#Reinstatement of Parental Rights After Termination

[shosiblog]

What Are My Rights Regarding Job Protection During Maternity Leave?

Maternity leave is a crucial time for new mothers to recover from childbirth and bond with their newborns. However, many women worry about the impact of taking time off work on their job security. Fortunately, various laws and protections are in place to ensure that your job is safeguarded while you take maternity leave. Knowing your rights regarding job protection can help you plan for your leave with peace of mind.

In this blog, we’ll discuss your rights concerning job protection during maternity leave and how to ensure a smooth transition before and after your leave.

1. Understanding Your Legal Rights for Job Protection

Depending on where you live, different legal frameworks provide job protection for employees taking maternity leave. These laws ensure that your position or an equivalent one is available when you return from leave.

United States (FMLA): Under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), eligible employees are entitled to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave per year. Your job, or a comparable position, must be available to you when you return. FMLA applies to businesses with 50 or more employees, and to employees who have worked at least 1,250 hours in the 12 months before the leave.

European Union: In the EU, pregnant employees are entitled to at least 14 weeks of maternity leave, with job protection guaranteed during this time. Some countries, like the UK, offer more extended maternity leave periods with similar protections.

Canada: Canadian law provides up to 18 months of maternity and parental leave combined, with job protection throughout the entire leave period. Employers are legally required to ensure that you return to the same or a comparable position after your leave.

Make sure to research the laws specific to your country or region to understand the details of your rights.

2. Job Protection During and After Maternity Leave

In addition to legal requirements, most employers offer policies that protect your position while you're on maternity leave. Common provisions include:

Reinstatement Rights: Your employer is required to reinstate you to the same job, or a job with the same pay, benefits, and responsibilities, once your maternity leave is over. If your exact position no longer exists, you must be placed in a comparable role.

No Dismissal: Employers are prohibited from dismissing employees due to pregnancy, childbirth, or maternity leave. Any termination must be unrelated to your leave and follow standard procedures.

Continued Benefits: In many cases, you retain health insurance and other benefits during your maternity leave. Check with your HR department about whether your company covers these benefits during unpaid leave or whether you need to make arrangements to maintain coverage.

3. Who Is Eligible for Maternity Leave Job Protection?

Job protection for maternity leave often depends on eligibility criteria set by local laws and company policies. Eligibility typically requires:

Length of Employment: Many laws and company policies require that you’ve been employed for a certain period before being eligible for job protection. For example, the FMLA requires 12 months of employment, while some countries have shorter eligibility periods.

Number of Employees: Smaller businesses may be exempt from certain job protection requirements. For example, under the FMLA, employers with fewer than 50 employees may not be required to provide job-protected leave.

Part-Time Employees: Part-time workers may also be eligible for job protection, but they should check their company’s specific policies and the local laws. Part-time employees are covered under FMLA if they meet the working hours threshold.

4. What Happens If My Employer Violates My Maternity Leave Rights?

If your employer does not comply with the laws regarding maternity leave job protection, there are steps you can take to protect yourself:

Document Everything: Keep thorough records of your communication with your employer regarding maternity leave. Document any discussions, emails, or written agreements related to your leave.

Contact HR: If you suspect that your job protection rights have been violated, contact your HR department to resolve the issue internally. Sometimes, misunderstandings or miscommunications can be cleared up at this level.

Seek Legal Assistance: If you believe your employer has violated your rights, consult with a labor lawyer or legal advisor who specializes in employment law. They can provide guidance on how to proceed, including filing a complaint or taking legal action.

5. How to Ensure a Smooth Transition Before and After Maternity Leave

A smooth transition before and after maternity leave helps ensure that your rights are protected and that you feel comfortable returning to work.

Plan Ahead: Before going on leave, discuss your maternity leave plan with your employer. Set expectations for your return, and clarify any concerns about job protection.

Stay in Touch: Some employees prefer to stay connected with their employer during their leave, while others may choose not to. If you wish, maintain communication with your HR department or manager to stay updated on any developments at work.

Discuss a Gradual Return: When returning to work, consider discussing a flexible or phased return-to-work plan with your employer, which allows you to ease back into your job without feeling overwhelmed.

Conclusion

Understanding your rights regarding job protection during maternity leave is essential for ensuring a smooth transition and peace of mind while you care for your newborn. With legal protections in place, you can confidently take the time you need for recovery and bonding without worrying about losing your job. Remember to familiarize yourself with the specific laws and policies in your country or workplace to ensure that your rights are protected.

How Long Should I Wear a Maternity Belt After Delivery in a Day?

Wondering how long to wear your maternity belt for optimal postpartum support? Learn the recommended duration to promote recovery and comfort. Click here for expert tips and guidance on wearing a maternity belt after delivery!

[mynewshq]

Ogun FTZ deal: Chinese firm targets Nigeria assets in eight countries

Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Limited, the Chinese firm that got a court injunction to ground three presidential jets belonging to the Federal Government in Europe, has initiated plans to seize other Nigerian assets in the United Kingdom, United States of America and in six other countries, The PUNCH has learnt. Newalso learnt that the company had instituted legal proceedings in about eight jurisdictions globally, regarding the dispute.The other countries include Belgium, Canada, France, Singapore and the British Virgin Islands, documents relating to the case, which were obtained by our correspondent, were revealed on Thursday.This comes as the Federal Government vowed to protect its foreign assets from “predators.” There has been serious controversy following reports that the Chinese company got judgement to ground three presidential jets belonging to the Federal Government.In 2001, China and Nigeria signed a bilateral investment treaty aimed at promoting commercial investment between the two countries. In 2007, Ogun State reportedly entered into a joint venture agreement with a Chinese company and another company to create the Ogun Guangdong Free Trade Zone Company. The Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority, a Federal Government entity that oversees free-trade zones in Nigeria, then delegated control and operation of the free-trade zone to the company. In 2010, the Ogun Guangdong Free Trade Zone Company contracted with Zhongshan’s parent company to develop an industrial park in the free-trade zone. The goal was for Zhongshan’s parent company to develop the park and build factories in it for tenants to use. In the first half of 2016, however, the agreement between both parties was terminated, leading to Zhongshan filing lawsuits in Nigerian federal and state courts seeking reinstatement of its contractual rights but the legal proceedings were discontinued in Spring 2018. However, a French court, recently, authorised the seizure of three of Nigeria’s presidential jets, two of the jets – a Dassault Falcon 7X and a Boeing 737 – are part of Nigeria’s presidential air fleet that were recently put up for sale and the third, an Airbus 330 purchased by Nigeria, but not yet delivered. Zhongshan had again dragged Ogun to court, where an independent arbitral tribunal, chaired by the former President of the UK Supreme Court, awarded the Chinese firm $74.5m compensation, which Ogun was yet to pay. The court order prohibited Nigeria from moving or selling the presidential jets until the Chinese firm was paid the $74.5m by Ogun, its sub-national. However, documents indicated that the Chinese company attempted to seize a jet being recovered by the country from Dan Etete as proceeds from fraudulent acts in Canada. The Federal Government had tracked down and grounded the luxury private jet purchased by former petroleum minister, Etete, with some of the alleged proceeds of the notorious $1.3bn Malabu OPL245 oil deal. The goal is clear – that Mr Etete will avoid the seizure of an asset he got with stolen Nigerian money, with Zhongshan’s connivance.” According to the documents, Zhongshan was originally engaged as a developer and manager of Fucheng Industrial Park but was asked to manage the facility after the government terminated the joint venture with CAI because it didn’t meet the necessary requirements. The document claimed that the Ogun government cancelled the contract after it received a Diplomatic Note 1601 from the Economic and Commercial Section of the PRC Consulate in Lagos, alleging that Guangdong illegally held shares in China Africa Investment Limited, a state asset and that entity (New South Group) was the company properly entitled to manage OGFTZ. The document read, “In 2007, the Ogun State Government, in partnership with the Guangdong province in China conceived and set up the Ogun Guangdong Free Trade Zone, which sits on 2,000 hectares in Igbesa, Ogun State. “Ogun State signed a Joint Venture Agreement directly with China Guangdong Xinguang China-Africa Investment Limited representing Guangdong Province in the joint venture. OGFTZ houses several enterprises as well as subdevelopments, including one Fucheng Industrial Park, measuring 224 hectares. In 2010, OGFTZ contracted Zhongshan to develop and manage Fucheng Industrial Park.“ However, in 2012, Ogun State terminated the joint venture with CAI because CAI had not met obligations under the 2007 JVA. Ogun State then appointed Zhongshan as an interim manager of the Zone, since it was already managing Fucheng Industrial Park. In June 2012, Zhongshan assumed management control of a 51 per cent stake in CAI and subsequently signed another JVA with Ogun State Government in September 2013.”It further stated that the company had been making efforts to enforce the tribunal award. As of August 2024, there are court proceedings in about eight jurisdictions of the world regarding this dispute. “These include USA, UK, Belgium, Canada, France, and the British Virgin Islands. Till date, Zhongshan has not realised a single penny from the Award, and all signs indicate that Zhongshan is unlikely to do so anytime soon.” It added that the company was still tracking the location of Nigerian assets abroad. Meanwhile, a court document has revealed that the Chinese company was demanding compensation of $130.6m due to a breach of contract by reneging on terms between both parties to create the Ogun Guangdong Free Trade Zone. The document obtained by our correspondent on Thursday, however, listed the Federal Government as the defendant because the direct agreement was between Nigeria and China and not with the company based on international treaty conditions. The case filed at the United States District Court for the District of Columbia (No. 1:22-cv-00170) was argued April 22, 2024 and decided August 9, 2024 by Circuit Judges Millett, Katsas and Childs. In presenting its argument, the company stated that Nigeria violated the Investment Treaty with China in five ways “by failing to provide Zhongshan with fair and equitable treatment, engaging in unreasonable discrimination, neglecting to protect Zhongshan, breaching the contract, and wrongfully expropriating investments without compensation.” Giving details of the deal, the company said it invested millions of dollars and significant resources to develop and build infrastructure in the industrial park, including roads, utilities and opened services such as a hospital, hotel, supermarket, and bank. By 2016, businesses had moved into the zone and Nigeria had collected approximately N160m in tax revenue from the free-trade zone. Read the full article

[jessicalynnhepner]

Reinstatement of Parental Rights After Termination

Created by FindLaw's team of legal writers and editors | Last updated November 13, 2018

Depending on where you live, you may be able to have your parental rights reinstated after they have been terminated by a court. While all states have provisions in the law for the termination of parental rights, most states do not allow for the reinstatement of these rights. But even in states that allow reinstatement, parents must be able to show an extraordinary improvement in their ability to properly care for a child before a court will grant such a request.

