Women’s Rights

The fight for fairness in education for pregnant and parenting girls recently got a big boost – from the federal government. The U.S. Department of Education took action to make sure these girls are given the same access to education and opportunities as other students.

Health care facilities open to the general public should provide access to a full range of health care services. Religious ideology should not determine what health care services are available to patients.

Labor issues were much on the minds of the small group of people who began meeting in Seattle in 1920 to discuss civil liberties violations in Washington state. After all, this was the year after the famous (or infamous, depending on one’s politics) five-day Seattle General Strike, the first general strike by labor unions in an American city.

When eighth-grader Shantelle Hicks learned she was pregnant, she was determined to stick with her education. But the administrators at her New Mexico middle school said she was a “bad example” and told her she couldn’t remain in school.

Over the weekened, I had the opportunity to attend the first ever GeekGirlCon. Over two days, the con covered video games, movies, geeky parenting, blogging, vlogging, puppet making, gaming, music and of course, costumes.

This past weekend, I attended the Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) in downtown Seattle.  PAX draws a huge crowd of enthusiastic gamers from around the world eager to see what their favorite video and tabletop game studios will dream up next.  But beyond the videos, costumes, and contests, PAX hosts a series of panels and presentations that provide insight into why gaming matters.  These discussions revealed fascinating connections between the gaming world and the challenges to civil liberties that we face elsewhere in life.

From her career as an athlete came some important lessons: “Don’t fear a challenge, welcome it.” “The game ain’t over till it’s over – there are many quarters, many innings, and you have to play every one hard.” “You’ll never know the true joy of victory unless you have known defeat. Be humble in both.” Maj. Margaret Witt found these maxims from the world of sports stood her in good stead during her years of service in the military – and during her long legal battle with the government over her dismissal from the military under the now-repealed “Don’t ask, don’t tell” policy.  

President Obama’s term has had its share of disappointments for civil libertarians.But there is no denying that the Administration has moved diversity in the judiciary forward in the last two years.

With the proliferation of social networks, Twitter, reality shows, YouTube and blogs, it’s not the easiest thing to get the attention of this media- saturated nation.  High schooler Gaby Rodriguez of Toppenish, WA, has managed to break through with a social experiment for her senior project.  You might have seen Gaby in your local paper or on a major network last week as the “girl who faked being pregnant.”  

Women's History Month gives us an opportunity to reflect on the great strides women and girls have made toward achieving equal rights and equal treatment. Yet, in some ways we are still stuck in the past — as I was reminded of recently when I had the opportunity to step into classrooms in urban Seattle and hear the stories of pregnant and parenting students who are being pressured to drop out of school. As I stand in front of these young women and share information about their rights under Title IX, jaws drop and hands shoot up with questions.