#FeministsinStruggle

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SAN DIEGO FIST MEMBERS PARTICIPATE IN INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY EVENT IN SAN DIEGO

Dozens of women and their male supporters including FIST members helped organize a candlelight vigil and rally on March 8th 2023 for International Women's Day in downtown San Diego. The demonstration highlighted women's demands for restoration of women's right to abortion nationally, the registration of the ERA into the Constitution that has already been ratified by 38 states and is being held up by the Biden administration, and an end to male violence against women and girls. Ann Menasche. a co-coordinator of FIST, spoke at the rally urging that women should utilize their own voices and mobilize in the streets, rather than rely on politicians or judges.  Menasche said, "We have the power to change the world, sisters, and there is no better time than now", and led the crowd in a chant made popular by Iranian feminists, "Woman, life, freedom." Andrea Gabay a grassroots feminist activist and organizer for Femme Fight Club, also spoke and was interviewed by a local TV station. The coalition of local feminist groups plan to organize other protests in defense of women's rights in San Diego. Read the full article

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FIST to host Zoom Forum March 25th on Strategies for Winning Back Abortion Rights

Feminists In Struggle continues its series with a forum on abortion rights: "After Dobbs and the continuing threat to women's reproductive rights, how do we develop a strategy to regain and secure the right to abortion nationally?"  Tickets on sale now! FEMINIST FORUM: STRATEGIES FOR WINNING BACK WOMEN'S ABORTION RIGHTS Tickets, Sat, Mar 25, 2023 at 1:00 PM | Eventbrite Here is our exciting panel of speakers: Andrea Gabay is a grassroots activist who first volunteered in 2020 while living in New York City. She was an active volunteer doing food drives and composting at GrowNYC environmental program to empower New Yorkers to secure a healthy environment. She also supported many marches throughout NYC, including many BLM movements and was involved with Women's March in Manhattan. Andrea brought her activist work back with her to San Diego, where she organized a march/rally in January 2023 as part of the national Women's March. Wendy Murphy , J.D. is an impact litigator specializing in women's and children's civil and constitutional rights. She won landmark Title IX cases against Harvard, Harvard Law, and Princeton between 1992 and 2010 that led to the revolutionary 2011 Dear Colleague letter; and sued the Trump and Biden Administrations in federal court to advance women's rights. She also won landmark cases to improve privacy rights for women crime victims and testimonial rights for disabled crime victims. She is adjunct professor of sexual violence law and law reform at New England Law Boston where she directs the Women's and Children's Advocacy Project under the Center for Law and Social Responsibility. She is well known for her legal advocacy in support of the Equal Rights Amendment.  See our ERA-FIST brochure, "Why We Need the ERA" on which Wendy collaborated, and her book, From Suffrage to Inequality. Ann Menasche is a San Diego civil rights attorney, grassroots activist, lesbian, and long-time feminist who is a founding member and co-coordinator of the national radical feminist organization, Feminists in Struggle. She is also co-chair of the Green Alliance for Sex-Based RIghts. She has fought for access to safe legal abortion in the years before Roe and in the decades that followed. In the 1980's she led a landmark case against an anti-abortion center or "fake clinic" for consumer fraud and won. She also helped organize Marches for Women's Lives in San Francisco that drew tens of thousands of people. Ann was recently fired from her civil rights job for asserting that abortion bans harm women as a sex and has filed a wrongful termination law suit against her previous employer as a result. JOIN US FOR THIS IMPORTANT DISCUSSION! Read the full article

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Women's March 2020

FIST was present at Women's Marches in Chicago and San Diego with banners proclaiming our motto, "Our Bodies, Our Spaces, Our Sex-Based Rights!" which we also chanted!  Some of us wore our new t-shirts and sweatshirts with the banner as well.