This article focuses on the reinstatement of parental rights after termination, including a discussion about the differences in state laws.

Termination and Reinstatement of Parental Rights

When a court orders the termination of parental rights, the legal relationship between a parent and child ceases to exist. It is very rare and only occurs in especially serious cases, such as those involving child abuse or severe child neglect. And even though a parent may petition the court to voluntarily give up his or her parental rights, the main consideration is always the child's best interests.

Laws allowing reinstatement were drafted generally in response to older children who were aging out of foster care and wanted to re-establish family ties.

Since this process is handled in state courts, the laws and procedures vary from one state to the next. At least nine states have laws allowing for reinstatement following termination of parental rights, including California, Illinois, North Carolina, and New York). Usually, reinstatement is available only on the condition that the child has not been permanently placed with a foster home within a given period of time.

In states where this is available, a parent must file a petition with the court that originally terminated his or her parental rights. The court will determine whether the parent is fit to provide a safe and nurturing home for the child.

https://family.findlaw.com/parental-rights-and-liability/reinstatement-of-parental-rights-after-termination.html

https://whateveryparentshouldknowaboutcps.blogspot.com/2020/11/reinstatement-of-parental-rights-after.html

[prettypinklass]

I will ALWAYS pick the Spacer background for Shepherd, because it's the only background where the commander has at least one living parent. With all the shit going on throughout the trilogy, I bet even the commander needs someone they'll know will support them no matter what. The kind of support only a parent can provide.

In honor of that, I have some headcanons for how Hannah Shepherd (Spacer Commander Shepherd's mother) feels about the events of the trilogy.

Hannah Shepherd Headcanons

Mass Effect

She couldn't be prouder. Her kid is a great officer.

And then she hears about the Eden Prime mission

Oh shit

How many times did she call? Probably at least ten times. No answer

She heard the story. Her child is accusing a decorated Spectre of attacking Eden Prime with the geth. Nobody believes them

She gets one call, and it's about a homeless guy on the Citadel. During your work hours.

Then she finds out they proved they were right, and not only did they get the spectre demoted? They got promoted in his place. And their first mission is to track down the demoted spectre.

She tries to call again. No answer. Her kid is probably busy so it's fine.

The most prominent thing she's heard throughout the alliance is complaints that in addition to LT. Alenko (a man she knows is a good officer, having met before) and Cheif Williams, they've recruited a former turian c-sec officer, a krogan mercenary, a Quarian on her pilgrimage (whom she's pretty sure is a teenager still), and an asari archeologist.

She hears stories, and then is stationed on one of the ships that arrives to help the Citadel. The ship they attack- Sovereign as she heard it called- is powerful and all she can think is "what the fuck has my child been doing"

She kills the spectre, they destroy the ship, and now your child has gotten a human onto the council.

You couldn't be prouder. You still haven't heard from them though.

Oh and that news story where she punched the reporter? You have the clip saved.

Mass Effect 2

Her child just got spaced.

FUCK

Hackett approved her leave and she spent more hours then she can count grieving.

They never recovered her child's body. There was a small service. Hackett mentioned something about a memorial for the Normandy.

Then.

She finds out her child is alive.

AND WORKING

FOR A PRO-HUMAN TERRORIST GROUP

WHAT THE FUCK MY CHILD

The stories are insane. Her kid has recruited more aliens, as well as a few criminals, and she hears from Alenko/Williams that they really are working for the pro human terrorist group, investigating the missing human colonies.

She decides she won't even bother trying to contact them. She's still processing that they're even alive.

Then she finds out they blew up a relay

And then they disappeared past the Omega 4 relay before the Alliance could catch them and press charges. Was that the suicide mission she kept hearing about?

Then her child emerges, triumphant and claiming that the collectors are dead.

They get grounded. She finally gets to talk to her briefly, and the conversation goes something like this:

"Sweetie."

"Hi mom."

"Start answering my fucking calls."

"Sorry mom."

"And next time, tell me you're alive and working for a terrorist group. I had to hear it from Alenko/Williams."

"Sorry mom."

"I love you."

"I love you too."

"You're grounded."

"...Yeah, that's fair."

Oh and she saved the second clip of her child punching that reporter.

Mass Effect 3

And her kid was right all along. The reapers are here to kill everyone.

They've also been reinstated and have to play politician.

They try to keep in touch a little better. Sending her emails about what's happening.

She saves the third clip of them punching the reporter.

It's hell trying to build the crucible, but she's doing her best to help. The more her child does, the crazier things get.

Her child has cured the genophage and made peace between the krogan and turians, and apparently is an honorary krogan now??

She nearly shot the first rachni she saw on the crucible build site, but this asari lady, who claimed to be their friend, tells her that the rachni are here to help. Courtesy of her child.

She's 100% sure that her computer is bugged because not only are there ships showing up whenever they're low on supplies, SOMEONE keeps emailing her updates on the Normandy and her child, all "courtesy of the Shadow Broker". She's a bit worried her child is being stalked.

Then her child makes peace between Geth and Quarians. The Geth show up to help them build the crucible, and every single one of them seems ecstatic to meet the "Creator of Shepherd-Commander."

Mercenaries show up too, thanks to Aria T'Loak and her child. She still isn't sure how that happened.

The more her child does, the more creatures and people show up to help the war effort.

It's insane.

And she couldn't be prouder.

She gets an invitation one day. From her child.

Apparently, Admiral Anderson gave them his apartment and she's been invited to come over for a bit.

She jumps at this.

The meeting is awkward but she's too happy to see her child to care.

She finally meets her child's friends.

The former turian c sec officer, Garrus

The sarcastic brittle boned pilot, Joker

The Normandy SR-2's AI, EDI, (and she's pretty sure EDI and Joker have something going on)

Specialist Traynor

The krogan leader, Wrex, who cheers and slaps her a little too hard on the back

A tank bred Krogan, Grunt, who she immediately notices seems to think of her child as a parent. She has a krogan for a grandson.

Tali'Zorah vas Normandy, who is no longer a teenahe quarian but a full admiral

The asari archeologist, Liara T'Soni, who has a drone for an assistant (and she's suspicious of being the Shadow Broker, based on how familiar she is with her)

An asari justicar, Samara, who is honored to meet you

A former Cerberus officer, Jacob

Miranda, who is a former cerberus officer and obviously isn't naturally that good looking.

Kasumi the master theif, who greets her by sneaking up behind and saying "hi".

Zaeed, a mercenary with a bad attitude

Finally, she meetw Jack. She remembers hearing about her, a former convict who is an extremely powerful and hateful biotic... who is now working as a teacher at Grissom Academy.

Where does her child meet these people??

Her child also tells her about Mordin, Thane and Legion

A salarian scientist who liked to sing

A drell assassin who was terminally ill, but saved the life of the Salarian councilor

And a geth, the geth that aided her in making peace between the Quarians and geth.

And then they tell you about this weird clone that tried to steal the Normandy and kill them.

She still doesn't understand that part.

Then, after all that, her child dies stopping the reapers.

She couldn't be prouder.

And she will always miss them.

[100gayicons]

There’s not much I can add about Harvey Milk’s contribution to Gay Right. He was one of the first openly gay people in the United States to win an election for public office as a San Francisco City Supervisor. He was dubbed “the Mayor of Castro Street” by his constituents in the predominantly Gay neighborhood. Numerous books have written about his legacy, his murder by a fellow city supervisor.

I worked in downtown San Francisco at the time. It was an exciting but tense time. Gays were being attacked by conservative politicians regularly.

In 1977 the pious singer Anita Bryant led a campaign to overturn a gay rights ban in Florida. This was vigorously opposed by gay people across the country. Milk led a 5 mile long protest March (“Out of the Bars and into the Streets”) which I joined.

In 1978 there was proposed law would have made firing gay teachers—and any public school employees who supported gay rights—mandatory. (Milk vigorously campaigned against it.) it eventually lost by more than a million votes.

At the 1977 Gay Pride parade in San Francisco he had said to the crowd:

“On this anniversary of Stonewall, I ask my gay sisters and brothers to make the commitment to fight. For themselves, for their freedom, for their country ... We will not win our rights by staying quietly in our closets ... We are coming out to fight the lies, the myths, the distortions. We are coming out to tell the truths about gays, for I am tired of the conspiracy of silence, so I'm going to talk about it. And I want you to talk about it. You must come out. Come out to your parents, your relatives.”

In November 1978, conservative San Francisco Supervisor Dan White resign, saying the salary for the position was too low. Almost immediately he regretted his decision and asked the Mayor to be reinstated. Although Mayor Moscone initially considered it, Milk opposed it and let his feeling known.

I remember riding to work on the bus, reading about the topsy-turvey event wondering how it would all end. During this time period, 900 people of the “People’s Temple” committed suicide in Guiana - many of them were from San Francisco and the Bay Area. Then on November 27, 1978, Dan White bypassed metal detectors and murdered both Mayor Moscone and Harvey Milk.

It’s hard to described the climate of the city at this time - after both horrific events.

Even White’s own supporters described him as:

“as a man with a pugilistic temper and an impressive capacity for nurturing a grudge"

Yet White was only convicted of voluntary manslaughter and sentenced to serve seven and two-thirds years. How? His attorneys claimed he ate an excessive amount junk food (the Twinkie Defense) which altered his perception.

White served 5 years of his sentence, serving a year parole in Los Angeles. He returned to San Francisco but his marriage soon ended. On October 21, 1985, White committed suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning in his garage. (Frankly a death too good for him.)

But Harvey Milk is still will remembered 40+ years later.

A plaza at the intersection of Castro Street and Market Street was name in his own (flying an enormous gay flag).

In August 2009, President Barack Obama posthumously awarded Milk the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Terminal 1 at San Francisco International Airport was named after Milk in 2018.

The naval ship USNS Harvey Milk (still under construction) was named in his honor (Milk was a lieutenant in the Navy and all ships of this class are named after civil rights leaders).

Today (the day I post this) would have been Milk’s 90th birthday.

[bernthalized]

Countdown to Day Zero

by Jay S. Jacobs January 18, 2008

With the ongoing conflict in the Middle East there have been rumblings that eventually the United States may have to reinstate the military draft. The film Day Zero takes this one step further – imagining what will happen after this occurs. 

Day Zero focuses in on three New York-area friends who receive their draft notices. They have thirty days to get their lives in order before being shipped off to war. 

George Rifkin (Chris Klein of American Pie) is a well-off lawyer whose thriving career and terminally ill wife (Ginnifer Goodwin) have him desperate to pull any strings to get out of the obligation. 

