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| The FL Feminist |
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| July / August 2023 |
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On Feminism
Women's rights afire
Spark of equality shines bright
United, we will soar
- Written by Artificial Intelligence
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| President's Column. |
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Members and Friends,
The Arlington, VA National NOW Conference was good. The speakers were very good as were the workshops. There were a couple of glitches, but we handled all those except for getting to resolutions. Hopefully, the National NOW Board will call an emergency, special, meeting to handle the resolutions put forward by the members and states. It was a long few days with much of the delight of it seeing like-minded people and friends. I liked the focus on the ERA.
It’s all hands on deck for the Ballot Initiative. I can see you are all making a good contribution to getting signatures. We have to keep up the momentum to make the numbers. I am sure we are close to or over 400,000 now from volunteers and paid people. We need those volunteer petitions to save money on the paid collectors. Please donate to the effort if you can. Quick note, we have people who can’t wait to sign and many thank us for what we’re doing. The opposition is not there.
Schools are back in August. Tabling and making contacts at colleges is so important. It is a way to connect to start a Chapter at the school and to get lots of petition signatures and voter registrations done. Please reach out to local colleges and universities. They are our future.
I hope you are working the new ballot initiative to bring in new members. We ask them to join NOW to help get signatures.
We a trialing a new approach to Voter Registration that lets us do Voter Registration as NOW Chapters in up to 5 counties. It is easy and helps us get around some the voter suppression laws. Ha! Ha!
I am excited to see if we can get the ERA with a run at the Senate again.
The terrible laws that the legislature and DeSantis passed are now in effect. We have to resist in anyway we can. It is so important to make our resistance visible as often as we can. For banning of books, we need to attend School Board meetings in as much force as we can muster to counter Mom’s for Liberty (now considered an extremist group).
Please sign up for F.A.C.T.S., Court Watch. We are getting more and more requests to attend hearings virtually and any of us can do that. You just need to sign up to get the messages on an upcoming zoom. Please contact Natalie Andre, natandre44@gmail.com. She can explain the program to you and what to expect. It takes very little time. The mothers need our support. Women lose their cases about 75% of the time and our presence helps. It is very rewarding because we make a difference in these family court proceedings. We are still trying to figure out how to get Court Watch out to more mothers across the state so that they know to use the service.
We decided to make our Florida Feminist Newsletter a summer version of July/August because so many are taking vacation.
Hope you have a wonderful summer! Keep up the great work on petition signatures.
Take Care,
Debbie Deland
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| In this issue |
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- 2023 Feminist Calendar
- FLNOW Book Club July / August / September/ October
- National NOW Conference Wrap Up
- Women's Equality Day, August 26th
- FL NOW Travel Advisory
- And More
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| Upcoming FLNOW Book Club Picks |
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July Discussion - July 17th 6:30pm
August Discussion - August 17th 6:30pm
September Discussion - September 18th 6:30pm
October Discussion - October 23rd. 6:30pm
(Contact president@flnow.org for more information)
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July Book Club Pick
The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri
Meet the Ganguli family, new arrivals from Calcutta, trying their best to become Americans even as they pine for home. This book illuminates the immigrant experience and the tangled ties between generations.
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August Book Club Pick |
White Rageby Carol Anderson
As Ferguson, Missouri, erupted in August 2014, and media commentators across the ideological spectrum referred to the angry response of African Americans as "black rage", Carol Anderson suggests that "white rage at work. With so much attention on the flames, everyone had ignored the kindling."
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September Book Club Pick |
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Poverty, By America by Matthew Desmond
n this landmark book, acclaimed sociologist Matthew Desmond draws on history, research, and original reporting to show how affluent Americans knowingly and unknowingly keep poor people poor. Those of us who are financially secure exploit the poor, driving down their wages while forcing them to overpay for housing and access to cash and credit. We prioritize the subsidization of our wealth over the alleviation of poverty, designing a welfare state that gives the most to those who need the least. And we stockpile opportunity in exclusive communities, creating zones of concentrated riches alongside those of concentrated despair. Some lives are made small so that others may grow.
