The last 36 hours have been quite a roller coaster ride. Here in Rhode Island we had our primary elections. We have so much to say about that, but also a reminder that we have to keep on organizing and working through to the general elections and that who sits at tables of power matters. Abortion and democracy are on the line in so many ways and we are focused on our issue of defending our issues.
These threats were made clear yesterday when West Virginia lawmakers approved a ban on abortion in nearly every circumstance throughout pregnancy. This is at the same time that trigger bans went into effect in Idaho, Tennessee and Texas and Senator Lindsey Graham introduced a nationwide ban on abortion.
We are speaking out as always, including calling out Senator Graham on some BS claims he has made about his draconian policy. He is saying that his horrific ban would put the US in line with European policy on abortion.
Well no surprise his claims are patently false! Across Europe and in most other industrialized countries, abortion is allowed by request on broad grounds around or until viability. In countries that do impose earlier gestational limits for abortion on request, there are BROAD exceptions AND unlike in the US (or Rhode Island), most industrialized nations provide access to subsidized or fully funded abortion services meaning they have greater access to legal abortion services earlier in pregnancy. You can read more here.
Elections matter, making sure we vote our values matters.
Keep on keepin’ on to November 8th to make sure the folks who get to make and shape policies give a damn about our health, rights and lives. But we have so much work to do way beyond the ballot box. We need to keep organizing in every community in our state to ensure folks are informed, involved and fighting hard with us for the future we all deserve where we can not just get by, but thrive and where we are all treated with dignity.
We aren’t begging for our rights. Heck no.
We are striving for liberation! And The Womxn Project won’t stop until we get there.
As we grow.
We are thrilled to let you know that we are continuing to grow and strengthen our ability to make an impact. Individual donors and large scale funders have seen the difference we are making and they are investing in us. We recently announced that our long-time fearless leader, Jocelyn Foye, was officially coming on as our full-time Executive Director. Now we get to share more exciting news as Kaitlynn Castillo joins our team as the new Operations Director.
Born and raised by her two dads in Northeast Los Angeles, Kaitlynn Castillo is a first generation American and a Latina who brings a passion for politics. Kaitlynn came out east to attend the University of Massachusetts Boston where she graduated with a Bachelor’s in Political Science and a minor in Public Policy from the Honors College. She also received a graduate certificate in Gender, Leadership, and Public Policy and went on to pursue a Master of Public Administration degree. Kaitlynn has extensive experience within the College Dems at the local, regional, and national level and has worked on several campaigns.
Kaitlynn is excited to bring her skills and passion for writing and journalism along with her dedication to shaping and influencing both the political process and policy making to The Womxn Project and to be part of our efforts to advance reproductive health, rights and justice. We are thrilled to see our team grow along with our newly formed and incredibly active committees, which were launched earlier this summer.
Togetherness, Creativity, & Empowerment
People are scared of political action because we think that writing, paper, and money is how things change. And yes, for some people. But Merriam Webster defines politics as “the art or science concerned with guiding or influencing governmental policy” – we are that art.
Together, we have made HUGE strides. While the work only seems to get more daunting, let us make it clear that we are just getting stronger, more creative, resilient and more committed to fighting for justice.
One of our biggest strengths in the effort to push for positive change is YOU! We are all in this together. We want to celebrate that, commemorate all we have done together and ramp up for the work head. JOIN US on Friday, October 7th for our birthday bash. Let’s mark five years of shaking things up and have a little fun together. We can build community and build this movement and raise a toast to all that has been done and the days ahead! Click here to learn more – and BUY YOUR TICKETS to our 5th birthday party.
We will never stop showing up and speaking out. We are so grateful to be in it with YOU! Thank you for all you do! Let’s keep on healing and loving and fighting and seeking joy and justice together!
Artwork by Beth Bell