James Dixon – played by Jon Bernthal, late of the sitcom The Class – is sort of the protector of the group. Though on a lower economic scale – he is working as a cabbie – he is the strongest and possibly most principled of the friends. Dixon actually believes that the cause is just; however he finds he does have something to lose when right before he is supposed to leave he falls for a pretty local schoolteacher (Elisabeth Moss of The West Wing.). 

Aaron Feller (Elijah Wood of Lord of the Rings) is the most sensitive of the group, a neurotic writer who had a popular first book but seems unable to follow it up. Once his draft notice comes in, Aaron snaps, diving into a world of sex-for-sale, alcohol, drugs, tattoos and skinheads. 

Bernthal has been making his way into the mainstream of show biz in the decade he has been working in TV and film. He has been in movies like World Trade Center and Tony ‘N’ Tina’s Wedding and has appeared in TV series such as CSI: Miami, Law and Order: SVU, How I Met Your Mother, Boston Legal and Without A Trace. In 2006-2007 he was a breakout character in the extremely hyped but ultimately short-lived sitcom The Class. 

A few days before Day Zero was released to theaters; Bernthal was nice enough to give us a call to discuss the film. 

Day Zero has a very controversial subject matter. What was it about the script that appealed to you?  The character. I read the script and this was something I felt that I had to do. As soon as I put the script down, I was on a mission. I was writing letters to the producer and to the writer begging for an audition. You know, the way the state of affairs is in Hollywood in this day and age – guys like me don’t really get to play lead roles in movies… when you’re starting out like I am. I just knew that I had to play this part. I really wasn’t going to take no for an answer. I pretty much did everything but kick down their doors and force my way into the thing. (chuckles) As soon as I put the script down I knew I had to do it. 

Between this film and World Trade Center you have been in two very dramatic films which revolve around Middle East terror and how it impacts us in the US. Now I know I’m stretching here a bit, but I saw in your bio that you were born and raised in Washington DC.  Yes, I was. 

Was your family in government? Did growing up in the environment of the city make this kind of political films more intriguing to you?  You know, I don’t know. Somebody else just asked me a question sort of like that. Whether I feel like I’m more connected with 9/11 because I made these movies… or something like that. I think that what happened on 9/11 was the defining moment for this generation. I feel like all Americans are extremely connected with that. It’s a visceral gut connection that we have. It’s in all of our blood. It’s changed all of our lives. The answer to your question is that neither of my parents is in politics. But I knew many people whose parents were. A lot of my friends have since gone on into politics. So, yeah, I have a political conscience and I care deeply about it. I don’t necessarily know that growing up in DC made that happen. 

Do you think the draft could ever really be reinstated? If it were, do you think you could go if called to duty?  You know, I would love to say that I would. It’s the type of question that you can’t really answer until you’re in the situation. There are countries in the world [where] all people have to do military service. I think there is something extremely positive about that. This country affords us unbelievable opportunities. I’ve gotten so much out of this country. People in other countries wouldn’t believe the comfort and the opportunities that we have. I think giving back is really important. Politically, if there was a draft – if the military responsibility and burden was one that was shared by all – I think that we would be a lot more careful and a lot less quick to jump into things. 

Dixon was sort of supposed to be the character who voiced the pro-war side of the debate. With the unpopularity of the war effort now was that a hard side to take?  You know, no, I don’t think so, because I never really saw Dixon as a pro-war guy. He’s a New Yorker. Like I said before – 9/11 had an enormous effect on him. But, I think he’s a pro-America guy. He’s a patriot. People often mistake being a patriot for being a hawk. I think they are completely different. He feels a duty to his country. Like I said before, this country has afforded him a great opportunity. He cares deeply about his responsibility to his country, as he cares deeply about his responsibility to his friendships. When asked, he feels like he has to go. Being drafted is not an invitation. It’s an order. That’s where it lies, because so many times in his life until then, he has been called on to do things and he’s answered that call. It affects him so deeply that his friends sort of want to back out of it. It’s just something that sort of existed in their friendship when they were young. 

Dixon was sort of the protector for the group. The three guys were probably never very similar and over the years they became more and more different. Why do you think that they stuck together?  Well, I think like a lot of good friends that have known each other from [when they were] kids, your friendships are really solidified when you’re young. I’d like to think in this group, Dixon, in a way, was the glue. Dixon and these guys became friends very early on. They all went to a magnet school. The whole idea of Stuyvesant [High School – in New York City] is that it brings people from all sorts of socioeconomic and class differences, just based on the fact that if you are talented enough and a good enough student, you can go study there. Their friendships were made at an early enough stage and it is Dixon’s fierce loyalty to these guys that got him into trouble. When he went and fought Rifkin’s fight for him, they sent him off to a juvenile detention center. Yes, they started to go their different directions, but I feel like because Dixon made the sacrifice that he did, these guys also have a fierce loyalty to him. They’ve obviously gone out in different directions and career paths, but this connection was solidified when they were young and it’s something that can’t be broken. I love the fact that this external circumstance of being drafted solidifies them once again – puts them all in the proverbial same boat. Now they have to deal with it. It’s been something that they’ve been dealing with since they were young. 

Although Aaron’s list obviously was a little disturbed [the Elijah Wood character makes a list of ten experiences he wants to have before going to war – i.e. see a peep show, get a tattoo, visit a prostitute], if you had thirty days of freedom left what things would you want to do?  Hmm… That’s a good question. I guess I’d like to be around my family. Play a lot of basketball. Hang out with my dog. Be in the ocean. Man, I don’t know. I don’t know. That’s a really good question. I would want to enjoy myself and say everything that I could possibly say – to as many people who I love as I could. 

I interviewed Elijah a couple of years ago and in real life he seems nice and basically harmless. Was it surprising to see the places he went with his character in the later scenes?  Oh man, I was so excited to see it. Elijah is… you’re right; he’s such an extremely nice person. He’s such a professional. It’s just a dream to have him on set. When we were in New York one day, we were filming and a guy comes up to him – Elijah wasn’t facing the guy – and the guy kind of slaps Elijah in the back and asks for cigarette. He didn’t realize who he was. I immediately went to defend him, just because he’s a small guy and that’s no way to walk up to somebody. I sort of got in the guy’s face. Once the guy realized it was Elijah he’s like, ‘”Oh, man, Elijah…” Elijah hugged him and all that. I was like, man, this guy is so freaking nice! He’s such a nice guy. But, people get it confused. He’s an extremely talented actor. He’s wonderful at what he does. He’s so nice and so professional and so gracious… [but] I think there is no limit to the places that he can go. I really believe in him as an actor. 

You just mentioned filming in New York. There was one scene you did with Chris Klein which appeared to be done during an actual anti-war rally.  Yeah, it sure was. 

What that like to be an actor in the midst of a real life event?  Oh, man, that was magic. It was completely unplanned. It just happened to be near the location that we were shooting in. We just went guerrilla-style and just started taking all the equipment into the subways, trying to get in front of the march, set up our shots. We tried to get as much footage as we could in that march. It was such an unbelievable thing to be able to play off of. That energy was just amazing. It was weird, because that scene with the three of us the day before we were supposed to go – it never really made sense in rehearsals. We never really knew what that scene was about. But then when it was about us watching this protest it made complete sense. It’s just one of those movie-making magic events that really had resonance for all of us. 

Despite the fact that your character was the one who believed that the cause was just and that it was his responsibility to go, even you were given a reason to question his service – meeting a woman. Why do you think it was important that he suddenly have something to lose at home?  I think he has been showing this undying loyalty to people his whole life. It’s what I was talking about earlier with his friends. He feels the same way with his country. That being said, I’m not sure he’s ever felt what it feels like to have that unwavering, undying loyalty back to him. He falls in love with this woman. Not only does he fall in love with her, she’s a good woman. She shows him the kind of loyalty he’s been showing his friends his whole life. Even though he’s kept [his draft status] a secret from her, she says to him, “I love you and I’ll wait for you.” That’s something that just touched him in a way that he hadn’t been touched before. That was important because it put him in a… you know, the one thing about Dixon is he has piece of mind, because he lives by a code. Everything makes sense to him. He knows exactly how he’s going to react to any situation. He runs it through the priorities and the code with which he lives by and then makes a decision. This just totally fucked everything up. This made everything go haywire. He had to really make a decision, because his heart was being pulled in two ways. He had to figure it out. It’s really an incredible circumstance for [screenwriter] Rob [Malkani] to have come up with. It’s wonderful. It’s one of the key obstacles, the key dilemmas of the movie. 

It was interesting to me that despite the fact that your character was the only one who was certain that he was right to be going to war; he never told his new girlfriend – or even to a lesser extent the little girl in the building who has a crush on him. Why do you feel he did that? Do you think this was a little cruel on his part?  Yeah, I think that the scene with Lizzie Moss, where he finally does tell her, it’s the first time Dixon’s ever found himself in a situation where he didn’t know what to do next. He’s just sort of wavering in the wind. I think he’s averse to all weakness. To waver to him is to be completely weak. He was at a place of complete vulnerability and weakness in front of her. He screwed up. He knew he had screwed up. Look, it happened because he had met this wonderful girl and – you know there’s a lot in the movie that didn’t make it into the final cut, obviously. There was a whole storyline with her brother. Her brother had just been drafted, as well. It comes up in one of their first dates. It sort of puts him up against the wall. He doesn’t know whether to tell her or not. You go through that journey with him, whether he’s going to say it or not. That doesn’t come out in the movie. That’s why I love that movie so much. He fucked up. He screwed up. He should have said something and he didn’t. 

I’m a big fan of Elisabeth Moss as well. I have to admit during all of your romantic scenes, I kept half-expecting the Secret Service to break in and take you somewhere so President Bartlett could give you a stern lecture. (Moss had played the President's daughter Zoey for several years on The West Wing.) (He laughs heartily.) 

Seriously, what was she like to work with?  A dream, man. A dream. I fell in love with her. Our first rehearsal I was in love. I was too big of a coward to send her flowers the next day, but I fell in love with her, man. I couldn’t wait to see her everyday on the set. She’s the best. 

Last year you were a cast member of The Class – which was one of the big buzz shows of the season. How did you get the role and what was that like to work on?  It was great. I loved everybody I worked with. The writers were great. I didn’t think I had a chance in hell of being in that show. It’s not the kind of acting that I normally do. The process of getting a network show, you go through a crazy long process of all sorts of auditions. So, I think one of the reasons I got it was because I thought there was no way I would get it. It took all the pressure off myself. (laughs) I totally didn’t feel like I fit in that world at all. 