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October Book Club Pick |
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Master Slave Husband Wife by Ilon Woo
In 1848, a year of international democratic revolt, a young, enslaved couple, Ellen and William Craft, achieved one of the boldest feats of self-emancipation in American history. Posing as master and slave, while sustained by their love as husband and wife, they made their escape together across more than 1,000 miles, riding out in the open on steamboats, carriages, and trains that took them from bondage in Georgia to the free states of the North.
Along the way, they dodged slave traders, military officers, and even friends of their enslavers, who might have revealed their true identities. The tale of their adventure soon made them celebrities, and generated headlines around the country. Americans could not get enough of this charismatic young couple.
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| FLNOW Issues an Urgent Travel Advisory Against Florida |
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THE STATE OF FLORIDA HAS BECOME DANGEROUS FOR PEOPLE TO VISIT; RELOCATE; ATTEND SCHOOLS, UNIVERSITIES & COLLEGES; AND MORE
Debbie Deland, President of FL NOW said, “We join the NAACP and other civic organizations, to issue a FL NOW Travel Advisory to the public. Visiting, relocating, or attending schools in Florida come with heightened risks and definite violations of the US and FL Constitutions by the State Government. Due to the hostile faction of the Florida Government, its Conservative legislators and Governor DeSantis, new laws went into effect on July 1 that discriminate against women, people of color, the LGBTQIA+ community, teachers, students, unions, documented and undocumented immigrants, etc.”
There is no separation of Church and State. These laws subscribe to a dangerous neo-confederate regressive ideology and are fostering a new Jim Crow. They promote school segregation, cancel Black history, cancel both Black studies and Gender studies in colleges, ban classic books and books with any mention of LGBTQIA+, cancel tenant rights, bust unions, and worse.
Florida is now a permit-less gun carry state. It is legal to carry a concealed weapon without required mandatory background checks and weapon training. As of July 11, 2023 there have been 18 mass shooting in Florida and the year has five moths to go!
The State Government of Florida is driving hate, fear, and confusion at the LGBTQIA+ communities, especially for transgender persons. The Governor signed six expressly anti-LGBTQIA+ laws this year, more than the last seven years combined.
The State Government of Florida is driving hate, fear and confusion at all levels of education by canceling Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging Programs and prohibiting the teaching of the actual history of People of Color, especially for Black communities. They do not support diversity in any way.
The State Government of Florida is anti-teacher by restricting educators from discussing diversity, gender identities, LGBTQIA+ and social justice issues with the threat of losing their licenses to teach. Its book banning mandate and racial justice prohibitions have already cost educators their jobs. The new union busting laws was aimed at women, teachers.
People who are more than 15 weeks pregnant, do not have access to full healthcare options. In September, the 15-week abortion ban is expected to become a virtual abortion ban when it goes down to a six-week abortion ban.
CALL TO ACTION:
Clearly, we need different leadership in Florida. Our state has gone beyond a tipping point. Please speak withothers, vote informed, call/email/visit your legislative leaders and let them know the weight of your concern, participate in demonstrations, write letters to the editor, more. We must preserve and nurture our base with truth and compassion to push the arc of history towards decency and a sense of humanity.
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| 2023 Feminist Planning Calendar |
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January
29 Hollywood Pride
February
Black History Month, 4 Pride/DeLand, 11 Pride/Ft. Lauderdale, 18 Pride/Tallahassee
March
Women's History Month, 8 International Women's Day, 10 National Abortion Provider Appreciation Day 15 Average Woman Equal Pay Day
April
Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM), 5 Start By Believing Day, 22 Earth Day
2023 Equal Pay Days
Average Woman 03/15, AAPI Women 5/15, LGBTQIA+ 6/15, Black Women 9/21, Native Women 11/30, Latina 12/8
Watch for Local Events to Table At!