  Read the full article

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A CENTURY AFTER WOMEN'S SUFFRAGE: THE STRUGGLE FOR THE ERA

Don't miss this special Zoom event on Sunday, August 30th at 1:00 p.m. Pacific Time. Feminists in Struggle hosts: A CENTURY AFTER WOMEN'S SUFFRAGE: THE STRUGGLE FOR THE ERA This event will be a discussion and update on the struggle to enshrine the Equal Rights Amendment into the U.S. Constitution. This special centennial program celebrates the 100th anniversary of the winning of women's suffrage with a special forum on the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). Get your tickets here - only $5! The ERA was introduced by Suffragist Alice Paul in 1920 to establish constitutionally protected sex-based rights of women against discrimination. It says simply "Equal rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged on account of sex."100 years later, the ERA has been ratified by the 38 states required and feminists are fighting a court battle against the archivist of the U.S. Constitution seeking that the ERA be certified and officially added to the federal constitution.Speakers:Kamala Lopez is an award-winning filmmaker, actress and activist.  Kamala co-wrote and produced the documentary, "Equal Means Equal" that documented sex inequality in the U.S. and the need for the ERA. The film won Best U.S. Documentary and was a New York TImes Critics' Pick. The film was the catalyst behind a national movement resulting in the ratification of the ERA. Kamala is a recipient of the Woman of Courage Award from the National Women's Political Caucus.Natalie Read the full article

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A New Way Forward for Feminism

How do feminists most effectively fight gender identity ideology as it becomes more and more enshrined into our laws, such as the female-erasing provisions of the U.S. Equality Act pending in Congress? Should we simply oppose "gender identity" as a single issue, narrowly defined?  Or should we fight to defend women's sex-based rights while at the same time advocating for federal civil rights protection against discrimination for lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender people and others who do not conform to stereotypes imposed on their sex?   What is the most effective strategy for fighting against the current version of the Equality Act while advancing our feminist vision for changing society? Is merging messaging with the Christian Right helpful or harmful to achieving our goals? How can we rebuild a radical feminist movement strong enough to defeat all our enemies, both the transactivists who would erase us and the Religious Right who would enslave us? These are some of the issues that Ann Menasche, founding member of Feminists In Struggle (FIST), grapples with in her New Radical Feminist Approach to Challenging Gender Identity Ideology: The Feminist Amendments to the Equality Act" published in Redline. Menasche jumps into the debate within the burgeoning new women's liberation movement, regarding conflicting strategies put forward by FIST and WoLF.  She argues that campaigns to defend women's sex-based rights should be combined with a challenge to gender itself by opposing both homophobia and sex stereotyping.   She explains how the Feminist Amendments do just that, an approach precluded by WoLF's orientation toward alliances with the organized Christian Right. "FIST's strategy emphasizes winning the battle of ideas within the whole society...the same strategy that won women the vote and resulted in the Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion in the United States," writes Menasche. "These victories were not gifts bestowed from on high but were won by mass struggle of millions of women. We believe that such a strategy is ultimately more decisive in achieving the changes that we currently seek as compared to a focus on lobbying politicians in the two corporate parties or playing one wing of patriarchy against the other." Read the full article

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FIST Forum: "Defending Women-only Spaces for Victims of Male Violence" with Speakers from Vancouver Rape Relief, Sun. June 28th

Please join us for our first FIST Forum on Zoom on Sunday June 28th at 1:00 P.M., Pacific Time, with special guests from Vancouver Rape Relief on the important topic of defending women's spaces for victims of male violence. This is a participatory event with lots of time for questions and discussion. Please buy your tickets on Eventbrite at: Defending Women's Spaces for Victims of Male Violence and we will send you the Zoom link.  Tickets are only $5 plus a service charge, funds split between VRR and FIST. The event is co-sponsored by the Chicago Feminist Salon and the San Diego Feminist Organizing Project. Read the full article

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FIST LAUNCHES ENDORSEMENT DRIVE FOR FEMINIST AMENDMENTS TO THE EQUALITY ACT!

Now individuals and organizations can endorse the Feminist Amendments quickly and easily on FIST's website.  Check out our Feminist Amendments page here on our website and sign up right away as an endorser by clicking the link! As soon as we are out of lock-down due to the Corona virus, we plan on doing public events and coordinating lobbying efforts to advocate an approach to the Equality Act that preserves and expands women's sex-based rights while ensuring that everyone's rights are protected, including the rights of lesbians, gay men, and all gender non-conforming people. However, no reason to wait to get involved! Getting endorsements online can be done now from your living room.    Please help us with our Feminist Amendments campaign by spreading the word, gathering endorsements, donating to FIST,  purchasing some of our cool merchandise and of course joining us by becoming a member! Read the full article

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ORDER FIST MERCHANDISE FOR WOMEN'S MARCH!

