That Feminist Dyke

oddlyclad:

simonedugal:

This is a call to arms.

Are you fed up with being pegged as a whore because you use birth control? Are you sick of the displaced misogynist abuse deterred towards women whom consensually have/ don’t have an avid sex life?Why are we treated as if we’re incapable of managing our own bodies?

As women, we’ve been sexually oppressed for years. Finally, within the last few decades, we’ve had the opportunity to embrace ourselves with access to contraceptives.

Then suddenly, a shit-storm of privileged, caucasian, heterosexual males are propositioning rules that are harmful to our well-being. Suddenly, we’re “whores” because we use contraception. Then we’re “prostitutes” because we want birth control to be covered by health insurance. We’re “frigid spinsters” because we choose to not have sex. Then, we’re the devil Himself because we need/ want access to safe abortions. Last but not least, if we do give birth, then we’re labeled as incompetent. 

The main fact that the GOP is ignoring is that a majority of us aren’t using birth control because we want to run rampant on the streets, exposing our “orchids” to any and all pedestrians.

Sure, some of us are merely using contraceptives because we don’t want children (yet or ever). However, brace yourself, this might come off as baffling, but some of us use birth control due to medical conditions.

For example, according to WebMD, birth control (OCs) can lower the risk of cancer, make periods lighter, PMS/PMDD relief, fewer periods, and ease the pain and symptoms caused by endometriosis and polycystic ovarian syndrome.

Krystal, a fellow organizer and the brains behind this project states that: “it shouldn’t matter if women are using contraceptives for preventative measures or due to any of the reasons stated above. The [GOP] cannot and will not condemn us for wanting to prevent an accidental pregnancy and then torture us for getting pregnant without a means of prevention. What they need to do is increase sex education and make access to birth control easier.”

Personally, I use birth control for two reasons:

1. I’m in college and I’m in a monogamous relationship. However, my partner and I are not ready for a child because we are not mature enough to take care of another human-being (puppies don’t count) and we are not financially stable.

2. I have PMDD that quite literally drives myself and everyone around me insane. Because I’ve had access to birth control, I was able to graduate with two AA degrees and transfer to a University.

Not because I didn’t have a child, but because my hormones and mood-swings were finally balanced. I wasn’t falling into depression anymore. I was finally able to focus on my goals after being completely lost and confused for a year. I literally thought that I was becoming clinically insane and it was time to check myself into an asylum.

If you take birth control for any reason, may it be because of PCOS or simply because you don’t plan on starting a family any time soon, and you’re enraged over the recent controversy revolving around women’s rights…. Then I have a proposition for you.

How would you feel about stylin’ a “Scarlett Letter”? If you personally take birth control (for ANY reason at all), just find a piece of fabric and make yourself a patch.

If your significant other would want to support the cause as well, I’m sure that they can pin one on for support!

If you have any splendid ideas for what the patch/ pin could be of- shoot it over in the comments! It would be better if all the materials are practical and handy because this is a DIY grass-roots movement that could potentially take the world by storm!

Boost this shit.

bebinn:

This post will continue to be updated, so if you don’t see anything of use to you, check back to the source or under my Important Posts page. Any resources of these kind that I’ve missed, please reblog with them or message me. This goes for any category you believe you should add, with both financial and social support systems.

Decision-making:

• If you’re not ready or able to talk to anyone, Pregnancy Options has a free, printable workbook to help you make a decision
• Backline offers a full range of reproductive counseling and referrals, and the National Abortion Federation provides information on pregnancy and abortion, and support and referrals for abortion services.
• The Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice offers counseling for decision-making, concerns involving abortion, and referrals
• The Abortion Assistance Blog has lists of clinics, abortion funds and people offering rides to/from the clinic, lodging for people traveling a long distance, babysitting, moral support, and referrals
• The Administration for Children & Families has information on adoption
• Here’s a list of adoption lawyers, which you can refine by state
• State Adoption Program Managers
• Knowing how far along you are is important in knowing how much time you have to decide. Ask your local free/low-cost clinic if they perform ultrasounds, or if they can give recommendations. Your nearest Planned Parenthood may offer free or low-cost ultrasounds depending on your income, or provide referrals.
• See if there is a nearby community college or other training site for people studying ultrasound and imaging technology. Sometimes you can get an ultrasound performed for free by students!

