Holiday Songs in the Key of "F"

Below the Belt: A Biweekly Column by NOW President Kim Gandy

December 27, 2005

Dear Friends,

I love this time of year. Although the ice and snow aren't doing my car any favors (or my hair, for that matter!), there is something special about having time to rest and reflect on the year — take a step back, bask in the warmth of family and friends, and gather strength for the coming battles (which, I promise you, will be numerous).

So before treating you to our holiday songs "in the key of 'F'," I hope you'll join me in looking back over the year at some of the accomplishments that make me so proud to be your NOW President.

- The year started off with a bang with all the furor over Harvard President Larry Summers' ridiculous comments about women's "innate" inferiority in math and science! NOW was the first to call for his resignation, a call that was later seconded by the Harvard faculty. The end result of the public attention was that Harvard has now made a real financial investment in increasing the presence of women in hard sciences at that institution.

- In February we launched our Equal Marriage campaign, and the terrific response from activists across the country, and the ways they have put this campaign to work, has been spectacular to see!

- Through March and April we fought the FDA on risky silicone breast implants and then lobbied furiously on Emergency Contraception (EC) while also mobilizing our activists to save the Senate filibuster from the frightening "nuclear" option that would have threatened our liberties and made it nearly impossible to stop a bad Supreme Court nominee.

- In July came a real turning point. We were all gathered in Nashville for our National Conference when the news of Sandra Day O'Connor's resignation was announced. Never ones to shrink from a fight, we immediately declared a "State of Emergency for Women's Rights", were the first in the nation to hold a press conference, and organized a march and rally in a matter of hours, right there at the Tennessee State House in Bill Frist’s “back yard.”

- In September we marched with CodePink and hundreds of other groups to call for an end to the Iraq war and invasion. Hundreds of NOW members joined in to help remind the world that "peace is a feminist issue!" We also spoke out against Bush's response to Hurricane Katrina, and continue to demand fair treatment for the survivors, who are desperately seeking the aid that was allocated for them, but which hasn't been delivered by the Bush allies who received multi-million-dollar no-bid contracts, like Halliburton.

- Throughout August and the fall, we fought Bush's extremist nominees to the Supreme Court, and then in November we went back in front of that Court to argue for the third time against Operation Rescue and abortion clinic terrorists.

- In September, we ramped up efforts to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act, which was expiring on September 30, and to include additional protections for women fleeing violence. We were finally victorious in the last days of 2005, reauthorizing this landmark legislation with increased funding.

- In October, we renewed our commitment to the "Women Friendly Workplace" project with a coordinated campaign around the movie North Country (see the "Stand Up" campaign site, which includes our NOW blog!). And we've been back at work protesting our longstanding "Merchant of Shame," Wal-Mart, with “holiday shopping” actions at local stores.

- And along the way this year, we have lost several visionaries, trailblazers, and friends. Let's take a moment now to hold them dear in our hearts and memories. Here's to Shirley Chisholm, Molly Yard, Geraldine Miller, Sheri O’Dell, Tobi Hale, Wanda Alston, Maria Plasencia, Ernesta Ballard, and many activists who have given of themselves to advance the cause of equality.

As we wrap up this year, there are good signs just from the past few weeks that perhaps the slow tide is beginning to turn in our favor once again. Watching the Senate firmly reject Bush & Cheney's attempt to legalize torture for interrogation purposes was a baby step (almost enough to make one believe in representative democracy again — though not quite . . .). I'm also encouraged that, despite heavy White House pressure, Congress has thus far refused to make the "Patriot Act" any worse, and definitely not permanent.

And the final, perhaps most exciting sign is that the death-grip in which the Bush Administration has been holding the press seems to be slipping, allowing a few real news stories (like domestic wiretapping, which the NOW Times had covered before the NYT, by the way!) to slip through. It remains to be seen in the new year whether the Republican leadership will succeed in cutting Medicare, food stamps and housing assistance funds (can you say Katrina?) in order to give more tax breaks to millionaires....

But for now, rest well, knowing that you and we all have done what we could for this year, and that I and the whole NOW staff are so proud to be working for you.

And now, the promised carols in the key of "F" —

One too-frequent charge against feminists is that we lack a degree of levity. A Ms. Magazine cover once showed a cartoon version of a man saying to a woman, "Do you know the women’s movement has no sense of humor?" To which she replies, "No, but if you hum a few bars, I can fake it!"

So, in the spirit of good fun for the holidays...

Soon we'll rejoin the battles, but for now, have a wonderful, restful, well-deserved break, and I look forward to working hard with you in the New Year.

For equality,

Kim

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