Fighting for a world where people care more and judge less. Addressing the issues of reproductive health and social equality with compassion, truth, and humor.
It is a power shift, empowering women. It is justice and aligning with the law of the land. It is one's right to self-determination. It is New York state's Reproductive Health Act, made law on Jan. 22.
It took nearly five decades of tenacity, advocacy and leadership, but finally the women of New York have been given the power that previously was denied them. Now, women coming from many backgrounds and holding different beliefs have this in common: the power of self-determination with respect to their own reproductive health. Each woman is now guaranteed the right to make her own personal health care decisions with her health care provider throughout the course of her pregnancy. Should complications arise later in pregnancy, medical professionals may now provide needed care.
In short, the women of New York are no longer subject to political ideologies that jeopardize their health, and they are now allowed to make their own compassionate decision with a health care professional that they trust.
The passage of the Reproductive Health Act is cause for celebration indeed. However, misinformation and fearmongering are the watchwords of many, and it is imperative that we who believe in access to safe, legal abortion and oppose restrictions on that access raise our voices in continued support of reproductive health for all women.
April 9, 1970 is a special day in New York State legislative
history; Assemblyman George Michaels changed his vote from "No" to
"Yes", thereby enabling the 1970 Reproductive Health Act to pass the
Assembly (the state Senate had passed it previously; Governor Rockefeller
signed it into law the following day).The story of that day, and the history of illegal abortions in New York
over the 150 years preceding it, are documented in "From Danger to Dignity: The Fight for Safe Abortion", produced by Concentric Media in
association with KTEH-TV, San Jose, CA.It is available on YouTube and is well worth watching.Indeed, in today's political climate in which
reproductive rights are under fierce attack its message may be more important
than when it was released in 1995.
Yet even though significant in content and praiseworthy for
its production values, the documentary glosses over two contributing elements
of the 1970 story.They concern Michaels
himself, and the atmosphere in which that final vote took place.
First, a word about Michaels.A native of Queens and a graduate of Cornell
and Brooklyn Law School, he established a law practice in Auburn, New York, an
upstate, largely conservative and Roman Catholic city.A Democrat, he represented Auburn and Cayuga
County in the legislature from 1961-1966, when through reapportionment his
district was merged with its neighbor that encompassed Cortland County.He declined to run in the new district until
1969, when he rejoined the Assembly.At
the time, he was noted primarily for his support of expanded state aid for
rural school districts and (in 1970) for promoting the bluebird as the state's
official bird.
He also favored a woman's right to choose to have an
abortion on a personal basis, but how widely his position was then known is not
clear.He had twice complied with
requests from his District's Democratic Committee to vote against reproductive
rights, including legalized abortion.April
9, however, was a different story.As it
is described in "From Danger to Dignity" Michaels' decision is
clearly a significant event. But by incorporating only the final two sentences
of his remarks that day it misses a tense, emotional drama.
That absence may reflect the fact that the documentary was
prepared 25 years after the event by a team that had not been there to witness
it.My family and I were there, and we
still recall it as an occasion that merits a more complete description.
That we were in the Assembly Gallery at all that afternoon
was entirely happenstance.We had gone
to Albany City Hall that afternoon to apply for passports for a forthcoming
trip abroad (in those days the process began by having your signature notarized
by the town or city clerk).The process
took less time than we anticipated and as we walked back to our car parked by
the State Capitol I sensed a teaching moment for our three young sons.With no knowledge of what was up, I
suggested: "let's go see what is going on in the legislature".Since we were on the Assembly side of the
building, we went up to its gallery just as Michaels was beginning to talk.
To set the stage: when a roll call vote is being taken in
the Assembly, an electronic wall display shows each member's vote as well as a
running total of all Yes and No votes.Ultimately, the Speaker instructs the clerk to close the voting process
and a final tally is announced and recorded.Seventy-six Yes votes are required for passage of the matter at hand,
and the Speaker votes only when his vote will make a difference.On this occasion, the electronic display
showed a tie vote, 74-74, so even if the Speaker had voted the measure would
not pass.