We now have FIST merchandise available just in time for the Women's Marches on January 18th!  Order your  t-shirt, download and print the FIST BANNER, and download the FAEA brochure, which can be printed and distributed!  The brochure includes our 13 principles, links to our website and social media, and explains our Feminist Amendments to the Equality Act. Read the full article

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International Women's Day 2020

Today is International Women's Day and marks Feminists in Struggle's 1 year anniversary!  We want to thank everyone who has joined us in the struggle to reignite a strong women's movement in  order to finish the job First Wave and Second Wave feminists began.  We are so grateful for their sacrifices and contributions and we acknowledge all the women working for the global liberation of women around the world. We particularly want to recognize the women of the #MeToo Movement who took personal risk to come forward to hold sexual predators accountable, the women behind the Declaration on Women's Sex-Based Rights, and the efforts of organizations like Equal Means Equal that have worked tirelessly to bring the Equal Rights Amendment to the finish line.  It was 100 years ago this year that First Wave feminists won the right to vote, and 97 years after its first introduction that the ERA reached the milestone of the 38th state for ratification!! We look forward to many more accomplishments of present-day feminists to fight back against the enemies of women's freedom and autonomy.  Please join us at Feminist Struggle and help us continue the struggle for the liberation of all women! Read the full article

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Feminist Mountain Retreat

  Feminists in Struggle is planning a feminist women's mountain retreat in Southern California.  We will be discussing feminist issues, watching a film, playing some music, doing a little hiking, and getting some rest and relaxation.  Join us!  Go to RETREAT to sign up.  For more information, Contact Us Read the full article

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WoLF Event at the Seattle Public Library: a firsthand account of a FIST attendee

This is a firsthand account of a FIST attendee at the WoLF event, “Fighting the New Misogyny” in Seattle on February 1.   I attended this event for a few reasons: First, because the world needs to see that women will not be terrorized into silence. We cannot afford to just be social media warriors in anonymity.  We must be a visible presence, fighting this war fearlessly. It is past the time for us to play it safe. We are NOT safe anyway. We never have been. Second, I want to learn to BE on a panel to get the message out that being authentic is living your best life in the body you were born with. I hope to speak up for gender nonconforming women, teaching our youth that being “authentic” isn’t cutting off your breasts to pretend to be something that you can never be. You don’t have to be a man to wear clothes sold for men, love motorcycles, boxing, fast cars, sports and women. We need to be visible as women, living truly authentic lives. We have to fight for our youth. Third, I wanted to support the women brave enough to put themselves in the crosshairs of TRAs’ attacks. Respect, all day long.   From the moment I stepped out of the airport I was surrounded by fabulous women. Rhoda came and picked up three of us to drive us to our Airbnb. April had booked 14 of us into two rooms at Harbor Steps, a wonderful apartment complex.  All of our food for the weekend was provided for us, including fresh catch crab for the Saturday dinner. Friday night we all went to listen to Dominique Christina’s poetry reading. Dominique Christina is an incredibly powerful poet. If you ever get the chance, don’t miss her. Saturday we had a women’s circle which was incredibly empowering. We had started already when a few women showed up late, having gotten the time wrong. You could feel the energy in the room spike up though. It might have been Vajra Ma, who I found to be magnificent! I bought a copy of her book, From a Hidden Stream: The Natural Spiritual Authority Of Woman. I highly recommend it. Before the women’s circle, Thistle Pettersen performed a set for us. She was magnificent! It breaks my heart that TRAs have managed to destroy this woman’s career. Please support Thistle at Defend Feminists Let’s help her get her life back from these monsters! Show her that she is not in this fight alone. We stand with her. One of my favorite parts of this weekend was meeting some of the social media warriors that are fighting this war. When Unknown Heretic (aka Amy) introduced herself we both jumped into each other’s arms! What a moment. I met three other warriors at the event. When we arrived at the event all of the protesters were forced to stay on the opposite side of the building. They never got close to us. The Seattle Police maintained a large area for us to exit also. They kept them pushed across the street. Go Seattle PD! Thank you! I handed out handsful of FIST’s flyers for our Feminist Amendments to the Equality Act (FAEA). I was pleasantly surprised to be recognized by quite a few people from social media. I have been posting frequently about the FAEA, on Facebook and Twitter. It was great to realize that, even with only 1,300 followers on Twitter, we can make a difference. (I was wearing my FIST hoodie, represent!) At the beginning of the first speaker, TRAs caused a disturbance in the seats. They were quickly drowned out by hundreds of voices yelling, “Let women speak!” at the top of our lungs. I remember one man saying, “Give them the mic and let them speak.” My response, “Hell no! We aren’t giving them a mic! We aren’t here for them!” Eventually the police escorted/arrested the disrupters and we continued. You can watch the presentation for yourselves at: Women's Liberation Front Facebook page. Each woman brought a different energy to the presentation. Towards the end there was a Q+A, and of course the misogynistic man from earlier had to be the first to the mic. He proceeded to attempt to lecture the women in the room about how we have all the rights we need. We couldn’t get him to shut up. Just as I bellowed, “You’re done!” Courtney walked over and yanked the mic out of his hands. It was excellent! She rocked it. Courtney was fearless and a blast, waving at the TRAs as we left the building. I have never met so many powerful women in one place. If you want to become a part of something bigger than yourself. If you want to make a difference. Attend feminist events. Get involved. Make your voice heard! We are stronger together. In summary, this was the most powerful weekend I have experienced in a very long time, if ever. There is power in standing up for your beliefs.  There is power in gathering together to combine our incredible female energies.  I came away from this weekend fully charged up to continue fighting the war. We didn’t start this war. But we WILL end it. Solidarity! Read the full article