Well, like you said, you haven’t done all that much comedy. Do you find comedy harder than drama?  No. I mean, look, I studied acting for stage. I studied in Russia for a few years. I have my MFA [Masters of Fine Arts] in acting here for stage. I feel like I’m pretty comfortable with whatever comes my way. The characters that that I’m super drawn to, the things that really excite me, are the heavy dramatic, really masculine roles.

© 2008 PopEntertainment.com

[lovelyirony]

could you write something for trans pepper coming out to tony please?

authors note: i am not an expert, nor am i trans. please let me know if i have written anything wrong/harmful, and i’ll take it down

When Pepper started at Stark Industries, she told herself that she would not get too involved. She was here to do her job, and nothing else. She had caused “problems” at her last job, and in return they had caused problems for her as well. 

(Sitting by herself at the cafeteria, fielding uncomfortable messages, and correcting intentionally wrong emails had been...exhausting. Mentally and physically.) 

But this? No, this can’t go on. 

The math is all wrong. It’s going to cost the company about a million dollars if she lets it pass, and while she’s sure that it could be replaced easily in a day, that’s the kind of thing that gets you fired. And when employers look at your resume and see that you were terminated from the highest-ranking job to have for an accountant, a prestigious company that takes pride in accurate numbers and satisfied employees? 

Well...it doesn’t look too hot. 

So she brings it up. Her boss isn’t exactly happy with her. She thinks the numbers were probably intentional. 

“I’ve been doing this for years, I think I know a little bit more than you, young lady,” he scowls. 

Pepper’s not exactly fazed at the dismissive remark. 

“Then I’m sure that you’ll know that your math is wrong. It’d be better to double-check it and be right and have me be in the wrong than not check it and be fired.” 

He doesn’t check it. 

But when he’s called into Mr. Stark’s office, he must have mentioned her name. 

He put the blame on her. 

Pepper cannot believe it as she’s called in. 

“So, Mark tells me that you did math wrong.” 

“I didn’t. I triple-checked it, and kept the receipt tape as proof.” 

“Oh, I know. Mark can’t do math for shit, but he hates when people tell him. But I’m glad you did, because it made me realize I can’t have someone who’s so insecure that when someone tells them to double-check it and they don’t because they want to be right, that...I don’t know what I was doing. Anyways, he’s fired.” 

Pepper blinks. 

“Really?” 

“Yeah, really. Also, I’m reading your file. Virginia? Did your parents hate you?” 

“Not the worst name I’ve been given,” Pepper says smoothly. 

“Hm. Says here that you go by Pepper. I like that.” 

“Thank you, chose it myself and everything.” 

“And everything?” Tony asks, smiling. “I like that.” 

- 

Four months later, she’s in the break room when Tony’s personal assistant quits on the spot after he’s late for the third time in a week. 

“I can’t fucking do this!” He screeches. “I’m done.” 

Pepper’s not sure why she goes into Jason’s office and just looks at the schedule. 

She calls his cell. 

“Jason, seriously, I told you to quit bothering me.” 

“It’s Pepper. Get your ass over here for your meeting, the board directors are about an inch away from reinstating Obadiah.” 

“And that would be a bad thing...why?” 

“You want your stock points to drop because you’re proving that you can’t be trusted to run a company?” 

“I’ll be there.” 

It’s the fastest time that Tony makes it into the office, by the way. Pepper’s only slightly proud. 

- 

She’s terrified when he offers her a position as a personal assistant. She’ll be in the limelight, people paying attention to her. 

She modifies her contracts: no one is allowed to access any sort of personal information. At all. It has to be locked in a vault, only key is one that she and Tony know about. 

“Anything I should know about?” 

“Um. No.” 

“Oh. Okay. As long as you aren’t secretly running any illegal thing out of one of the floors, then be my guest. But if you are, let me know. Petra in accounting--new hire, you wouldn’t know them--is secretly reselling wedding cakes. I think. Maybe the wedding cakes was a bad lie. Hell. But welcome aboard!” 

Wrangling Tony is a lot like dealing with a goldfish. He’s a genius; she sees that when she walks into his house and sees about seven different projects lying around, and at least two papers that have notes about redoing a filtration system for drinking water. 

He is also incredibly stupid. 

“You have fifteen coffee cups out.” 

“Impossible, I don’t own that many!” 

“Aw, did you not take counting classes in preschool?” 

Tony likes her. A lot. She’s got a bite of wit, no-bullshit when it comes to business, and never misses a beat. She also has a killer sense of style, and is the one who makes sure he’s not wearing a weird mixture of jeans and a sport coat. 

“No.” 

“Come on, it’s not like fashion actually matters that much. Well, not to me.” 

“It should. You should be the most creatively dressed male out there, and you’re not. A black suit? God, that’s...that’s sad. No, I ordered you a blue silk suit. Embroidered with flowers all over, matching shoes with inverted colors. Come on. In you go.” 

“Ugh.” 

(His outfit is a smashing success, by the way. They ask who his stylist is, and he just says “Oh, my personal assistant said she would bury me in my garden if I wore a black suit. I would’ve dug it myself, looking on this now.”) 

- 

She does not tell him for a long time. At all. Because people are...weird about it. Weird questions, weird statements, and compliments so backhanded she doesn’t like to call them compliments. 

But at some point, she needs to tell him. Or she wants to. She wants to, she doesn’t have to. Yeah. 

Okay. So she’s in love with him. A tiny bit. 

- 

He makes her coffee. Every morning. Creamer goes into the mug first, then coffee. That’s the only way she takes it. 

He compliments her a lot, and she knows that this shouldn’t be a reason that love qualifies but it’s nice to hear. He also bought her a very expensive pair of shoes. 

Pepper honestly does want to tell him. She also does not want to lose her job, however. So she needs to gauge the situation. Maybe talk to some of her girlfriends, see what’s up. 

- 

Well then her boss goes missing for months and comes back and obviously you can’t tell someone you’re in love with them after they come back with an electromagnetic device in their chest. That’s just crazy. 

He came back...different. New circumstances, new outlook on life. She relates a tiny little bit. 

She buys herself a beautiful blue dress. He gives her his credit card, tells her to buy herself something nice, and goddammit she’s never been one to really disobey her boss. (Just bend some rules. Or create new ones that negate the old ones.) 

She curls her hair and only curses eight times, which is actually pretty good. Her usual amount of cursing per-curling-session is about eighty-two. 

He looks at her like she’s an angel, and she thinks...yeah. Okay. She’ll tell him that she’s in love with him. 

- 

Well then his uncle decides to attempt to kill him. God, what a mood killer. She hates this. 

- 

They’re laying down in his house on the patio, and he’s sipping on a smoothie that she’s honestly sure is 100% gross, and he turns to her. 

“Would you ever want to go on a date with me?” 

Pepper blinks. 

“Yes,” she says without skipping a beat. “But we need to have a discussion before I dedicate myself to this cause.” 

“What am I, a Salvation Army donation bin?” 

“Maybe.” 

“Then dinner-and-discussion tonight. Not a date. Just...talking.” 

- 

She’s nervous. She’s put her hair up so that she won’t run her fingers through it, but now she’s just fidgeting with her necklace and bracelet. 

Tony looks nice. He’s in a casual graphic tee and old jeans that are older than she actually knew they could hold together. She is in old shorts and a tank top and yeah it’s casual but it’s also nice and wow she’s really over-thought this. 

“So, what are your concerns?” Tony says. Getting to the point straight-away, that’s always his move. Pepper gulps. 

“You mind if I get water?” 

“Not at all.” 

She sips on water. 

“My concern is that I’m transgender and you need to know that before we pursue anything.” 

Tony blinks. 

“Um. Okay. Was not expecting that right out. I was more thinking you would have a problem with my new armor and Rhodey and I being immature when he visits and also how much time I spend on inventing.” 

“Well yeah, those too. But I deal with those all the time. But I’m also concerned about you pissing off the government and them sending secret agents to kill us.” 

Jarvis cuts in smoothly. 

“I am afraid, Miss Potts, that they wouldn’t make it two hundred feet of this current residence. Would you like me to update security protocols at other residences around the globe?” 

“You can do that?” Pepper asks. 

“Yes, Miss Potts.” 

“Please do update, thank you.” 

Tony grins, looking at her. The same way. Which is kind of exhilarating, all things considered. 

“You amaze me. J, remind me that if Pep and I break up, I need to build a bunker that could withstand a nuclear war.” 

“I will not remind you of that, as I’m sure it will be on you,” Jarvis remarks. 

Pepper snorts. 

“I wasn’t aware that I was going to turn my AI against myself,” Tony sighs. “Such is life.” 

Pepper grins. He squeezes her hand. 

“You want to celebrate this with wine? I’m sure tomorrow you’ll have me signing so many forms for workplace relationships that I’ll cry by two p.m.” 

“Make that one p.m., and you’ll be fine you big baby,” Pepper teases. 

Tony blows her a kiss as he gets up from the couch. 

“Thank you. For telling me. I know that that’s hard to tell people. Discuss more of it later, or now?” 

“Mm, later. It’s late at night, I’m tired.” 

“Gotcha. You want red or white tonight?” 

“...Red.” 

Tony grins, getting out the wine glasses. He pours carefully and expertly, and raises his. They clink their glasses together. 

“Cheers to more success. For the both of us.” 

Pepper grins softly. 

“For success.” 

[generouslyspeedycrusade]

You Shall Not Terminate The Life Of Your Unborn Child

These women most certainly should not terminate the life of their unborn child. There are approximately 1.3 million abortions performed each year in the United States. In 2006,Planned Parenthood had performed 289,750 abortions,or approximately 23% of all abortions,making it the largest abortion provider in the United States.

These poor innocent young children have endured enough pain and suffering. And they most certainly don’t need to endure anymore. They hereby claim and they further contend that a woman has a right to do whatever she wants with her own body.

Yes,a woman has a right to do whatever she wants with her own body as long as she doesn’t engage in illicit sexual intercourse or terminate the life of her unborn child. That child has rights. And they must be properly respected at all times.

They further ascertain that a woman has the right to terminate the life of her unborn child in the cases of rape and incest. Absolutely positively not!! If the mother doesn’t want her unborn child any longer she could always opt for adoption as opposed to terminating the life of her innocent born child.

Or she could enlist the help of friends or family members to assist her in tending to the needs of that particular child. In the Catholic Church if you procure any kind of an abortion you are automatically excommunicated from the Catholic Church. If you so desire to get reinstated into the Catholic Church you must go to confession on Saturday Afternoon and confess your sins to God.