Giving Birth (also see Health Care):

• See if a doula and/or midwife program in your city or state offers low-cost or volunteer labor and birth support. Here’s a list of volunteer doula programs to start. It’s also possible to negotiate a lower fee with doulas and midwives.
• Operation Special Delivery provides volunteer doula services to those whose military partners have been injured or killed, and those who are or will be deployed or otherwise unable to attend the birth.
• Medicaid may help cover the cost of a birthing center, which provides a safe and comfortable alternative to hospital or home birth. Some birthing centers also offer payment plans.
• There are lots of online checklists for what to bring to the hospital during your labor and birth
• 32 Ways to Save Money During Your Hospital Birth
• You can negotiate with the hospital - what they charge you is WAY more than what it costs them. If you’re paying in cash, they may give you a discount. There are a lot of tips and forums dealing with hospital negotiations online. Here’s one website.

Health Care:

• Look over your insurance options at Healthcare.gov
• Your state’s Medicaid program
• The Affordable Care Act expands insurance and health care options for pregnant people and children, including the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). You can find local health care centers, services, and information on their page.
• Many Planned Parenthood locations provide general health care at little to no cost, depending on your income
• Nurse-Family Partnership offers free at-home (or another safe place) pregnancy and childcare assistance until your child turns two.
• NeedyMeds is a directory of programs that offer assistance to people who can’t afford their medications or health care.
• Free Dental Care can help you find low-cost or free clinics
• Look for dental and dental hygiene schools if you are comfortable with closely-supervised students
• Your state’s United Way program may sponsor or help you connect with low-cost or free dental care

Food:

• Women, Infants and Children (WIC) for food and health care services
• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
• Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP)
• If you’re a Native American living on or near a reservation, apply for Food Distribution on Indian Reservations (FDPIR)
• Find your local food bank

Housing:

• The US Department of Housing and Urban Development can help find low-rent housing, and provides vouchers to pay for rent.
• Your state may also have similar rental assistance programs.
• The Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-housing Program (HPRP) provides temporary assistance to households that would otherwise become homeless. You can find help through their list of local grantees.
• RentAssistance.us has a database of over 3,000 government and non-profit agencies that offer financial assistance
• Need Help Paying Bills has lists of charities and government and non-government organizations that offer financial help for anything from rent and utilities, to child care and prescription medication.

Parenting:

• Backline can connect you to parenting resources
• Your state’s Department of Human Services may have a program to provide low-income, working parents with access to quality, affordable child care
• The US Department of Health and Human Services sponsors the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) to both states and Native tribes
• eHow has a step-by-step guide to finding child care assistance through Child Care Aware
• You may be able to find parenting and home ec. classes, baby materials, social support, child care, and other resources through your place of worship
• Many diaper and formula companies offer free samples and opportunities to win packages or cash

Disabilities (also see Health Care):

• Search for your state’s Early Childhood Intervention (ECI or EI) services. These services are mandated by Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
• If you or your partner are disabled, your child can receive Social Security benefits
• Family Village is a directory of resources on disability rights, social support, information, and merchandise
• Parent to Parent USA is a national organization that matches families with trained volunteer support parents who can connect them to local resources, provide information on health care, and teach coping skills
• The Arc provides services, information, self-advocacy and employment opportunities, and referrals through their local chapters to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities

Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault:

• RAINN has both phone and online counseling hotlines to connect you to local rape crisis centers. Centers offer support, counseling, and other resources.
• The National Domestic Violence Hotline provides similar services, as well as safety planning if you are not able or ready to leave
• Helpline has articles and resources on domestic violence
• What to do if your partner refuses to wear a condom
• Find homeless shelters, family shelters, residential treatment centers, transitional housing, and other women’s shelters via Women’s Shelters
• I’ve thought about leaving - how can I do it?
• Your local Planned Parenthood or reproductive health clinic can offer counseling, discreet birth control, and other resources for victims of sexual assault and domestic violence
• Some crisis pregnancy centers/pregnancy resource centers can also provide, or refer you to places that provide help with rent, prenatal and infant care, and basic baby items. Always use caution when contacting CPCs - many exist to dissuade you from abortion, and some may try to convert you, require you to be Christian or take Bible classes to receive help, or practice coercive adoption. Use them as a last resort or get a recommendation from someone who has used their services.

Please reblog so others have these sources. 

glitter-femin1sts:

Searching for a clinic and a doctor in your state is hard, and is almost impossible if you don’t have any money or means to travel.

Below are links to organizations that have abortion funds by state, then by city.