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WLRN Interviews FIST re FAEA

Our own Ann Menasche was interviewed on WLRN about FIST's Feminist Amendments to the Equality Act.  To listen to the interview, go to:  WLRN Interview re FAEA Read the full article

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PRESS RELEASE

Press Contact: Lauren Levey Email: USA@womensdeclaration.org

Release Date: August 16, 2020 U.S. Feminists Organize to Protect Women’s Sex-Based Rights

The Women’s Human Rights Campaign initiates its USA launch this week. WHRC is an international group of women dedicated to protecting the human rights of women and girls, and opposing the replacement of the category of sex with that of ‘gender identity’. The organization is gathering signatures on its public decree, the Declaration on Women’s Sex-Based Rights, which was developed to petition governments to re-affirm and reinstate sex-based protections for all women and girls, including lesbians, who are discriminated against because of their sex-based attraction.

Since people have been legally permitted to “identify” as the opposite sex, many males “identifying” as females have gained access to female-only spaces and asserted themselves in predatory ways. These outcomes have caused many to challenge the notion of ‘gender identity’ and have urgent concern about its implications for females. Many men who have been transferred to women’s correctional facilities have assaulted female inmates therein, and increasing acts of male exhibitionism have been reported in female dressing and restrooms. Additionally, men and boys who “identify” as women and girls have been swiftly defeating females as champions of exclusively female sports, awards, and subsequent scholarship opportunities. Since these sports and scholarships were created to offer women and girls a fair chance to compete, permitting males to “identify” and compete as females negates this fair chance. WHRC represents a growing movement against this erasure of female humans in their rightful spaces.

This week, the Women’s Human Rights Campaign, USA will make public appearances, release media, and engage in civil actions to raise awareness about the urgency of its message. After this week’s launch, the group will recruit more volunteers and continue its work until the goal of removing ‘gender identity’ as a legal form of sex recognition is achieved.

WHRC’s Declaration on Women’s Sex-Based Rights is publicly accessible, and any supportive individual or organization is encouraged to review and sign it at womensdeclaration.com.

WHRC USA is on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, and is currently developing its USA-specific page on the main WHRC website.

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FIST and Equal Means Equal on Joy of Resistance Radio Show

Our own Ann Menasche appeared on the Joy of Resistance show on WBAI hosted by Fran Luck talking about our Feminist Amendments to the Equality Act which make a distinction between rights based on sex and rights based on gender non-conformity and sexual orientation.  Ann articulated the reasons for the feminist amendments as many rights for which women have fought would be eroded under the Equality Act. Another very important topic was covered on the show--the ratification of THE EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT BY BOTH VIRGINIA STATE HOUSES TODAY, January 27, 2020!!  Kamala Lopez of Equal Means Equal was interviewed on the show who explained that there is no need to pass legislation to do away with the imposed deadlines on the legislation because no deadline was included in the legislation, it was a separate bill on which the states did not vote, that Congress did its job in 1972, and we should not get mired down in more Congressional action, as some suggest, by pursuing the passage of legislation doing away with the deadline because the deadline does not matter. She stated that the Alabama Attorney General filed suit asserting that the archivist should not record Virginia's 38th state ratification, even though the same archivist recorded the last two states, Nevada (2017) and Illinois (2018). Equal Means Equal has filed suit to make sure the ratification is recorded and will be pursuing various cases across the nation to make sure it becomes part of the U. S. Constitution at long last.  It will be making a Federalist Originalist argument outlined in the Constitution, which will be very difficult for the conservative court to rule against. Kamala Lopez explained that without the ERA, we will never have equal work for equal pay and that strict scrutiny regarding discrimination under the ERA will finally be required on the basis of sex as it has been for religion, nationality, and race.  She urged listeners to go to Equal Means Equal and sign up for their newsletter and to show up in Richmond, VA on March 8, 2020, International Women's Day and the centennial of women's suffrage, to march in the ERA Parade to celebrate it's ratification. The show also briefly covered the WoLF events which were scheduled at two public libraries, Seattle and NYC, and how NYCPL cancelled their event while Seattle has refused to cancel theirs. More about this program at WBAI Read the full article