And you must make full amends for what you have done. After you have received full absolution for your sins and are truly repentant of them then you will be deemed worthy to get reinstated into the Catholic Church and not before. You must fully resolve not to commit the same sins over and over again.

As the old saying goes: Actions do speak louder than words. Showing that you are truly sorry is much more important than the actual words used.

Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the first moment of conception. From the first moment of his existence,a human being must be recognized as having the rights of a person,among which is the inviolable right to every innocent being to life.

Since the first century,the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable. Direct abortion,that is to say,abortion willed as either an end or a means,is gravely contrary to the moral law.

Formal cooperation in an abortion constitutes a grave offense. The Church attaches the canonical penalty of excommunication to this crime against human life. A person who procures a completed abortion incurs excommunication latae sententiae,by the very commission of the offense,and subject to the conditions provided by Canon Law. The Church does not thereby intend to restrict the scope of mercy. Rather,She makes clear the gravity of the crime committed,the irreparable harm done to the innocent who is put to death,as well as to the parents and the whole of society.

A man and a woman most certainly shall not engage in any kind of sexual intercourse until they are properly married both in the eyes of the Church and in the eyes of God. God has instituted sex for marriage and that’s where it belongs.

Fornication is carnal union between an unmarried man and an unmarried woman. It is gravely contrary to the dignity of persons and of human sexuality which is naturally ordered to the good of spouses and the generation and education of children. Moreover,it is a grave scandal when there is corruption of the young.

Lust is disordered desire for or inordinate enjoyment of sexual pleasure. Sexual pleasure is morally disordered when sought for itself,isolated from its procreative and unitive purposes.

Abortion is homicide. It is murder. Unintentional killing is not morally imputable. But one is not exonerated from grave offense if,without proportionate reasons,he has acted in a way that brings about someones death,even without the intention to do so.

1 Corinthians 6:13: Foods are for the stomach,and the stomach,and thestomach is for foods,and God will destroy them both. But the body is not for sexual immorality,but for the Lord,and the Lord for the body.

1 Corinthians 6:14: God raised up the Lord and he will raise us up too by his power.

1 Corinthians 6:15: Do you not realize that your bodies are members of Christ’s body,do you think you can take parts of Christ’s body and join them to the body of a prostitute? Out of the question!

1 Corinthians 6:16: Or do you not realize that anyone who attaches himself to a prostitute becomes one body with her,since the two,since it is said,becomes one flesh.

1 Corinthians 6:17: But anyone who attaches himself to the Lord becomes one spirit with him.

1 Corinthians 6:18: Keep away from sexual immorality. All other sins that someone may commit are done outside the body,but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.

1 Corinthians 6:19: Do you not realize that body is the temple of the Holy Spirit,who is in you and whom you received from God?

1 Corinthians 6:20: You are not your own property,then;you have been bought at a price. So use your body for the glory of God.

Matthew 5:27-28: You have heard how it was said,You shall not commit adultery. But I say this to you,if a man looks at a woman lustfully,he has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

Let us all pray that abortion comes to an abrupt end effective immediately.

[usieldaca]

DACA: Here To Stay?

It was a warm and cloudy morning on September 5, 2017. As I woke up, all the news outlets were flooded with breaking news. DACA, or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals was rescinded by President Donald Trump. Hundreds of thousands of DACA Recipients also known as “Dreamers,” were left with confusion, uncertainty and their legal status left in limbo. As a DACA recipient myself, little did I know that this decision would be met with pushback and legal challenges would proceed. A roller coaster of emotions were set in motion for dreamers. 

DACA is a program that protects undocumented youth from deportation. This program was created by an executive order mandated by President Barack Obama on June 15, 2012. DACA recipients were brought to America at a young age and this country is the only place they know as their home. DACA enables immigrant youth to come out of the shadows, go to college and work legally. Recipients undergo background checks and other procedures by the USCIS to ensure eligibility. In order to maintain DACA status renewals are required every two years.

In January 2018 an order by U.S. District Judge William Alsup gave hope to DACA recipients as he ordered for DACA renewals to be put back in place. Nearly 690,000 dreamers, according to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, were safeguarded from deportation. However, The Trump Administration didn’t concede defeat. The battle to terminate DACA ensued. 

On June 18, The Supreme Court ruled to reinstate DACA as it was a violation of law to end it. According to an article titled “News Tip: Scotus’ DACA Decision Major Win For Young Immigrants, Experts Say” in the Duke Today, “efforts to end it had been arbitrary and capricious. The Trump administration’s error, the court ruled, was procedurally unsound, a kind of power grab that violated institutional norms and administrative culture by not addressing the policy consequences of changing DACA.” It was a huge victory for DACA recipients, immigrant families and everyone that supports the program. 

According to an article titled “Are DACA Students Still Safe to Stay?” dated April 25, 2017 in the New England Journal of Higher Education, from 2012 to 2016 the DACA program received approximately a million initial applications nationwide. Only 752,154 were successfully approved. 

In Nevada, according to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, there are 12,100 recipients as of March 31, 2020. Of those, there are 9,700 in the Las Vegas Valley. 

Some of those recipients go to school at University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

UNLV Student Juan Pablo Plascencia,  recalled that day, “Well when President Trump rescinded DACA, I didn’t get scared because I knew there was a long, legal battle going on. There are amazing people in our community who fight for us specifically Senator Dick Durbin who I think is a great man. There are a lot of amazing lawyers that see us for who we are. We’re human beings and not just a pawn to be played with when politics come around.” 

Plascencia doesn’t shy away from reality, “My mentality is pretty simple on this. I know my parents broke the law to bring me here. I was a child when I was brought here. I have no idea what happened. One day I was in Mexico. The next day I’m here in Las Vegas. It’s like time travel. That’s the way I explain it to people when they ask me but the thing is that my parents had to do something that even though it wasn’t legal, morally it makes sense.” 

Many DACA recipients grew up unaware that they were undocumented. The harsh reality of who they are came at a young age. Many wanted to start employment or travel outside of the country. 

Leslie Vazquez, University of Washington Tacoma student with DACA status recalled, “I first realized I was undocumented when I was in middle school. I actually wanted to travel to Mexico and my mom had to have a conversation with me about me not being able to leave the country.” 

Growing up unsure of what the future has in store is terrifying. President Trump’s antics fueled fear and unpredictability. 

“I felt like I couldn’t breathe and enjoy living in America. I could empathize with jewish people. I understood how they felt, be extra careful. Don’t say anything, don’t post anything. That might be used against you.” Plascencia said. “It was hard. As a history teacher, one of the things I always tell my students is to love your country. Love your country enough for when you see an issue, you want to go and fix it. I think President Trump is a hypocrite. He tells us that he’s going to treat DACA with kindness and a lot of heart. It’s a good thing for the DACA kids. He then puts his foot in our butt and files to remove DACA. Loses the court case and then he states he will file the proper paperwork to get this over. I’m sorry sir, am I just a pawn to you? Is my humanity not real? Are my efforts not good enough for you?”

Joe Biden became the U.S. President-elect earlier in November. Biden has been vocal about his support on DACA. On November 2, 2020, Biden tweeted, “Dreamers are Americans -- And it’s time we make it official.” 

Vazquez said, “I am excited to know that Biden has won the presidency and I remain hopeful that he will be able to help us ‘Dreamers.’ It's easier to believe Biden when he says he will help us gain citizenship because we’ve had four years of someone who has consistently put us down. However, I am not going to get my hopes up until action is done.”  

Although hope is not lost, it has dissipated for many DACA recipients.

“I saw who he appointed for his cabinet. He appointed the same woman that approved for family separation at the border under the Obama Administration. I just hope it’s not the same thing. Which it’s looking like it might be.” Plascencia said. “Personally, I have hope but at the same time I’m not holding my breath anymore. I’m not going to wait to live my life. I’ll do the best that I can under the system that I’m in. At the end of the day, I’m not going to beg for scraps. I’m a productive member of this society. I don’t see immigration being on top of Biden’s list. Right now we are in a pandemic and after the pandemic it’ll be the economy and after the economy we have another two year election.” 

Furthermore, Plascencia explains his thoughts on DACA, “I did what I was asked to do, I signed up for DACA. I have done everything right, I’ve never broken the law but what I want is for politicians to make this right. We passed the test. DACA is a smashing success. There are 95 percent of us that are excelling in the program. Five percent have been sent back. That’s good, this is an audition. We have to prove to the American people but at the same time I’m not begging for scraps. I don’t beg for scraps but at the same time it has to be done in a way that makes sense. DACA to me makes perfect sense. You put us young people to audition. What was the audition? Exactly what it says on the applications. I think instead of democrats and republicans promising the world to us, I’d rather see some action. I need to see some movement.”  

However, those that oppose the DACA program state that illegal immigration is being encouraged through its’ policies. According to an article titled, “Are DACA and The Dream Act Good For America?” in the Britannica ProCon, Congressman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) said that DACA “encouraged more illegal immigration and contributed to the surge of unaccompanied minors and families seeking to enter the U.S. illegally.” In the same article, according to Karl Eschbach, PhD, “DACA will increase the undocumented population because those who don’t qualify for DACA will stay in the hopes of qualifying eventually, and more people will immigrate assuming coverage by DACA or a similar program.”

In addition, according to an article titled, “It’s Time to End DACA -- It’s Unconstitutional Unless Approved by Congress” in the Heritage, “Providing amnesty and potential citizenship to DACA recipients and other illegal immigrants before we have a secure border will only encourage even more illegal immigration, just as the 1986 amnesty in the Immigration Reform and Control Act did. That law provided citizenship to almost 3 million illegal immigrants and was supposed to solve the problem of illegal immigration. Yet within 10 years, there were another almost 6 million illegal immigrants in the U.S.

The federal government should be concentrating on enhancing immigration enforcement and border security to stem the flow of illegal immigrants into the country and reduce the number of them already in the interior of the U.S.”

As DACA continues to hang in the balance politically, recipients continue setting goals for their futures optimistically. 

“I would love to graduate with a PHd in Neurological Psychology,” Plascencia said. “I would love to go to Medical School to practice Psychology. That’s something I believe I would be really good at. Again I’m not hoping for it, I’m just waiting to make my moves. When my parents came to America they had ten dollars in their pockets. Now, I’m about to purchase my own house, I have my own car.”

Additionally Plascencia added that he is working on his third degree at UNLV. He will be graduating with his Masters in Curriculum/Instruction in Secondary Social Studies. He is a social studies and history teacher at the Las Vegas Academy Performing Arts. 

Plascencia reflects, “Education is the most powerful and important thing. I think that as a person I want to be more educated. I would love to become a citizen because I do want to vote. As a teacher it’s ironic I can’t vote but I teach my students how to.”

