On November 10, Mandy & Ricci presented to students in Dr. Jennifer Pollitt’s Sexuality Education class at Temple University. We covered the human rights framework, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Censorship, Sexual Freedom and much more. We left feeling energized and inspired by the amazing questions and discussion with the students. We are happy to talk about all things Woodhull and sexual freedom to any classroom. Are you a professor looking for a guest speaker? Email Mandy Salley at [email protected] to schedule a lecture! 

Giving Tuesday is next week, November 29th! This year, we have all witnessed how easily our sexual freedom rights can be taken away. That is why we all must work together to make our elected officials affirm sexual freedom a fundamental human right!. I hope you will consider becoming a recurring donor so that we can continue to fight against those who seek to stifle our freedoms!

Is the Right to Birth Control Next on the Chopping Block? (Rewire News Group)

Thalia Charles draws attention to the likelihood that the right to contraception is next on the judicialchopping block and looks at policy-oriented efforts to protect it: “After the Supreme Court threw abortion access into turmoil when it overturned Roe v. Wade in June and conservatives signaled that birth control is one of their next targets, the U.S. government took two important steps toward contraceptive equity. The Food and Drug Administration announced in July it will consider the birth control pill for over-the-counter (OTC) status. Granting OTC status would revolutionize contraceptive access for people who can become pregnant. In the same month, the House of Representatives voted to codify the right to birth control, but the Senate blocked it.” Read more.

Sex workers face unique challenges when trying to unionize (Prism)

Adrie Rose comments on the unique challenges sex workers face when trying to unionize: “Sex workers also often lack the legal and social protections afforded to workers in other industries. Without explicit legal or labor protections afforded by union support, sex workers are especially vulnerable to sexual assault, stalking, harassment, and other forms of abuse from law enforcement. As independent contractors, many dancers are also hesitant or unable to report clubs and management for labor violations like infrastructure failures or a culture of sexual harassment and violence.” Read more.

Why Read a Book When You Can Ban it Instead? Inside Florida’s Clay County School District (Book Riot) 

Kelly Jensen writes about censorship in Florida school districts: “Florida has been an epicenter of book bans over the last 18 months, particularly since Moms For Liberty, a right wing extremist group, was founded in Brevard County.  Beyond that, Florida has since introduced an array of new state legislation, including House Bill 1557 (aka the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ law), which have created an environment ripe for censorship. School districts have implemented various measures in the hopes of being compliant. In some communities, that has involved books being banned or never showing up on shelves; in others, it has involved the development of stricter library policies concerning materials that can be in the collection and the opportunity for parents to choose whether or not their students have access to school libraries at all.” Read more.

Abortion Access and Funding Have Always Been a Struggle in US Territories (Truthout) 

Cecille Joan Avila writes about abortion access and funding in U.S. territories: “For many in U.S. territories, getting an abortion hasn’t just depended on the procedure being legal. People have had to rely on community networks and whatever resources were available to get or pay for an abortion. The common factor is that in U.S. territories, they need to know the right people to ask for assistance, information, and resources, which is ultimately an unsustainable way to access a key component of reproductive health.” Read more.