News – June 2016 In 2014 we created a position for a Greeting from the President UUWF Affiliated Minister and Hello UUWF Friends, recruited Rev. Marti Keller to be Dr. Kirstie Lewis that person. She has been My three-year term as the increasingly active in developing our president of the UUWF advocacy actions and writing board is soon coming to an informative and passionate blogs, on end. There have been many positive an almost-weekly basis for our developments since my term began in July website. Through her alerts we have of 2013 including those described below: signed on to many Inter-faith letters and petitions which are being sent to • We re-imagined our state and national legislatures as administrative structure, when our ways of defending the rights of long-time executive administrator, women, especially with regard to Ellen Spencer, retired. We hired a reproductive health. We have signed new part time administrator, Dana on to several Amicus briefs to Robb, and found that there are federal courts. These hard-won rights rewards to becoming more of a are being eroded, but many voices working board ourselves. This shift are now being raised in protest – and also required many changes in our ours is one of those! She also financial activities and these have provides spiritual and programmatic been ably handled by our Treasurer, support to our Board of Trustees. Sue Boone. She informs us that we are financially stable and have the • We have had some wonderful resources we need to carry out our moments at the Providence and mission of “advancing justice for Portland GAs in our various women and girls and promoting their workshops and at our booth. We spiritual growth.” invite you to always come by and • Ellen helped us to move out of our say hello should you be present. offices behind 25 Beacon St. in • We developed a survey of UU Boston. This involved cleaning out women that has given us information files, and consolidating archival about the issues that are most materials which we are hoping to pressing to women today. place with Meadville-Lombard Responders told us that reproductive Theological School in Chicago. and economic justice are at the top of Since these changes, we have been the list of their important concerns. busy learning to function with a They also told us about the ministers more or less virtual office, rather they knew who have been speaking than a bricks and mortar one. out about those issues in local • Rev Marti Keller congregations and we have been sharing the names of these ministers and highlighting the work that they way to our New Prophetic are doing on our website. Sisterhood website as a way of • With the assistance of our VP for capturing our living history. This is communications, Gretchen Ohmann, just the beginning. we have expanded and updated our • Last Fall, we website. We have begun emailing welcomed the newsletters on a regular basis to keep twelfth Women’s you informed about our activities. Federation Clara Gretchen is also helping us to Barton Intern, become more active with social Shaya French, who media – which includes our is working out of Facebook page. Please visit us and the new UUA Like our page! offices in Boston. Her activities and achievements are highlighted in this issue of our e-news. We are grateful for the contributions she has made in • With the help of our VP for Funding her time with us. Programs, Lynn Thomas, we applied • to the UUA Fund for Social Justice for matching funds to develop a program we call The New Prophetic Sisterhood. Our VP for Development, Rev. Beth Dana, along with our Affiliated Minister, Rev. Marti Keller, are co-leading this group. This initiative began with the Claudia Jimenez goal of attracting 100 woman- identified UU ministers and Rev Joyce Palmer candidates for ministry. We have recently reached and exceeded that A Marjorie Bowens-Wheatley goal and have more than 130 scholarship has recently been ministers involved. The NPS awarded to Ms. Claudia Jimenez, as a woman of color entering the UU ministry. Rev. Joyce Palmer chairs this scholarship committee which was established in recognition of the work of the now deceased Rev. Marjorie Bowens-Wheatley, a well- loved minister and mentor who Facebook closed group is now a worked tirelessly to raise awareness place of lively conversation around of the need for more inter-racial, and issues of feminism and gender inter-cultural congregations in our justice, both outside UU and UU movement. A number of women institutionally as well. We hope and of color who are entering the UU expect that sermons, blogs, poems, ministry, education ministry or essays, and actions will make their music ministry have been aided with this scholarship over the past decade. There are more accomplishments that our Please help us spread the word about current board has achieved over the past the availability of these funds. three years, but these are the ones that rise to the top of my mind. I would like to take this opportunity to thank my board members, our affiliated minister, our administrator, and all those UU women out there who are standing with us in commitment to our mission and on behalf of women and girls everywhere.