Vazquez is currently in the last quarter of obtaining her Bachelor’s degree in accounting at the Milgard School of Business. Vazquez and her parents own their own Mexican restaurant which has been open to the public for three years. “I hope that I will remain in the country for years to come. My ultimate dream is to get my CPA degree to help our community.”

As the uncertainty is still not over, recipients contemplate their decisions with valor. 

“As a person who has DACA, I’m pretty much at the end of my road. I could go teach at the University in Canada, I could teach in a University in England, I could go live in Spain, Germany. But instead I’m choosing to stay because this is the only country that I know about,” Plascencia said. 

[feministstruggle]

Abortion is a Woman’s Fundamental Right

https://feministstruggle.org/2019/05/20/abortion-is-a-womans-fundamental-right/

Our world is crying out as abortion bans are in sweeping through conservative parts of the country, particularly the southeastern United States, the historical site of much slavery and the largest African American communities, as well as a stronghold of white Christian patriarchy. While some women in the liberal northeast and west coast may never experience these bans, Black and U.S. Native American women (groups who researchers say have the highest risk of dying in childbirth) as well as poor, young, and rural women (who cannot as easily access affordable health care) will be primarily impacted by these bans. In addition, the Journal of Perinatal Education states that unintended pregnancies -- which abortion would allow us to stop -- are associated with increased likelihood of risk factors causing death in childbirth, which also happens to vary by state. Women will always attempt to perform abortions, whether or not the abortions are legal. Women die from both unintended pregnancies and attempted unsafe abortions all over the world, and lack of access to safe abortions (caused by outlawing abortion) puts them at risk. Therefore, the bans on abortion amount to the state-sanctioned murder of women, especially those of less social privilege. All of the country is ablaze with fury and apprehension, and we are seeing even women who were previously apolitical now come forward to speak with their families and communities on the right of a woman to abortion.

The male supremacist right wing sees women as vessels to produce the working class, soldiers to uphold their various patriarchal nationalisms — and not as full human beings unto ourselves! As radical feminists, we vehemently reject this ethos. These are the hateful convulsions of an anti-abortion movement that knows many of these bans are nearly impossible to enforce. This round of bans are purposely unconstitutional, designed to force a Supreme Court case that (they hope) would overturn Roe v. Wade. But we women won’t let them. We have a vast number of sympathetic medical personnel nationwide and can end unwanted pregnancies privately during the first 9 weeks with the medications misoprostol and mifepristone.

Abortion rights have been whittled away, step by step for decades, starting with the Hyde Amendment. Because legislators couldn’t take abortion away from us immediately, they have been doing it slowly. Parental Consent & Notification laws, TRAP laws, mandated sonograms/guilt trips/”waiting periods” — an astonishing array of laws designed to deprive us of our bodily autonomy. When Donald Trump took office, his Supreme Court picks were specifically for overturning Roe v. Wade, and one of his first executive orders was an attack on abortion. As Planned Parenthood Action Fund states: “The global gag rule was first introduced by President Ronald Reagan in 1984. On January 23, 2017, in one of his first acts as president, President Donald Trump reinstated and expanded the global gag rule. … The global gag rule prevents foreign organizations receiving U.S. global health assistance from providing information, referrals, or services for legal abortion or advocating for access to abortion services in their country — even with their own money.”

Trump’s executive order, which was essentially an imposed sanction on women’s bodies around the world, severely hampers women’s ability to obtain abortions and other sexual health care, regardless of legality in their own countries. It even prohibits health care providers’ ability to treat AIDS, a crisis which Trump boasted about attempting to fix. The terrible impact is felt “especially in places where maternal deaths, HIV rates and unmet need for contraception are unacceptably high. Communities have lost access to essential life-saving services such as HIV testing, antiretroviral medications, nutritional support, birth control and pregnancy care,” says Dr. Leana Wen, President of Planned Parenthood.

It’s a United States tradition for the ruling elite to practice human rights abuses overseas before bringing them home. This year, we are seeing a wave of abortion bans. The New York Times (pdf) has the rundown. As of May 2019, Georgia, Ohio, Kentucky, and Mississippi severely limited abortion rights to the first trimester. Alabama eliminated abortion rights entirely, even in cases of rape and incest. Utah, Arkansas, and Missouri all reduced abortion rights farther back into the 2nd trimester, away from the Roe v. Wade holding.

The bans are being met with fierce resistance. Kansas just added abortion protection to its constitution. New York enacted a law that will preserve access to abortions, protect medical professionals who perform abortions from being criminalized, allow medical professionals who are not doctors to perform abortions, and allow abortions to be performed after 24 weeks if the fetus is not viable or to protect the life of the woman. Vermont is about to pass a bill allowing abortions with “zero” limits, as a “fundamental right”, and prohibits government entities from interfering with or restricting access to abortion, “ensuring that any pregnancy may be terminated for any reason at any time”. Some Democrats called it “too far“! And this isn’t the first time Democrats started sounding like Republicans: in New Mexico, eight Democrats crossed party lines to defeat a pro-choice bill. Nor is it simply a matter of going “too far”. A milder law comparable to New York’s was proposed in Virginia by Kathy Tran, who immediately faced death threats, and the Republicans spread fake news that the bill was about legalizing “infanticide”. The Virginia bill removed some restrictions on abortion in the third trimester of pregnancy, allowed abortions during the second trimester to take place outside of hospitals, and made it so only one doctor would be needed to determine that pregnancy threatens the woman’s life or health.

We’ve never had full abortion rights. All the ways that the patriarchy nitpicks a woman’s right to abortion into “trimesters”, “medical” necessity, conditions of rape, harsher restrictions in some regions, etc, only serve to divide women and distract us from the fundamental right that women have to abortions on demand without apology, without approval, and without being treated as criminals.

Feminists in Struggle insists on ABORTIONS ON DEMAND with zero questions asked. The only condition should be the consent of the woman who is pregnant. We also demand an end to the petty restrictions and code regulations (TRAP laws) that specifically discriminate against pregnant women and abortion clinics. We won’t stop there. We demand safe abortion access for women both in the United States, where we are based, and everywhere else. But because patriarchy divides women, the women’s liberation movement is divided into various camps. The Democratic party soaks up most of women’s political energy, preventing us from experiencing our full potential as a movement.

You must be wondering: what can radical feminists do? What can WE all do about this? Especially while we are still living out the war on feminism by dominant forces in the transgender movement, positioning radical feminists as underdogs in any discussion on feminism? Ridiculous rhetoric we’ve been peddled about “pregnant people” instead of “pregnant women” is becoming “abortions for people” instead of “abortions for women”. We consider abortion a right of the female sex, but for us to say that in progressive circles will bring controversy and distractions that women can’t afford.

As radical feminists, we can utilize our position as the radicals and underdogs to push harder and farther than anyone else will. Our hearts are with the everyday woman. We will do what the long arm of the Democratic party would never do. We will demand ABORTIONS ON DEMAND WITHOUT CONDITION. Not to mention, free health care that includes abortions. And… END THE GLOBAL GAG ORDER!  100% of unwanted pregnancies are caused by MEN, yet no one holds the men responsible for the life-threatening condition of pregnancy!

If you join us at Feminists in Struggle, we will be able to organize marches for abortion rights and pressure legislators to secure abortion as women’s fundamental right. We can all strategize together. However, because our organization is young, what we want and what is feasible are two different things. We call for united mass action on the streets. We call for civil disobedience. We call for all women to speak up about abortion. We call for you and us to join the larger marches and apply pressure there for people to take up more radical positions.

We call for teaching women en masse how to use and smuggle the abortion pill, and perform menstrual extractions. We call for you, if you live in a state that protects abortion, to consider taking direct action to provide safe harbor for women seeking out of state abortions. Bring back the Jane Collective. We want to educate women about women’s self help groups who work to keep women’s health in women’s hands. Educate yourself and others on the use of plan B, a medication you can buy at the pharmacy that is effective in preventing pregnancy if taken within 48 to 72 hours following unprotected sex. Educate yourself and others on misoprostol and mifepristone, which can end unwanted pregnancies privately during the first 9 weeks. Educate women on preventing pregnancy and obtaining safe abortions. Spread the word to women affected by these bans not to sign any waivers when they get an abortion. You can also agitate and get previously apolitical women involved in the broader struggle. And of course… Join us as a member in F.I.ST’s Feminist Assembly!

Women are half the population. Women have the numbers. We will prevail! We have a few suggested chants and slogans: “Our bodies, our spaces, our sex based rights.” “My body, MY CHOICE!” “Keep your rosaries off my ovaries! “Women’s bodies are not incubators!” “It’s not a womb, it’s a WOMAN” “Abortion on demand, NO APOLOGY!” “Birth must be voluntary. Abortion is health care. Health care is a human right.” “Free Abortion on Demand!”

[gaywrites]

Earlier this month, Jocelyn Morffi married the love of her life in a beautiful beachside ceremony. But days later, she was fired from her job as a first-grade Catholic school teacher -- because the love of her life is a woman.

Morffi had taught at Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic School in Miami for more than six years. School and church officials say by loving and marrying her now-wife, Natasha Hass, she broke the contract she signed when she got her job saying she would uphold Catholic ideals.

The school told parents that a “difficult decision” had been made to terminate Morffi, didn’t offer a reason for her departure, and asked for prayers. 

Instead, about a dozen angry parents showed up at the school the next day, demanding an explanation and speaking to gathered news cameras.

“We were extremely livid. They treated her like a criminal; they didn’t even let her get her things out of her classroom,” Cintia Cini, whose child was in Morffi’s class, told the Miami Herald. Cini and other parents said they didn’t know or care about Morffi’s sexual orientation.

“Our only concern was the way she was with our children, the way she taught our children, and this woman by far was one of the best teachers out there,” Cini said. [...]

Now, parents at Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic School say they are fighting for the reinstatement of a woman who not only taught their children to read and write, but also ran a volunteer organization called #teachHope70x7 that enlisted students to distribute meals to the homeless on weekends.

“We were completely outraged, all of the parents,” Samantha Mills, whose child was in Morffi’s class last year, told the Herald. “This teacher in particular has made such a contribution to the school. She never imposes her personal beliefs on others. She just does everything in love.”

Despite its discriminatory behavior, the school receives state-funded scholarship money -- which means Florida taxpayer dollars are going to religious schools that kick out LGBTQ teachers. UGH. 

Here’s an example of a school completely failing its students, and the parents coming through on the right side of history. Best wishes to this amazing teacher and her students, who just lost a fantastic role model in the classroom. 