Please note: Many of these sites lead to either Planned Parenthood or The National Network of Abortion Funds. 

If any organizations are not on the list, please don’t hesitate to add them in or message us!

*Much of the language used is cis-centric.

______

Alaska:

Pauline’s Abortion Loan Fund - Anchorage, AL

Alabama: Has no local funds.

Arkansas: Has no local funds.

Arizona:

It’s Your choice: The Abortion Fund - Phoenix, AZ

California:

WRRAP - Los Angeles, CA

Make a Difference Fund - San Diego, CAx

ACCESS - Oakland, CA

Colorado:

Reproductive Equality Fund - Boulder, CO

Connecticut: Has no local funds.

DC:

D.C. Abortion Fund - Washington, DC

Delaware:

Delaware Pro-Choice Medical Fund - Wilmington, DE

Florida:

Laura Knudson Women in Need Fund - Jacksonville, FL

The Roe Fund - Sarasota, FL

Emergency Medical Assistance Inc. - Palm Beach Gardens, FL

Central Florida Women’s Emergency Fund - Orlando, FL

Women’s Emergency Network - Miami, FL

Broward Women’s Emergency Fund - Hallandale Beach, FL

W.O.M.E.N. - Tampa, FL

Georgia:

Women in Need Fund - Atlanta, GA

Atlanta Pro-Choice Action Committee - Atlanta, GA

Hawaii: Has no local funds.

Iowa:

Heartland Justice Fund - Des Moines, IA

deProsse Access Fund/Emma Goldman Clinic - Iowa City, IA

Iowa Abortion Access Fund - Cedar Rapids, IA

Idaho:

North Idaho Fund - Yakima, WA (Serves ID!)

Illinois:

Chicago Abortion Fund - Chicago, IL

PP of Illinois Reproductive Justice Fund - Chicago, IL

Indiana: Has no local funds.

Kansas:

Peggy Bowman Second Chance Fund - Wichita, KS

Women in Need Fund - Overland Park, KS

Kentucky:

A Fund Inc. - Louisville, KY

Louisiana: Has no local funds.

Massachusetts: 

Hope Fund - MA

Abortion Rights Fund of Western Mass - Amherst, MA

Eastern Massachusetts Abortion Fund - Cambridge, MA

The Jane Fund of Central MA, Inc. - Holden, MA

Maryland:

June Coleman Reproductive Justice Fund - Baltimore, MD

Maine:

Safe Abortions for Everyone (SAFE) - Freeport, ME

Michigan:

The Jane Doe Loan Fund - Flint, MI

Fountain Street Church Choice Fund - Grand Rapids, MI

Jane Doe Fund - East Lansing, MI

Minnesota:

HOTDISH (Hand Over The Decision It Should be Hers) Militia - Duluth, MN

Hersey Abortion Assistance Fund - Minneapolis, MN

Missouri: Has no local funds.

Mississippi: Has no local funds.

Montana:

Blue Mountain Clinic Access Fund - Missoula, MT

Trust Women Fund, Inc. - Livingston, MT

Sarah’s Circle - Billings, MT

North Carolina: Only organization is temporarily out of funding.

North Dakota:

North Dakota WIN (Women in Need) Abortion Access Fund - Fargo, ND

Nebraska:

Abortion Access Fund - Bellevue, NE

New Hampshire:

The Joan Fund - Concord, NH

New Hampshire Fund for Choice - Manchester, NH

New Jersey:

The Elizabeth Area Financial Assistance Program - Elizabeth, NJ

The Justice Fund - Morristown, NJ

Justice Fund of Passaic County - Newark, NJ

New Mexico:

New Mexico Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice - Albuquerque, NM

Abortion Assistance Fund - Albuquerque, NM

Nevada:

Justice Fund - Reno, NV

New York:

New York Abortion Access Fund (NYAAF) - New York, NY

The Joan Bechhofer Fund - Ithaca, NY

The Abortion Fund of PP of NYC - New York, NY

Third Wave Foundation Emergency Fund - New York, NY

Haven Coalition - New York, NY (provides for people needing to travel to NY for second trimester abortions)

The Access Fund/ Aphrodite Medical PLLC - Vestal, NY

Ohio:

Women Have Options - Granville, OH

Cleveland Abortion Network - Cleveland, OH

Preterm Cleveland - Cleveland, OH

Agnes Reynolds Jackson Fund - Toledo, OH

Oklahoma:

