[refinery29]

Neil Gorsuch, President Trump’s Supreme Court nominee, made his name voting against birth control mandates in the Hobby Lobby case

The nominee has had family connections to the GOP establishment. Before he assumed the bench as a federal judge, he also served in the Justice Department during the administration of George W. Bush, and his mother had a dubious tenure at the EPA under Reagan. Gorsuch’s views on abortion have never been made clear, but there are some major warning signs.

Gifs: MSNBC

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“Listen To Us!” Youth Voices Speak Out for Sexual Health Lobby Day

Contributions by Zohar, Denezia, and Malachi

We asked three of PPLM’s Get Real Teen Council members why they’re attending Sexual Health Lobby Day at the Massachusetts State House on January 31st – and here’s what they had to say:

“I have been educated in our public school system, and I know that there is no requirement to teach people like me about sex ed in Massachusetts. Unless we ensure that schools are teaching comprehensive sex ed, we cannot claim that our schools are fighting sexual assault. When we don't teach comprehensive sex ed, we don't provide youth with the tools they need to give and ask for consent. Consent is not consent if it is uninformed. As girls in a society that praises boys for objectifying women more than it praises women for fighting sexism, we deserve to live in a state where being taught about consent in a comprehensive way is something prioritized. When there is no law to legitimize the idea that we all deserve to learn comprehensive sex education, to say no, to protect ourselves against infection, and to access the health care we need, a whopping number of Massachusetts residents are erased.” – Zohar

“Throughout my life, when it came to the topic of sex, I was taught strictly abstinence. No explanations - just don't do it. This was instilled in me by my mother, my pastors, and when it came time for the school system to take a swing at combating this taboo topic it was most definitely a miss. In middle school, my health teacher managed to teach us about pregnancy without ever mentioning the word sex.  She taught the girls about the menstrual cycle and then told us that pregnancy occurs when a sperm meets an egg - without ever once explaining how that would happen. I had no idea what birth control was until my sophomore year of high school when I had the privilege of being recruited into the Get Real Teen Council at Planned Parenthood where I was finally taught non-biased medically accurate information.  Sir Francis Bacon once said knowledge is power. I’d like to extend that in saying knowledge is resources.  Knowledge is prevention - and when young people receive the correct information they are able to make the executive decision over their sexual health thus controlling their future.” –Denezia 

“Sexual Health Lobby Day is the day for us to raise our voices. Not only do we have to do this in order to better our education on these important issues, like comprehensive sex education, but also to help prepare for the years ahead of us. We are in a fight for our rights – and we need the support of our representatives. So use the time you have with them to share your stories and give them something to think about when voting on bills that will shape Massachusetts for years to come.” – Malachi

Join these fierce activists at Sexual Health Lobby Day.

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Why I’ll be at the 2017 Sexual Health Lobby Day, Guest Blog from Julia, Get Real Teen Council member

My name is Julia – and I am a member of Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts’ Get Real Teen Council and a sophomore in high school from Massachusetts. I’m guest blogging today to explain why I’ll be attending Sexual Health Lobby Day at the State House in Boston on January 31st, 2017.

When I was younger, I watched Mean Girls a lot. It taught me rumors suck, and dressing as a zombie bride for Halloween in high school was risky. However, it did not teach me anything about sexual health.

I received comprehensive sex ed from my school; I knew that if I had sex, I would not get pregnant and die, contrary to what the gym teacher in Mean Girls said. I thought it was silly that anyone could think that gym teacher was being serious. It wasn’t until probably around 8th grade I learned that for some students, this was the reality of their sex education. Their reality was being “scared- straight” out of having sex, so that when they inevitably did, they didn’t know how to keep themselves properly protected.

That’s why I’m attending this year’s Sexual Health Lobby Day! Because “Mean Girls” sex ed shouldn’t be sex ed for anyone. I want the Healthy Youth Act , a comprehensive sex ed bill, to pass in Massachusetts because I want healthy youth! I believe that comprehensive sex education won’t just protect against unintended pregnancies or STIs (which it will; look at the facts people), but it will also improve the mental health of high schoolers. By not excluding anyone from learning about their sexuality, we will hopefully eliminate some of the confusion, shame, anger, or frustration LGBTQ+ folks feel when they aren’t receiving inclusive sexual health information!!  