While a roll call is in process members may address the
Assembly to explain their votes, but this is not common.When Michaels rose to speak no one knew what
he was going to say, and given the voting deadlock, the atmosphere in the packed
galleries was palpably tense.
I don't know how long he spoke; it seemed like ten minutes
or more.He rambled as he took us
through his inner thoughts.His intent
became clearer when he told the Assembly of pressures from his family."One of my sons just called me a whore
for the vote I (previously) cast against this"; a second son insisted:
"Dad, for God's sake, don't let your vote be the vote that defeats the
bill"."I had hoped that this
would never happen," Michaels said; "(my constituents will) condemn
me for what I am about to do.But what's
the use of getting elected, or reelected, if you don't stand for something. … I
realize, Mr. Speaker, that I am terminating my political career, but I cannot
in good conscience sit here and allow my vote to be the one that defeats this
bill."
He asked the Speaker, Perry Duryea, Jr., a Republican from
Montauk, to change his vote to Yes.The
now- 75-73 vote required Duryea to vote: he voted Yes, declared the bill
passed, and immediately adjourned the session.A highly-charged incident ended in a collective sigh of relief and joy.
From my perspective, Michaels’ story deserves repeating in
an era where #MeToo seems to be controlling the headlines. Despite current
notorious examples of misogyny, there are men who have stood and continue to
stand with women in the fight for equality. These are men who actively reject
the premise that women are a subordinate class when it comes to managing their
own lives. They don't do it for recognition and thanks but simply because they
believe it is the right thing to do.And
some, like Michaels, have even been willing to accept the accompanying personal
cost of standing up to established ways.
New
York has a long and proud legacy of leading the way to advance
women’s rights. From the birth of the women’s rights movement at
Seneca Falls to the recent passage of the most comprehensive Paid
Family Leave policy in the nation, New York continues to champion
women’s rights and break down barriers to equality.
In
2018, we have an opportunity to build on this progress
and continue to advance equality across all areas of life.
While
the federal government seeks to roll back women’s rights, New York
State looks toward the future. With these bold set of proposals,
the 2018 Agenda will create opportunity for women to succeed in
every area: work, health, safety, education and family
life and you can learn more about each of them here.
Call your elected officials in the NYS Senate and Assembly TODAY
and urge them to include the Women's Agenda, including the
Comprehensive Contraceptive Coverage Act, $750,000
legislative add for the Family Planning Grant, decriminalization of
abortion, and the creation of a maternal mortality review
board in the NYS Budget!
As you all know we try to focus on national themes with our book
club selections and this month is no different. March is
Women’s History Month, and to celebrate all the amazing women who
have gone down in history as feminist icons, we have decided to
read about a young woman who embodies just this. This month The F
Word will be reading, I
Am Malala: The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was
Shot by the Taliban by Malala Yousafzai. We
will be meeting at 3Fish Coffee on Sunday, April 8th at 11am to
review this incredible novel and discuss ways we can support and
uplift the women in our communities who make us all stronger.
When the Taliban took control of the Swat Valley in Pakistan, one
girl spoke out. Malala Yousafzai refused to be silenced and fought
for her right to an education. On Tuesday, October 9, 2012, when
she was fifteen, she almost paid the ultimate price. She was shot
in the head at point-blank range while riding the bus home from
school, and few expected her to survive. Instead, Malala's
miraculous recovery has taken her on an extraordinary journey from
a remote valley in northern Pakistan to the halls of the United
Nations in New York. At sixteen, she has become a global symbol of
peaceful protest and the youngest-ever Nobel Peace Prize laureate.
Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood is looking for
volunteers to get involved and to help us engage our community
through outreach efforts and get out the vote opportunities this
Spring!
