I set a goal of 50 books for the year. The quarantine has helped me stay on target as I am reading my 41st book now.