Like many, I am scared for the changes that might happen nationally. I could spend my time getting madder and madder, or I could lobby – and do something about it. I will still be mad, sad and scared, but I will be putting those emotions to work! I, for one, am jazzed to participate in lobby day, and fight for what matters to me until the day I die!

If you relate to even one word of what you just read - sign up to participate in Sexual Health Lobby Day on January 31st at the State House in Boston.  Tell your state legislators why these bills are important to you and sexual health in general; it’s their job to listen. You’ve got one life, and you’re only a teen for a little while. You know so much; use your voice.

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Legislation that “defunds” Planned Parenthood immediately blocks patients like Casey from accessing care at Planned Parenthood health centers. That would have devastating consequences for millions of people — particularly people of color, people with low incomes, and people in rural communities who already face barriers to care.

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Youth voices matter. That’s why teens and advocates of all ages are coming to the State House in Boston on January 31 to meet with their elected officials for Sexual Health Lobby Day

At Lobby Day, we’re advocating for:

LGBTQ-inclusive sex education

Birth control access

Confidential health care

Join us and make your voice heard!

[pplm]

Wear your best Planned Parenthood pink and join the Planned Parenthood Advocacy Fund of Massachusetts at the Boston Women’s March for America on Saturday, January 21st on the Boston Common.

We’re marching for women, immigrants, people of color, LGBTQ folks, people with disabilities, and other marginalized communities. 

We’re marching for the millions of women and people of all genders who rely on Planned Parenthood for health care. 

We’re marching to send the upcoming administration a message: We’re not going back – not now, not ever.

[ppaction]

While we prepare for what’s to come, it’s important that we take a victory lap to celebrate those triumphs.

Cecile Richards reflects on 2016: 

This year, the progressive movement took a big hit — not just from the election, but also from attacks on reproductive rights, voting rights, and more. That means we’re spending the last few days of 2016 reflecting on what we’ve learned, and gearing up for the fight ahead in 2017.

[pplm]

Volunteer as a clinic escort at Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts in Boston!

Looking for ways to get involved with Planned Parenthood and defend health care access?

Become a clinic escort at Planned Parenthood’s Boston health center!

[plannedparenthood]

Healthy relationships are about respect, honesty, trust, equality, and communication.

[ppaction]

Meet some of Donald Trump’s top administration picks: http://ppact.io/2fJlB0k

[plannedparenthood]

100 condoms. 2 cameras. 1 dildo.

Planned Parenthood tackles the 100 layers challenge — with condoms!

[pplm]

Show your PRIDE and march with us in the 2016 Worcester Pride Parade! 

[plannedparenthood]

Understanding consent is as easy as FRIES.

Consent is:

Freely given. Doing something sexual with someone is a decision that should be made without pressure, force, manipulation, or while drunk or high.

Reversible. Anyone can change their mind about what they want to do, at any time. Even if you’ve done it before or are in the middle of having sex.

Informed. Be honest. For example, if someone says they’ll use a condom and then they don’t, that’s not consent.

Enthusiastic.  If someone isn’t excited, or really into it, that’s not consent.

Specific. Saying yes to one thing (like going to the bedroom to make out) doesn’t mean they’ve said yes to others (like oral sex).

[ppaction]

If you think attacking a Muslim-American Gold Star family was Donald Trump at his worst, then we have some surprises for you. Forty years of them, in fact.

[ppaction]

Care about abortion access and love a good concert? Then get your free tix to see Sia, Leslie Jones, Natalia Lafourcade & Jessica Williams for the All Access 2016 concert: www.allaccess2016.com!

We’ll be at the concert in Cleveland and at watch-events around the country on Sept. 10 to rock out and stand up for our constitutional right to safe, legal abortion. Join us!

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Over the past year, we have been flooded with stories from those who have turned to Planned Parenthood as their trusted provider, often when they felt they had nowhere else to go.

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The Voting Rights Act attempted to eliminate racial discrimination in voting and expand the right to vote. 

Over 50 years later, we’re experiencing the first election in which the constitutional rights of marginalized voters are not protected under federal law.