[fandomtrumpshate]

FTH nonprofits: RAICES

This year, FTH is dedicating the fight to twelve incredible charity organizations that work ceaselessly to protect marginalized and vulnerable communities. Each day for the next twelve days, we’ll be posting a more in-depth look at what one of these organizations does and how a donation could help their cause.

RAICES: Providing free and low-cost legal services to immigrant children, families, and refugees.

Immigrants comprise approximately 14% of the US population: more than 43 million out of a total of ~323 million people, according to Census Bureau data. Altogether, immigrants and their US-born children make up about 27% percent of U.S. inhabitants.(1) In 2017, Trump endorsed the Reforming American Immigration for a Strong Economy (RAISE) Act, which lowers the total number of legal immigrants while increasing the portion of highly skilled and educated legal immigrants, eliminating extended family preferences and the diversity lottery immigrant visa program. RAISE expects to reduce legal immigration by about 40% in its first year. (2) The Trump administration has also significantly decreased the number of refugees that will be accepted into the US, with ~85,000 people accepted in 2016, ~54,000 in 2017, ~45,000 in 2018, and a cap of 30,000 announced for 2019 (fiscal years).(3) (4) In 2017, the Trump administration ended temporary protected status for thousands of Haitians and Nicaraguans who were allowed into the US after environmental disasters in their home countries, and in 2018, extended that for hundreds of thousands of Hondurans, Nepalis, and Salvadorans living in the US under the same relief scheme.(1)

Not only has Trump deployed demeaning and false rhetoric against US immigrants throughout his campaign and presidency, he has also made reducing immigration, whether legal or not, a central issue in appealing to his constituency. The most well-known declaration was Trump’s promise to build a wall across the US-Mexico border paid for by Mexico*, which has resulted in the longest government shutdown in US history (still ongoing) after Trump refused to sign a Senate-approved stopgap spending bill on 20 December 2018 because it didn’t include money for additions to the aforementioned wall.(5) Another as-yet unsuccessful policy decision was Trump’s 2017 announcement to phase out the Deferred Action for Child Arrivals (DACA) programme, as court challenges have so far prevented him from terminating the program thus far.(1)

Yet the Trump administration has successfully instituted several horrifying new policies as well as rescinded others established by previous administrations. After 2 revisions following legal setbacks, Trump’s third iteration of a travel-ban that denied citizens of Iran, Libya, North Korea, Syria, Venezuela, and Yemen entry into the US stood against the Supreme Court (Iraq, Sudan, and Chad have been removed from the list since the initial 2017 entry requirement test).(1) (6) By executive order, the government has ended exemptions based on “classes or categories of removable aliens from potential enforcement”, as well as ordered increases in enforcement personnel and removal facilities. For reference, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is required by law to maintain 34,000 immigration detention beds, daily, and spent nearly 3 billion dollars to manage the US immigration detention system in 2017, requesting an additional billion for the 2018 fiscal year.(7) The executive order also blocked federal funds from so-called “sanctuary” jurisdictions and reinstate a controversial programme known as Secure Communities, in which state and local police provide fingerprints of suspects to federal immigration authorities and hand over individuals presumed to be in the country illegally, rescinded previous privacy protections. This is only one aspect of the ordered expansion of enforcement partnerships among federal, state, and local agencies, leading to the March 2018 Justice Department lawsuit against the state of California over allegations that the state’s laws obstruct federal immigration enforcement. (1) (8) Various other moves have included:

a proposal to deprive unaccompanied minors of special protections under the law and allow the US government to hold minors in detention so long as their immigration case remains open (9)

a new policy where parents already living in the US may be subject to deportation or even prosecution for enabling their children to join them unaccompanied (8)

The Justice Department prosecuting every person who illegally crosses into the US along the Southwest border, a zero-tolerance measure that is splitting up families because children are not allowed in criminal jails (10)

ending the “Catch and Release” policy (8)

plans to sign an executive order that would remove the right to citizenship for babies of non-U.S. citizens and undocumented immigrants born on U.S. soil (11)

using a 2-decade old law which allows the government to quickly deport undocumented immigrants who have recently arrived in the US without allowing them go before a judge. The Trump administration plans to utilise expedited removal as extensively as possible (8)

The Refugee And Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Service (RAICES) promotes justice by providing free and low-cost legal services to immigrant children, families, and refugees. Founded in 1986 as the Refugee Aid Project by community activists in South Texas, RAICES has grown to be the largest immigration legal services provider in Texas, combining expertise developed from the daily practice of immigration law with a deep commitment to advocacy. RAICES provides consultations, direct legal services, representation, assistance and advocacy to communities in Texas and to clients after they leave the state.(12)

RAICES services include:

residency and citizenship application assistance

legal services to asylum-seekers that may be eligible to obtain relief under humanitarian bases

assisting immigrant victims of crime, including domestic violence, by representing their immigration legal rights and assisting with protection orders

representing people in detention who are seeking release through bond, in addition to those who are fighting court cases following their release

handling DACA renewals and advising TPS recipients and refugees.

providing free legal information, referrals and direct representation for unaccompanied minors in the custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement

In addition to these services, RAICES directs the Karnes Pro Bono Project, which was launched in 2014 to provide free legal services and interview preparation aid to women and children detainees in the Karnes Family Detention Center. Through their newly launched Family Reunification Programme, RAICES is working with the Texas Civil Rights Project to identify the families being separated at the border, plus identify the separated parents of the children they work with in their children’s programme. RAICES supplies trained volunteers to provide accompaniment to immigration procedures such as  ICE check-ins, court dates and bond paying, along with community speakers who present about immigration rights. Lastly, RAICES is a newly designated refugee resettlement agency that now supports refugees and their families from all over the world as they make their home in San Antonio.This includes welcoming refugees, assisting them as they adjust to life in the US, and administering short-term Refugee Cash Assistance and Match Grant benefits.(13)

As a direct consequence of Trump’s new immigration policies, RAICES hired 137 new employees in 2018, as well as opening 3 new offices so as to adequately serve the Texas state area. Early in the 2018 summer, the Trump administration decided, just as it ramped up its separation policy, to halt funding for released children in RAICES’ Dallas office. This meant that RAICES had to run a massive fundraising campaign to continue their operations, which was thankfully incredibly successful. RAICES’ children’s programme accepted over 400 cases in 2018 and provided “know your rights” trainings to over 4,500 children inside detention centers. The family detention team has worked for a total of 26,000 hours providing legal services at the Karnes  Family Detention Center. From  1 October 2017 through to 10 December 2018, RAICES hs helped 201 refugees to resettle into new communities in San Antonio. It continues its fight into 2019 with the knowledge that its allies have its back.(14)

*Readers should be aware that approximately 700 miles of border fencing at the US-Mexico border already existed prior to Trump’s announcement. Additionally, Border Patrol already employs a "digital wall" composed of about 8,000 cameras, which monitor the southern fence and ports of entry. Its resources also include more than 11,000 underground sensors, 107 aircraft, eight drones, 175 mobile surveillance units and 84 boats.  Jacobo, Julia, and Serena Marshall. "Nearly 700 Miles Of Fencing At The US-Mexico Border Already Exist". ABC News, 26 Jan. 2017.

The Refugee And Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Service is a tax deductible 501(c)3 charitable organisation.

Citations:

[1] Felter, Claire, and Danielle Renwick. "The U.S. Immigration Debate". Council On Foreign Relations, 2 July 2018.

[2] "The RAISE Act: Effect On Economic Growth And Jobs". Penn Wharton University Of Pennsylvania, 14 Aug. 2017.

[3] "'Shameful': US Slashes Number Of Refugees It Will Admit To 30,000". Aljazeera.Com, 18 Sept. 2018.

[4] US Slashes Number Of Refugees It Is Ready To Resettle". Aljazeera.Com, 28 Sept. 2017.

[5] Pierson, Carli. "Two More Years Of Donald Trump's Anti-Immigration Tactics Will Create Devastation". The Independent, 21 Jan. 2019.

[6] "TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, ET AL. V. HAWAII ET AL. (No. 17–965.)". Supremecourt.Gov, 28 June 2018.

[7] Pierson, Carli. "Here's Why Trump Doesn't Really Want To Stop The Migrant Caravan". The Independent, 31 Oct. 2018.

[8] Dickerson, Caitlin et al. "Trump’s Immigration Policies Explained". New York Times, 21 Feb. 2017.

[9] Bach, Natasha. “Trump Administration to Bypass Limits on Detention of Child Migrants Through New Regulations”. Fortune, 6 Sept 2018

[10] Horwtiz, Sari, and Maria Sacchetti. "Sessions Vows To Prosecute All Illegal Border Crossers And Separate Children From Their Parents". The Washington Post, 7 May 2018.

[11] Da Silva, Chantal. "Trump Says He Plans To Sign An Executive Order To End Birthright Citizenship". Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2018.

[12] “About RAICES”. RAICES.

[13] “Services”. RAICES.

[14] “2018: The Year You Had Our Back.” RAICES, 10 Jan. 2019.

[life-in-zen]

Title IX Frequently Asked Questions - Your Rights as a Pregnant and Parenting Student

(From the National Women’s Law Center. PDF version here.)

How does Title IX apply to pregnant or parenting students?

Title IX prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex - including pregnancy, parenting, and all related conditions, such as abortion - in all educational programs and activities that get federal funding. This means that schools must give all students who might be, are, or have been pregnant the same access to school programs and educational opportunities that other students have. Your professors or administrators should not tell you that you have to drop out of your classes or program or change your educational plans due to your pregnancy. 

Does my school have to excuse my absences due to pregnancy, childbirth, or abortion? 

Your school must excuse your absences due to pregnancy or any related conditions for as long as your doctor says it is necessary for you to be absent. This is true even if there is no leave policy for students with other conditions. When you return to school, you must be reinstated to the status you held before your leave. The school can require you to submit a doctor’s note only if that is required of students with other medical conditions.

My professor adjusts grades based on class attendance. Can she lower my grade because of the classes I miss? 

You cannot be penalized for pregnancy or other related conditions. If a professor provides specific “points” or other advantages to students based on class attendance, you must be given the opportunity to earn back the credit from classes you miss due to pregnancy, so that you can be reinstated to the status you held before you took leave.

Does my school have to let me make up the work I missed while I was absent?

Yes, your school must let you make up the work you missed while you were out due to pregnancy or any related conditions, including recovery from childbirth. For example, if you have a doctor’s note that excuses you from class for several weeks because you were on “bed rest” before giving birth, your school has to provide you with the appropriate assignments and information to make up all of the work you would have been required to complete while you were out. For an extended absence, it is best if your school provides you with the work you miss regularly, so you do not fall far behind.