Are you interested in working side by side at community events
across the capital region spreading Upper Hudson Planned
Parenthoods mission? Are you ready to continue to fight
for reproductive freedom and help educate our community on the
importance of safer sex? Together, we can demostrate our
power, engage our people and move our work of expanding access to
sexual and reproductive healthcare and rights forward!
As we head into the warmer months, we are looking for passionate,
committed advocates who want to volunteer for community outreach
initiatives including tabling at summer fairs, Healthy Neighborhood
Canvassing and with our non-partisan our voter
registration campaign! Join us at our next volunteer training night
to learn more about available volunteer opportunities and start
the training you will need to join us in the streets. Dinner
will be served! Reserve your spot today!
Monday, April 16th 6-8pm
Albany Conference Room
855 Central Avenue
#Abortion Access Bowl-A-Thon 2018
Say
NO to back alleys, and YES to bowling alleys! Join Upper Hudson
Planned Parenthood at Del Lanes in Delmar on April 29th
at 2pm to #FundAbortionBuildPower.
We're
lacing up our bowling shoes and getting to work! Want to show up for
abortion access? Support us by making a
donation to our team or join the squad! The process is fast,
easy, and secure! Bowl with the UHPP staff, invest in abortion
funds and raise money with us. Get more info on the UHPP team here!
Send
a message that you believe we all should be able to access
abortion, no matter how much money we make or where we live. Care,
no matter what!
Sunday, April 29th at 2:00pm
Del Lanes in Delmar
4 Bethlehem Ct, Delmar, NY 12054
Today
is the 45th Anniversary of the landmark Supreme Court decision, Roe v.
Wade, giving women across the country the right to access safe, legal
abortion. This year, leading up to our annual Roe v. Wade Reception,
Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood will be hosting a series of FREE film
screenings on access to abortion and reproductive health care across
the country.
Our first screening will be of Birthright:
A War Story. Birthright is a feature length
documentary that examines how women are being jailed, physically
violated and even put at risk of dying as a radical movement tightens
its grip across America. The film tells the story of women who
have become collateral damage in the aggressive campaign to take
control of reproductive health care and to allow states, courts and
religious doctrine to govern whether, when and how women will bear
children. This is the real-life “Handmaid’s Tale.”
Our FREE SCREENING of Birthright will be held TONIGHT on the 45th
Anniversary of Roe v. Wade, Monday, January 22nd at Albany Law
College.
The
Dean Alexander Moot Court Room
4th floor at Albany Law
80 New Scotland Ave, Albany
Film starts at 6:15pm, panel discussion to follow
#CelebrationForChoice
For
more than forty years, the U.S. Supreme Court has affirmed that under
Roe v. Wade, the constitution protects every woman’s right to make her
own personal medical decisions about abortion. The landmark Roe v.
Wade Supreme Court case was decided on January 22nd and each year we
hold our Celebration For Choice event around this time in
commemoration.
This event honors leaders in our community who work to promote
reproductive justice and protect access to health care. Upper
Hudson Planned Parenthood supporters, including local and state
legislative leaders, clergy, health care and women’s health advocates
will attend this annual celebration to commemorate the 45th
anniversary.
We hope you will join us and our supporters at this
remarkable occasion on
Thursday, February 22nd 2018 from 6:00pm - 8:00pm GET YOUR TICKETS TODAY!
The
Renaissance Albany Hotel
144 State Street
Albany, NY 12207
#RegisterToday
Join Reproductive Health Advocates from Across New
York State!
Our reproductive health care and rights are under
constant attack, but YOU
can make a difference. Mark your calendar now to save the date
for New York State’s Day of Action for
reproductive health on Tuesday, March 13, 2018, at our state capital,
Albany, NY.
There is no charge for our state’s Day of
Action which includes:
Educating
lawmakers on reproductive health care issues
Lunch
Planned
Parenthood rally
Pre-event
educational webinar
Don’t miss this – plan now
to use YOUR VOICE in Albany on Tuesday, March 13, 2018.
Monday, April 16th 6-8pm
The
Dean Alexander Moot Court Room
