Oscar-nominated actor Julianne Moore, participated in Women Are Watching's special membership and media event, last week in New York. She agreed to share her thoughts about what's at stake in 2012.
In the fall of 2000, I remember speaking with Glamour, about how I wouldn't even consider voting for a candidate who didn't support reproductive rights -- including a woman's right to choose.
It's hard to believe that in 2012 birth control is being threatened, and that there are candidates who think the U.S. Supreme Court victory from 1965, giving married couples the right to use birth control, should be overturned.
And there are some candidates supporting "personhood" policies that could make birth control illegal for all women.
We all know that birth control is essential to women's health. And access to affordable birth control is essential to keeping women healthy.
Let me tell you the story of Courtney E., from Chicago, Ill.
Diagnosed at the age of 17, Courtney suffers from endometriosis -- a health disorder that can cause damage to a woman's reproductive organs. During her college years and in graduate school, she relied on Planned Parenthood to provide her with the low-cost birth control needed to control the damage. Without Planned Parenthood, she wouldn't have been able to afford the medications that kept her healthy enough to become the mother she is today.
There are many other women out there like Courtney -- women who need access to affordable birth control.
So when politicians talk about eliminating Title X, the nation's family planning program, they are talking about taking away affordable birth control from than five million women and men in this country.
And when they say they want to repeal the Affordable Care Act -- they are talking about taking away one of the most significant advances for women's health in a generation -- birth control without co-pays.
So, this year, in this election, I am committing to watching even more vigilantly. And making sure my friends, family, everyone understands what's at stake. I truly can't imagine a more important election for us to make our voices heard. I hope you'll join me.
For more from Julianne Moore make sure to follow her on twitter @_Juliannemoore.
This piece originally appeared on the Women Are Watching blog.
Not cheap women or girls who want to party with no consequence for their actions.
Not that that would matter.
This is an employee/employer issue.
A workers' rights issue.
Then explain why Scott Peterson was convicted of double homicide.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_Peterson
if you truly are concerned, please dig deeper and understand that our political system is fixed. Did you hear about the election fraud in '00 and '04? Probably not unless you were listening to the BBC in '00 or Pacifica/ Democracy Now in '04.
The game is rigged. America's votes are counted in secret via Diebold central tabulator. Only morons would accept a secret count as legit.
All of the Republican candidates stink, and so does Obama. Do you still think he's "change we can believe in?" OMG, he goes and had a $40,000/plate fundraiser just down the street from #OWS, he had the cops keep them penned in a "Free Speech Zone". That's the same crap Bush did, because Obama is the same. Same banker agenda, he just doesn't play the moron on stage.
This birth control deal is one of their typical wedge issues. Divide and Conquer is the strategy. Has it been working? Is America United or Divided?
Please be a Hollywood star that actually does give a damn. There are more than 1 million homeless children in America, largely thanks to NAFTA/WTO and now the bankster housing-crisis-AAA-junk-bond-credit-default-swap-robosigner SuperScam.
Look, 2/3 of Planned Parenthood's budget comes from contributions. Access to birth control isn't an entitlement. It is a basic human need, for both sexes. People can be self-reliant, and generally are, but in the preamble to our Constitution, it states that one of the purposes of our Constitution is to "promote the general welfare" of our people. If keeping women healthy, controlling population, reducing the risk and spread of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases, screening for breast cancer, preventing pregnancy, preventing abortion, and protecting the health of mothers isn't part of promoting the general welfare of the people, then you don't have a grasp on the intent of our Constitution.
More to follow
1. Outlaw abortion
2. Outlaw contraception
3. Outlaw sex education
4. Outlaw homosexuality
5. Outlaw all hetero sex acts except "missionary position"
6. Outlaw pornography
7. Outlaw miniskirts
8. Outlaw bikinis
9. Outlaw teaching evolution
So that we can all be free again.
I think in their mind it's the duty to speak on behalf of god. I am no religious scholar but I think it goes something like that. We all can speak on human issues regardless of our gender and their sexist exclusion of women should not cause you to create new gender test for leaders.
Birth control being considered licit health care is a secondary debate.
Thank you very much for speaking out on this issue--or cluster of issues.
I already admired you as an actress; now, after reading this article, I admire you as a politically savvy woman and an enlightened human being.
Keep up the good work on all fronts!