Although I will soon be turning over my Monica Simpson, position to someone new, I know that our fight for justice and equality for women and Finally, this year, we have chosen girls is far from over. The spirit and energy two remarkable women to honor of feminism has been around for a very, with our Ministry to Women award. very long time and it is needed now more This award was first created by the than ever. UUWF in 1974 when Ms Magazine was the initial recipient. Dozens of — Dr. Kirstie Lewis well-known and highly respected women have received this award UUWF Advocacy Update: A Full over the years in honor of their Plate outstanding work on behalf of women and girls. In 2016, Monica Rev. Marti Keller Simpson, executive director of SisterSong Women of Color The UUWF issues Collective, and survey, which was Cecile Richards, the president of the circulated last year, Federation of helps guide our social America, have been named as justice advocacy work recipients of our award. Both of on behalf of women these women are passionate activists and girls. We have and leaders in the fight for continued to focus on reproductive choice and reproductive reproductive justice, economic justice, justice. We are thrilled to announce ending domestic violence and sexual assault, that they will be attending GA this and will be finding more ways to speak out year and engaging each other in a on the impact of climate change. This is a dialogue on the theme of “From full public policy plate. Reproductive Choice to Reproductive Justice” at our UUWF Assaults on reproductive freedom have workshop on Thursday, June 23 multiplied on the state level, including the where they will receive their awards. most recent bill passed by the Oklahoma If you are attending GA, you won’t legislature that would have criminalized want to miss this event!! abortion providers. It was vetoed by the governor. But there is much to watch on the national front in this Presidential election many cases passed in recent years. It would year as well. invalidate state TRAP laws (targeted regulation of abortion providers), end There are numerous and repeated attempts in requirements that doctors have hospital Congress to add and broaden abortion admitting privileges—which has so gutted restrictions to federal programs, including abortion clinics in places like Texas—and hearings held by a subcommittee prevent the numerous pre-viability abortion investigating the legality of AmeriCorps bans that so limit the decision-making members in New York City community agency of women. health center who provided compassionate emotional support to women seeking The UUWF has joined the National pregnancy termination. Throughout the Women’s Law Center, Planned Parenthood budget development process, there have Federation of America, the National Council been riders (language) prohibiting public of Jewish Women and other advocates in financing of abortion services. endorsing the reintroduction of the Access to Birth Control bill, reaffirming the right to While most of the activity on Capitol Hill is obtain contraceptives from pharmacies and uphill and defensive, there have been pro- requiring the provision thereof, without active efforts to make positive change. threats, harassment or outright denial of President Obama has issued an order services. mandating overtime pay for jobs previously not covered by this requirement: a little This year’s version of the bill has added more than half of the beneficiaries will be language prohibiting the use of the Religious women workers. The U.S. Senate just Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) as a basis passed a bill that lays out a set of rights for for challenging the application or victims of sexual assault, including the right enforcement of this law. to be informed of forensic tests, to prevent victims from being charged for rape kit We will be joining other efforts in the testing, and to have evidence preserved coming weeks and months to object to the without charge for 20 years or until the use of RFRA to privilege one individual’s statute of limitations expires. It now goes to religious beliefs over another in exercising the House Judiciary Committee. her right of conscience in decisions about whether or when to have children. And even in the often discouraging arena of reproductive rights, two significant positive — Rev. Marti Keller measures have been introduced or re- introduced. UUWF has joined a number of other faith based and secular organizations to endorse the Women’s Health Protection Act, a critical proactive bill which would enact protections at the federal level to ensure the right of every individual to make their own decisions about whether and when to have children. It is a bold and major attempt to over-ride some of the most odious state laws that have been proposed and in Clara Barton Intern for Women’s issues and provided resources for a youth Justice conference on women’s issues that took place in Ventura, California. Hello UUWF, In Texas I’ve been finding UU attorneys and I wanted to provide a guardian ad litems who can attend trainings quick update on some to assist young people seeking abortions in of the projects I’ve TX in the aftermath of TX conservative anti- been working on! abortion laws.

