If we’re being completely honest, this week wasn’t the best. (In fact, all of this week’s wins are from last week.) It’s been hard to find Feminist Wins when so many lives are at stake. Still, I believe that reading some good news can brighten people’s moods, even if it’s only for a split second. And I hope that reading the wins below does just that:
India decriminalizes gay sex
Indescribable joy and pride among citizens and LGBTQ+ activists in India last week as India’s Supreme Court made a decision to overturn an old law and decriminalize consensual gay sex. According to CNN, the maximum sentence for violating the old law was a lifetime of imprisonment. This is a major win and milestone for India’s LGBTQ+ activists and community who have long been fighting against this homophobic legacy of British colonization. So what’s next? According to LGBTQ+ activists, the next major battle is fighting for the LGBTQ+ community to be positively recognized in other laws, including marriage and adoption.
Texas judge blocked fetal tissue burial law
Also last week, a Texas judge permanently blocked a law that required any fetal remains to be buried or cremated. The judge stated that the fetal tissue burial law was “catastrophic,” would be a violation of “a woman’s right to obtain a legal abortion,” and would also be disastrous for the Texas healthcare system. The fetal tissue burial law was passed in 2017 and scheduled to go into effect February 1, 2018. However, after Whole Women’s Health and the Center for Reproductive Rights sued the state of Texas earlier this year, a temporary injunction was put in place to block the law before it went into effect. This block has been in place since, and this new decision permanently extends the temporary injunction.
Supporters of the legislation argued that requiring a burial preserves the right and dignity of fetuses. However, many activists and advocates for reproductive healthcare have argued that the law was created to shame, guilt, and discourage those who seek abortions as well as the healthcare providers who offer abortion care.
Equal prize money for men and women surfers
Last Wednesday, the World Surf League (WSL) announced that starting with the 2019 season, they will award equal prize money to women and men competitors. This is a major breakthrough, as the WSL is now the only American league that will provide equal prize money to winners regardless of gender. WSL’s decision has been praised by surfers of all genders as well as surfing fans and supporters.
This is incredible… the prize money is fantastic, but the message means even more.”
– Six-time world champion Stephanie Gilmore
P.S. As we get ready for a new week, I want to encourage you to continue taking action to #StopKavanaugh. The Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to vote on Kavanaugh’s nomination next Thursday, September 20. If confirmed, Kavanaugh will pose a serious threat to the rights and futures of young people. Not sure what you can do? No worries – we’ve got some suggestions!
The featured image for this Feminist Wins blog post is a derivative; original photo by Shaan Lollywood / Creative Commons. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