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May
Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, 15 AAPI Women Equal Pay Day , 05/19 - 05/21 FLNOW State Conference/ Orlando FL
June
LGBTQA+Pride Month, 15 LGBTQIA Equal Pay Day, 23 Anniversary of Title IX, 06/30 - 07/02 NOW Conference, Arlington VA,
July Organize for Elections
August 26 Women's Equality Day
September. National Hispanic Heritage Month, 4 Labor Day, 21 Black Women Equal Pay Day
October
National Disability Employment Awareness Month, Domestic Violence Awareness Month, 11 Day of the Girl, 19 Love Your Body
November Native American Heritage Month, 7 Election Day, 30 Native Women Equal Pay Day
December 8 Latina Equal Pay Day
Plan for Next Year!
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| Saturday, August 26, 2023 |
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| Women's Equality Day |
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Once again, we are renaming this day as Women's Inequality Day. We have fewer rights than women have in decades.
We cannot celebrate Women's Equality Day, because we are far from equal in our democracy. We demand:
- Voting rights legislation that would protect voters, especially voters of color who are often the target of voter suppression
- The Equal Rights Amendment to be added to the Constitution. The required number of states have adopted the ERA, but inaction from Congress to clear up the timeline issue has left the amendment unpublished.
- Restoring reproductive freedoms for women and those who can become pregnant. Women have lost the fundamental reproductive rights afforded to generations before us. This step backward perpetuates societal inequalities and falls disproportionately on people of color and low-income communities.
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| Very Bad FL Laws Went Into Effect July 1, 2023 |
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| FL NOW Voter Registration Initiative |
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- FLNOW Is Coming to Your Neighborhood to Assist in Voter Registration
- FLNOW will engage and help motivate people to register and vote in the upcoming elections
- FLNOW will help people fill out Voter Registration form and encourage them to mail in form
- Sign up your chapter to do this Important Work
- Contact president@flnow.org for more information
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| CLICK for FLNOW |
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We need you to take a few minutes a day to CLICK for FLNOW!
Did you know that FLNOW has a Facebook Page?
The link is: https://www.facebook.com/FLNOW
Please "like" our posts and repost them DAILY -- including sharing them to your chapter's FB page.
Thanks for the CLICK for FLNOW!
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| National NOW Conference, June 29 - July 2 2023 |
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ERA Media Outreach and Messaging Strategies
Co - Moderators – Kathy Bonk and Rachel Jones, with Lisa Sales
Plan C: Self-Managed Aboron Information Session
Moderator – Triana Arnold James, with Imani Wilson Shabazz
Censorship of Sexual Freedom - How to Fight Back Moderator – Mandy Salley, with Ricci Levy
Building Diverse Collaboraons - Ways to Reach Out
Moderator - Renee Cardarelle, with Grace Worwa, Lydia Kolness
Three Realities: Dobbs Threatens Health, Women as Second Class Cizens, and Clinic Violence
Moderator – Kobby Hoffman, with Michelle Davidson, Laura Craig Mason, Stacie Ballenne, Anne M. Coughlin
Racial Equity Training
Welcome Plenary – We Won’t Stop: Organizing Until
Equity for All
Breakout – Workshops
GOAT (Greatest of All Time) Fundraising – Learn How Your Chapter Can be Successful
Moderator – Katonya Hart, with Rose Brunache, Kim Villanueva
Breakout – Workshops
Women Burnout – How to Regain Control and Claim Your Wellness
Moderator – Femala Fleming, with Julia Baly
Thirty Years of VAWA Success – More Challenges Ahead
Moderator - Kimberly Adams, with
Graber, Casey Swegman, Shannon Holsey
Resisting a Patriarchal Economy with Joy
Resource: Blog — Screwnomics*: How the Economy Works Against Women and Real Ways to Make Lasting Change
Moderator - Katonya Hart, with Rickey Gard Diamond, Georgia Kelly, Farah Tanis, Caroline Shenaz Hossein
Chapter Development Using Membership Lists
Co-moderators - Diane Lebedeff and Suzanne Southard, with Rose Brunache
Creating Solidaries through Diverse Friendship Circles
Moderator - Pramila Venkateswaran, with Laureen Rusk
Want ERA Success? Look to the States!