The Roe Fund - Tulsa

Oregon:

Network for Reproductive Options - Eugene, OR

Planned Parenthood Columbia Willamette Abortion Fund - Portland, OR

Pennsylvania: 

Vivian Campbell Fund - Pittsburgh, PA

PP of Northeast and Mid-Penn Fund For Choice - Harrisburg, PA

Margaret C. Rubin Freedom Fund - York, PA

Western PA Fund for Choice - Pittsburgh, PA

Women’s Medical Fund - Philadelphia, PA

Rhode Island:

Women’s Health & Education Fund - Providence, RI

Hope Fund - Providence, RI

South Carolina:

South Carolina Women’s Choice Fund - Charleston, SC

South Dakota:

South Dakota Access for Every Woman - Sioux Falls, SD

Tennessee:

J. Paschall Davis Fund - Nashville, TN

Texas:

Texas Equal Access Fund - Dallas, TX

Stigma (Bush) Relief Fund - Austin, TX

Lilith Fund, Inc. - Austin, TX

Jim Wimberly Fund - Austin, TX

Utah: Has no local funds.

Virginia: 

Women in Need Fund (VA) - Richmond, VA

Richmond Reproductive Freedom Project - Richmond, VA

Blue Ridge Abortion Assistance Fund - Charlottesville, VA

Vermont:

Vermont Access to Reproductive Freedom - Burlington, VT

Washington: 

Abortion Access Network - Seattle, WA

The Community Abortion Info & Resources (CAIR) Projectx - Seattle, WA

Women in Need Fund - Renton, Yakima, and Tacoma, WA

Wisconsin:

Women’s Medical Fund Inc. - Madison, WI

Freedom Fund Inc. - Marshfield, WI

Options Fund Inc. - Eau Claire, WI

West Virginia:

The WV Free Choice Fund - Charleston, WV

Wyoming:

Women for Women - Lander, WY

<3 Love always,

Alex and Ailish

pleasesexplain:

Abortion has become an increasingly controversial topic. The anti choice movement has created a plethora of misinformation and flat-out lies. If you google information about abortion, a lot of scary, untrue “information” can come up, and this can be dangerous. I’m here to debunk some common myths about abortion.

MYTH: If you have an abortion, you won’t be able to have any kids in the future.

REALITY: Abortion is an extremely safe procedure. It’s 10 times safer than giving birth if performed before the 18th week of pregnancy, and about twice as safe as having your tonsils removed. A safe, uncomplicated abortion procedure should not affect future fertility. An abortion does not make miscarriage more likely, increase the risk of ectopic pregnancy, cause birth defects, cause premature birth, or increase the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

MYTH: Abortion causes breast cancer.

REALITY: A link between abortion and breast cancer has never been found. This myth has been promoted by people and groups that are against abortion; they use this idea to frighten people away from obtaining an abortion.

MYTH: If I have an abortion, I will become depressed and get “post-abortion stress syndrome.”

REALITY: The American Psychological Association and the American Psychiatric Association do not recognize the existence of “post-abortion stress syndrome.” They have found the anti-choice studies and research flawed. Most scientific studies found that the long-term reactions to having an abortion are positive. Those at high-risk for depression and other psychological issues after abortion are people who already had emotional and psychological issues before the procedure.

MYTH: Plan B/emergency contraception causes abortion.

REALITY: Emergency contraception, also called Plan B and the morning after pill, is not the abortion pill. Emergency contraception stops a pregnancy from happening, while the abortion pill (RU-486 or mifepristone) terminates an already existing pregnancy.

MYTH: Only irresponsible people want abortions.

REALITY: According to the Guttmacher Institute, one in three people will have an abortion before age 45. Roughly two-thirds of those people will already have children and families. Mistakes happen. In a perfect world, birth control would be 100% effective, easy to use, and free or low cost. Everyone would have fact-based comprehensive sex education and access to sexual health services. There would be no rape or incest. Birth complications and birth defects would no longer exist. But, unfortunately, the world is not like that. Until that happens, abortion needs to be kept safe, legal, and accessible.

sanityscraps:

keepyourboehneroutofmyuterus:

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/05/05/us-usa-abortion-arizona-idUSBRE84402Y20120505

Yes, this just happened.  Jan Brewer signed on the ban of funding to Planned Parenthood in Arizona.  This is a really rough day today.

WHAT THE FUCK.

(Source: keepyourbsoutofmyuterus)