But what if my school says that absence or make-up work policies are up to each individual professor? 

While that may be the school’s practice, the school administration and professors are bound by federal civil rights law. Title IX requires that schools ensure that all faculty and staff comply with the law and do not discriminate against pregnant and parenting students. An individual professor’s policy is not okay if it breaks the law

Does my school have to provide special academic services to me, like tutoring?

 Title IX requires that schools provide pregnant students with any special services they provide to students with temporary disabilities. If students with temporary disabilities get at-home tutoring to help them keep up with work they miss when absent, the school must provide students who miss class because of pregnancy or childbirth with the same benefit.

What about internships, career rotations, and other off-campus elements of my program - do I have a right to participate in those? 

Yes. Your school must allow you to continue participating in off-campus programs. For example, if your program provides opportunities to “work in the field” your school cannot deny you participation based on your pregnancy. The school cannot require a doctor’s note for continued participation, unless the school requires one for all students who have a medical condition that requires treatment by a doctor. If they do ask for a note, they cannot second-guess your doctor’s decision.

Classmates and even professors have made offensive comments to me about my pregnancy. Should I complain to the school about it? 

Title IX requires schools to prevent and address sex-based harassment, including harassment based on pregnancy. If you experience this sort of treatment at school, you should seek help immediately. The law prohibits the school from retaliating against you for making a complaint or raising a concern.

I have a scholarship - can my school take it back when they find out I am pregnant? 

No, schools cannot terminate or reduce athletic, merit, or need-based scholarships based on pregnancy. If you stay in school, you can keep your scholarship

I want to take a semester off. Can I keep my student status, scholarship, etc.? 

Not necessarily - it depends on the leave policy at your school. If you want to take off more time than your doctor says is medically necessary, you will need to consult your school’s non-medical leave policy.

What if I work for the school as a graduate assistant, in addition to being a student? Do I still have the same rights? Do I qualify for maternity leave? 

Your rights as an employee are different from your rights as a student. If you work for the school, you may be eligible for family or medical leave, or may qualify for maternity leave under the school’s policy, but that may not include leave from your classes, beyond what is medically necessary.

I am no longer pregnant and/or have already graduated - is there anything I can do about the discrimination I experienced as a pregnant student? 

You may still have options. Contact your Title IX Coordinator, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, or the National Women’s Law Center to learn more. Even if it is too late for you, you can help us ensure that women who find themselves in your shoes do not run into the same barriers.

I want to return to school 3 days after I have the baby, so I don’t fall too far behind, but my department head thinks I should take more time off to recover. What should I do? 

Your school must leave it up to you and your doctor to decide when you can return. While the school must offer to excuse more leave than that (under Title IX your absence must be excused for as long as your doctor says is medically necessary), no one can force you to take more leave just because they think it would be better for you (or your baby). And the school cannot have a rule that prohibits students from returning to classes for a set period of time after childbirth.

Where do I start to figure out whether or not my school is violating Title IX? 

A good first step in measuring your school’s compliance is to compare how they treat pregnant students to how they treat students with other temporary disabilities. Under Title IX, schools must offer pregnant students the same benefits they offer to students with other temporary medical conditions. 

One exception to this rule is absences - Title IX requires that schools excuse absences due to pregnancy and related conditions, regardless of the school’s absence policy. 

Your school is required to designate a Title IX Coordinator who should be able to answer questions for you about Title IX and pregnancy. 

Some states and school districts have their own laws that provide other protections or even support services, for students. You should talk to a lawyer to find out what policies apply in your area. 

[chaotic-weevil]

3 arrested as students walk out over 'I Resolve' reversal

(Daily Courier article on GP school walkout in support of transgender students’ rights, de-paywalled for free access)

By Lauren Bishop and Adam Robertson of the Daily Courier Front Page News Last Update Wednesday, November 17th, 2021

Photos by BEA AHBECK/Daily Courier

Student protesters wave goodbye to an anti-abortion counterprotester after they escorted her down the street and away from Grants Pass High School on Tuesday afternoon. As many as 300 students walked out of class at the high school to protest the Grants Pass School Board's reinstatement of North Middle School assistant principal Rachel Damiano and science teacher Katie Medart.

A week after the Grants Pass School Board voted to reinstate the two "I Resolve" educators, students walked out of school Tuesday to support those whose rights Rachel Damiano and Katie Medart have lobbied against.

Students at Grants Pass High School, Gladiola High School, North Middle School and South Middle School left classes to rally in protest of the school board's reinstatement of Damiano, a North assistant principal, and Medart, a science teacher. Both had been terminated for violating district policies while crafting a video campaign lobbying against the rights of transgender students.

During the protest, police estimated 200 to 300 students and community members gathered outside Grants Pass High School, many wearing purple to show support for people who identify as transgender.

While it started out as peaceful, the demonstration turned raucous when counterprotesters holding signs saying "LGBTQ ... earn death and hell" and opposing abortions arrived.

Demonstrators quickly swarmed the counterprotesters, yelling "Go home" and "No one wants you here," along with some other choice phrases and expletives.

Jim Hamilton, deputy chief of the Grants Pass Police Department, said afterward that he was sitting down with his officers to get a better picture of what took place during the walkout.

"We're going to figure out what happened," he said. "There were people on multiple sides of that thing. It was kind of a mess."

Police released a statement later Tuesday evening that two juveniles and one adult were arrested during the protests.

According to police, a 15-year-old student spit in a man's face who was counterprotesting. The teen was escorted away from the demonstration, with criminal charges pending.

Police said they arrested a 14-year-old student who began swinging a broomstick at the same counterprotester. The student was taken to the juvenile justice center, cited and released to a parent.

A third person, whom police identified as a 19-year-old from Medford, allegedly attempted to prevent officers from arresting the 14-year-old. Police say the protester then attempted to block officers and an officer's vehicle. The teen was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for riot, second-degree disorderly conduct and interfering with police, and was released from custody this morning.

As protesters were being detained, groups of students encircled the police vehicles and at one point locked arms in an attempt to stop a car from driving away.

Walkouts were held at Grants Pass High School, Gladiola High School and North and South middle schools, Grants Pass Superintendent Kirk Kolb said.

Student organizers were up front with the district about plans for the walkout, Kolb said. Many students followed the plan to return to class after 20 minutes of protest, but at about that time, the counterprotesters arrived.

"We were very disappointed in the antagonist protesters from the community that showed up, which incited students to act inappropriately," Kolb said, adding, "It's unfortunate we had a few who felt the need to grandstand or take the stage from our students."

Kolb confirmed that the two juveniles who were detained during the protest were students from Grants Pass High School. He said he is meeting with Police Chief Warren Hensman today to debrief on the walkout.

Protesters at the high school held handmade signs: "Protect Trans Rights" and "Give Us a Vote." Others wore transgender and LGBTQ pride flags around their shoulders or waved them on flagpoles.

Grants Pass freshman Aralyah Bigley and many others cheered as more and more students exited the school building around 1:45 p.m.

"It's screwed up that schools are putting gender identity in front of education," Bigley said. "It's nobody's business but your own."

Damiano and Medart were fired in July after an external investigation conducted by a former Grants Pass police chief found that they violated district policies while creating the video with assistance from Edgewater Christian Fellowship. The video caught the community's attention after it was posted to YouTube over spring break earlier this year.

Their "I Resolve Movement" sought to restrict use of school restrooms to "anatomically male" and "anatomically female," put limits on student name changes, and mandate that neither staff nor classmates had to call transgender students by their preferred names or their preferred pronouns. Medart also was accused of violating a student's confidentiality when she spoke in the video about a student who is transitioning.

After a contentious vote in July to accept district Kolb's recommendation that they be fired, the school board last week voted to reinstate the two educators, though it's not clear if Damiano and Medart will return to their former positions.

Grants Pass High junior Deenie Bulyalert helped organize the walkout at the high school, and began the protest with a few words welcoming the students who chose to support their peers by leaving school.

"For all of the LGBTQ+ students at our school that feel you don't belong, you do," she said into a megaphone at the outset of the walkout.

After the dust-ups between students, counterprotesters and police, Bulyalert said she was speechless, both in a good and bad way.

"This showed students there is a community out there for people, but then ... things got out of hand," Bulyalert said.

Jaycie Smith, a freshman, was near the front of a group of protesters telling the counterprotesters to leave. Smith said students should have a right to be who they are at school and not be in a situation where it may be unsafe.

"We need staff who really care for us," Smith said. "We're just people, students who want an education."

And freshman Hannah Denton Gauss, who identifies as nonbinary, said being safe in school should be a priority.

"It shouldn't be a thing that we're still oppressed," Denton Gauss said. "People say it's 2021, but there hasn't been as much change as there should be."

Skyler Westra, who graduated from Grants Pass High in 2012, said transgender students are often treated with hostility, and schools are one of the last places for them to feel safe and welcomed.

"Letting trans kids and others be accepted wholeheartedly is the true spirit of academia," Westra said. "People coming into schools who are not respecting and accepting of students ... their job is to build people up not break them down."

The scene was more tranquil during the walkout at North Middle School, where Damiano and Medart had worked prior to being put on leave and then terminated. Dozens of students gathered, holding signs and waving flags like their high school counterparts.

North Middle School student Hank Rood said the school board's decision to reverse Damiano and Medart's termination will only hurt students at the school and around the district.

Rood said he believed the "I Resolve Movement" puts transgender students in danger, which could prompt trouble at home and even attempts at self harm.

"The policies that [the educators] are trying to instate are bringing harm to trans youth," Rood said.

He said that if the district cares about its students, the board would reverse its decision to reinstate the educators.

Parents, too, turned out to support the students in their walkout. Analila Rodriguez, who said she was the parent of an LGBTQ student at North Middle School, stayed back from the core protest, but carried a rainbow parasol to show her support.

She said she supports her child's involvement in the walkout and that it's not fair for the school district to employ teachers who have had problems with the LGBTQ community.

"We are in the 21st century, so if you don't have an open mind, I don't know how you can deal with this. And you're a teacher, you went to school to protect those kids," Rodriguez said. "We're all equal, we're all the same; it doesn't matter if you're part of the LGBTQ community. ... In God's eyes we're all the same."

To finish the protest, the middle school students silently circled the North campus.

———

Reach reporter Lauren Bishop at 541-474-3806 or lbishop@thedailycourier.com.

Reach reporter Adam Robertson at 541-474-3813 or arobertson@thedailycourier.com.

[kathleenwashpon88]

Reinstatement of Parental Rights After Termination

[fredahahn95-blog]

if my auto insurance policy cancelled

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