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FIST and Equal Means Equal on Joy of Resistance Radio Show

Our own Ann Menasche appeared on the Joy of Resistance show on WBAI hosted by Fran Luck talking about our Feminist Amendments to the Equality Act which make a distinction between rights based on sex and rights based on gender non-conformity and sexual orientation.  Ann articulated the reasons for the feminist amendments as many rights for which women have fought would be eroded under the Equality Act. Another very important topic was covered on the show--the ratification of THE EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT BY BOTH VIRGINIA STATE HOUSES TODAY, January 27, 2020!!  Kamala Lopez of Equal Means Equal was interviewed on the show who explained that there is no need to pass legislation to do away with the imposed deadlines on the legislation because no deadline was included in the legislation, it was a separate bill on which the states did not vote, that Congress did its job in 1972, and we should not get mired down in more Congressional action, as some suggest, by pursuing the passage of legislation doing away with the deadline because the deadline does not matter. She stated that the Alabama Attorney General filed suit asserting that the archivist should not record Virginia's 38th state ratification, even though the same archivist recorded the last two states, Nevada (2017) and Illinois (2018). Equal Means Equal has filed suit to make sure the ratification is recorded and will be pursuing various cases across the nation to make sure it becomes part of the U. S. Constitution at long last.  It will be making a Federalist Originalist argument outlined in the Constitution, which will be very difficult for the conservative court to rule against. Kamala Lopez explained that without the ERA, we will never have equal work for equal pay and that strict scrutiny regarding discrimination under the ERA will finally be required on the basis of sex as it has been for religion, nationality, and race.  She urged listeners to go to Equal Means Equal and sign up for their newsletter and to show up in Richmond, VA on March 8, 2020, International Women's Day and the centennial of women's suffrage, to march in the ERA Parade to celebrate it's ratification. The show also briefly covered the WoLF events which were scheduled at two public libraries, Seattle and NYC, and how NYCPL cancelled their event while Seattle has refused to cancel theirs. More about this program at WBAI Read the full article

[feministstruggle]

FIST and Equal Means Equal on Joy of Resistance Radio Show

Our own Ann Menasche appeared on the Joy of Resistance Show on WBAI talking about our Feminist Amendments to the Equality Act which make a distinction between rights based on sex and rights based on gender non-conformity and sexual orientation.  Ann articulated the reasons for the feminist amendments as many rights for which women have fought would be eroded under the Equality Act. Another very important topic was covered on the show--the ratification of THE EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT BY BOTH VIRGINIA STATE HOUSES TODAY, January 27, 2020!!  Kamala Lopez of Equal Means Equal was interviewed on the show who explained that there is no need to pass legislation to do away with the imposed deadlines on the legislation because no deadline was included in the legislation, it was a separate bill on which the states did not vote, that Congress did its job in 1972, and we should not get mired down in more Congressional action, as some suggest, by pursuing the passage of legislation doing away with the deadline because the deadline does not matter. She stated that the Alabama Attorney General filed suit asserting that the archivist should not record Virginia's 38th state ratification, even though the same archivist recorded the last two states, Nevada (2017) and Illinois (2018). Equal Means Equal has filed suit to make sure the ratification is recorded and will be pursuing various cases across the nation to make sure it becomes part of the U. S. Constitution at long last.  It will be making a Federalist Originalist argument outlined in the Constitution, which will be very difficult for the conservative court to rule against. Kamala Lopez explained that without the ERA, we will never have equal work for equal pay and that strict scrutiny regarding discrimination under the ERA will finally be required on the basis of sex as it has been for religion, nationality, and race. The show also briefly covered the WoLF events which were scheduled at two public libraries, Seattle and NYC, and how NYCPL cancelled their event while Seattle has refused to cancel theirs. More about this program at WBAI. Read the full article