One of the most I’ve also had time to reflect more on satisfying parts of this feminism and gender and invite you to read internship has been my piece Raised by the 2nd Wave, Moving getting to meet and work with local and Forward with the 3rd Wave. national partners from SisterSong, Forward Together’s Strong Families campaign, I look forward to meeting some of you at Jane’s Due Process in Texas, the Religious General Assembly! As my internship comes Coalition for Reproductive Choice, National to a close on June 30th, I feel incredibly Council of Jewish Women, the All* Above grateful to the UUWF and the UUA for this All Campaign and many others. opportunity to learn about grassroots and legislative organizing, make connections In the lead up to Mother’s Day I worked with movement leaders and work for more with our partner Strong Families on the justice for women and girls! 2016 Mamas Day campaign–soliciting stories and prayers from Black mamas in our — Shaya French faith to create a Worship resource “Black Mamas Matter.” We also pulled out the Minister’s Profile: Rev. Dr Daniel stops on UUA social media and email lists Kanter to get the word out about sending Mamas Day cards to mamas in detention. Strong As part of our periodic UUWF key issues Families was hoping to deliver 2,000 cards survey, we invited participants to name UU to mamas in detention and with our ministers who have done exemplary work to collective efforts 4,500 cards were advance justice for women and girls. We did delivered! not restrict these kudos to one gender, and indeed we received the names of male I’ve sent out email alerts and written blogs identified ministers whose keeping UUs involved in reproductive congregants appreciated justice up-to-date on what some of our and wanted their partners are doing. Most notably, UUs have contributions to be listened to SisterSong’s fabulous monthly recognized. webinar series sharing the stories of activists, artists and lawyers at the forefront Rev Daniel Kanter of the reproductive justice movement. I’ve also worked with the UUA’s Youth and Reverend Dr. Daniel Kanter, Senior Young Adult Office to offer support to Minister of the First Unitarian Church of youth and young adults working on these Dallas, was named numerous times. And it is not surprising given , as described in an dignity,” he said. “We can’t be ‘Standing on article in the UU World (December 2015), the Side of Polarization,’” he said. “We “the long and storied history” of this can’t repeat the hostility of the religious congregation with regard to reproductive right with regard to things like this shooting. justice, going back to the major role its We have to be wise as serpents and gentle as Women’s Alliance played in working with doves in our approach,” and “a lot of Texas attorney Sarah Weddington on the grieving has to happen.” historic U.S. Supreme Court Roe V. Wade case in 1973. — Rev. Marti Keller

Daniel uses his pulpit, and most frequently his public prophetic witness pulpit including Facebook, to speak out about reproductive Join Us in Columbus injustices. He posted recently following the passage of a bill in Oklahoma that would have criminalized physicians who performed abortions in that state, which was vetoed by Governor Mary Fallin:

“What does making abortion services illegal in Oklahoma do? Pushes women to other states to get care, increases poverty levels of UUWF will have a booth in the General women especially women of color, and puts Assembly Exhibit Hall – #104, right next lives in danger as home remedies will be door to UUW&R and The Red Tent, and used. Sad that governments make across the aisle from the UU Humanist ideological decisions over protective ones.” Association. We’re looking forward to talking with you there! Reverend Kanter serves on the Planned Parenthood’s national Clergy Advocacy UUWF-Sponsored Workshops: Board — which is celebrating its 75th anniversary in June — and also on the local Building Bridges from Reproductive affiliate board. He is working to organize as Choice to Reproductive Justice many interfaith clergy and leaders to have respectful conversations around During this centennial year marking the first reproductive rights, and to be with the birth control clinics opened in America, women seeking abortions and contraceptive women are experiencing devastating losses services. of access to reproductive health services. The leaders of Planned Parenthood and Following the killings last year at the SisterSong will dialogue about the history, Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado opportunities and challenges facing the Springs, in the UU World interview, Kanter reproductive choice and reproductive justice advised against further division or movements in this country. demonization of anti-choice protesters who march outside Planned Parenthood clinics. Thursday 6/23/2016, 3:00:00 PM – 4:15:00 “We would do well to hold them PM in Convention Center — Battelle South accountable but also to respect their The Future of Women

Join a few young adult leaders for a wide- ranging conversation about the future of gender justice, on topics including economic equity, families and relationships, multiculturalism, queerness, healthcare, and more. How might the Unitarian Universalism of the future be different if it were fully committed to, and practicing, From Our Herstory: UUWF gender equity? Ranwa Hammamy, Rev. Members March on Washington Marisol Caballero, Jessica Halperin, and 1963 UUWF president Dr. Kirstie Lewis. from The Bridge Newsletter of Unitarian Saturday 6/25/2016, 3:00:00 PM – 4:15:00 and Universalist Women October 1963 PM in Hyatt — Union E

June 2, 2016 / G C Ohmann