Moderator - Kate Kelly, with Jeri Burton, Lisa Sales, Ting Ting Cheng – Monroe
Plenary: Debate and Vote- Resolutions and Bylaws
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National NOW Bylaws Updated
Compiled by Diane Lebedeff
p. 1 to 3 - Major Change - Board Chair position to be created: proposed text and conforming changes did not pass, discussion included if position should be paid and a possible loss of a board vote.
p. 4 to 5 - Recall procedure - passed
p. 5 to 7 - Conference In-Person Attendance no longer required - all passed with some tweaking of language, credentialing and registration will still be required
p. 7 to 8 - NOW Values - both proposals failed; the conduct rules in the first proposal were seen as way overbroad and capable of creating problems, the proposed conflict rules as written were over broad and the points covered by existing DC law.
p. 9 to 10 - Nominating Procedures - both changes passed.
p. 10 to 12 - Clean Up Outdated Language - all changes passed. (There were other clean up provisions which were separately presented at pages 14-15 and 15-18.
p. 13 - Board composition - the amendment failed with the existing POC language seen as sufficiently clear and the change was not more workable (this provision was one which FLNOW disapproved by a Conference resolution).
p. 14 - 15: More Clean Up of Language - both changes passed.
p. 15 - 18: Various Revisions re Committees and Board Members: all amendments passed except the first one on standing committees, some language to be tweaked. NOTE the language of the bottom amendment on p. 16 permits the board to adopt "emergency action" resolutions.
p. 18 - 19: Reallocation of Districts - passed with Washington and Hawaii added to the Pacific District.
p. 19: Dues payable to states and chapters - the members tied with VP Bear casting a vote against the amendment, so it failed. Interesting that Bear's objection was that National couldn't track rebate status if the system were to change; pushing for this provision again looks possible if dues status tracking could be clarified.
p. 20: NOW Virtual Meetings: Passed, so that the names of attendees must be disclosed and the chat feature enabled.
If anyone wishes to look at the unamended bylaws, the website link is https://now.org/leaderdoc/bylaws-of-the-national-organization-for-women/
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| Your Carbon Footprint |
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Because Climate Change is Real
And We know Little Acts add up to Big Changes
The FL Feminist Will Assist you in Changing the World
Stay Tuned!
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| FLNOW Task Force Blurbs by Arlene Ustin |
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2023 is here! FLNOW needs your active support in the continuing fights against the unacceptable and outrageous assaults on our democratic values and rights.
Below are our FLNOW Task Forces. Please join us in making NOW gain ground in the social / political arenas and let's educate the public.
Reproductive Rights: Amy Weintraub Monthly zooms are held and we need NOW members to attend, especially since the overturn of Roe v. Wade. When organizations work in coalitions rather than in local advocacy, more effective actions can reverse this situation.
Constitutional Equality (ERA): Nancy Terreri - This Task Force is part of the National ERA Coalition and Fund for Women's Equality. The ERA wraps around every issue which impacts women with 280 members who will present resolutions in both chambers of the 118th US Congress. Help Nancy get the ERA into the US Constitution.
LGBTQIA+ Rights: Beck Andre - Does excellent work in coalition with other organizations, especially Compass Center, which is in Palm Beach County and has far reaching connections. Please join us in "Saying Gay"!
Freedom from Violence: Kat Duesterhaus & Beck Andre - Members of this Task Force engage local Sexual Response Teams to promote the responses that Start By Believing. Join us in making Florida safer for all people by advocating for survivors.
Families Against Court Travesties (FACTS): Natalie Andre & Sheila Jaffe - Serving women and some men for over 20 years who face horrible treatment in court. FACTS created Court Watch, which adds a vital public dimension to proceedings so that the demeanor and behavior of presiding judges and attorneys, which are frequently biased against the mother, can be raised to the level of fair hearings.
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