Women's Rights

03.04.21

Being Anti-Racist Means Fighting Against Anti-Asian Violence, Too

By Sarah Khan-Williamson

I remember it clear as day, even though it was almost a year ago. During one of the many COVID press briefings that took place in the beginning of the pandemic, a brave female reporter asked then-President Trump: “Why do you keep calling it the Chinese virus?”

02.01.21

Pandemic Or Not, Ohioans Deserve Virtual Testimony

By Sarah Khan-Williamson

It takes nearly three hours to travel from Ashtabula, Ohio to Columbus.

It takes over two hours to get from Cleveland, the second most populous city in Ohio, to the state capital – the same amount of time it takes for one to travel from the Appalachian city of Marietta to Columbus.

01.19.21

A Conversation with Repro Rights Expert Professor Jessie Hill on the Future of Abortion

By Sarah Khan-Williamson

As we saw just a few weeks ago, Ohio lawmakers again took lameduck session hostage by prioritizing an anti-abortion agenda above all. This resulted in two new laws being signed by Governor DeWine, one which requires fetal abortion tissue to be buried or cremated and another that banned telemedicine abortions.

12.18.20

Ohio Lawmakers Again Take Lameduck Session Hostage by Prioritizing Anti-Abortion Agenda Above All

By Sarah Khan-Williamson

The close of the 133rd Ohio General Assembly (OGA) is rapidly approaching. We are in the final stretch of lame duck, a time between the general election and the end of the year when a new legislative session starts. Ohio legislators hurry to wrap up whatever unfinished business they have from the past two years.

05.08.20

Playing Politics with Essential Health Care: Abortion Access in Ohio during the COVID-19 Pandemic

By Sarah Khan-Williamson

National Women’s Health Week (NWHW) is recognized by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office on Women’s Health (OWH) as a time to remind women and girls that they are in control of their health journey. OWH launched NWHW in 2000 to empower women to make health a priority.

12.19.19

Here’s how Anti-Choice Lawmakers Waged War against Abortion in Ohio in 2019

By Sarah Khan-Williamson

If you have social media and a way to get the latest news, chances are you have heard of two abortion bans (SB 23 and HB 413) – one of which was signed into law while the other was introduced to the Ohio Statehouse this year.

06.14.18

Young Americans Support Abortion Rights, Ohio Legislators Couldn’t Care Less

By Celina Coming

Recently, the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI), a nonpartisan, independent research organization, released a poll that shows younger Americans are more supportive of abortion rights than older Americans, and more importantly, that their views are becoming more supportive over time.

But certain members of the Ohio Legislature do not seem to care about what young people want from their elected officials.

04.24.18

Modernizing Paid Leave Policies

By James Kosmatka

One of the recurring lessons of working in the social justice universe is how often doing what is right is also what is best for a corporation, government, or organization. Paid family leave is one of those lessons. The New York Times recently celebrated Walmart, Starbucks and others offering more comprehensive family and medical leave policies.

04.09.18

Ruth Bader Ginsburg. A Hero. An Icon. A Dissenter

By Dan Rogan

“I dissent” is the legal battle cry tearing apart majority opinions and explaining why the court should have ruled differently. Numerous Supreme Court Justices have written these words, but few have done so as movingly as Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, popularly known as the “Notorious RBG.”

03.16.18

A Dedication to Our Dear Departed Friend and Colleague, Adrienne Gavula

By Dan Rogan

On Saturday, February 24, friends and family of Adrienne Gavula gathered in our Columbus office for the dedication of the “Adrienne Gavula Community Room.”

The event began with people sharing their stories to celebrate the legacy of our former Development Director who passed away unexpectedly on September 2, 2017.

03.08.18

Happy International Women’s Day!

By Celina Coming

International Women’s Day is Thursday, March 8^th and it is celebrated by people all over the world. It is a day with a global focus on equality and celebration. The history of this day dates back to the early 1900’s when women in New York City protested against long hours, low wages, and fought for the right to vote.

01.22.18

Roe v. Wade Decision Celebrates 45th Anniversary!

By Lisa Wurm

Although today marks the 45^th anniversary of the monumental Roe v. Wade decision, a woman’s right to choose when, or if, to become a mother continues to be challenged and restricted. In fact, exactly one month before the 45^th anniversary of Roe v.

06.16.17

Authors D.A. Dirks and Patricia A. Relf on Reproductive Rights, Then and Now

By James Kosmatka

In anticipation of the ACLU of Ohio’s spring event series, I sat down with authors D. A. Dirks and Patricia A. Relf to discuss their latest work, To Offer Compassion: A History of the Clergy Consultation Service on Abortion. The authors deconstruct one of the deepest misunderstandings within the pro-life versus pro-choice debate—that it is synonymous with religious belief versus secular humanism.

12.09.16

After Two Unconstitutional Anti-Abortion Bills Pass, We Have to Ask: What’s the Matter With Ohio’s Lame Duck Legislature?

By Lisa Wurm

It’s lame duck season in the state of Ohio and this year seems like the “super special” version. During the lame duck session, the legislature has just a few short weeks to pass laws before all bills have to start over from scratch in the new year.

12.02.16

When Legislators Play Doctor, Women Pay the Price: Sheva’s Story

By Katrice Williams

On December 13, Governor John Kasich signed the 20-week abortion ban into law. SB127 is Ohio’s most recent attempt to close all clinics and make abortion care completely inaccessible for women who need it. This ban will impact women such as Sheva Guy, who, after receiving heartbreaking news about her pregnancy, was forced to travel 300 miles for the medical care she required.

01.15.16

Discrimination Shouldn’t Be Part of the Dress Code

By Cassie Chenoweth

Cassie Chenoweth is a high school intern with the ACLU of Ohio.

While many people around the world are rightly taking a stand against discrimination based on race, gender, or sexual orientation, among others, we sometimes miss how discrimination works through cultural elements like vernacular or clothing style.

11.06.15

A Call for Justice: Piper Kerman at the 2015 Ed Likover Memorial Lecture

By Dan Rogan

“We must talk seriously about criminal justice reform because of how close it is connected to racial justice,” said Piper Kerman, discussing the intrinsic relationship between the two issues. Piper’s words struck a chord over 300 attendees at this year’s Ed Likover Memorial Lecture.

10.16.15

The Harsh Realities of Prison, Through the Lens of Piper Kerman, Author of Orange is the New Black

By Dan Rogan

Prison is not the easiest topic to make entertaining, but The Washington Post called “Orange is the New Black” “the best TV show about prison ever made.” Of course “Orange is the New Black” is not all entertainment, and not entirely fiction.

09.18.15

Ohio Women’s Reproductive Rights Are in Jeopardy

By Steve David

Legislation introduced in the Ohio Statehouse will tighten the regulations on abortion in an attempt to circumvent the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark decision Roe v. Wade (1973) that the outright banning of abortion is unconstitutional. If passed, these laws would make Ohio second only to Texas in abortion regulation.

08.07.15

Fired for Being Pregnant

By Steve David

It’s hard to believe that in this day and age women can be fired for becoming pregnant. A quick Google search for “pregnant and fired” brings up multiple headlines in the news documenting stories of women fired once their bosses learned of their pregnancy.

07.03.15

Abortion: People Versus Politicians

By Steve David

According to a recent Gallup poll, half of Americans now call themselves pro-choice. Looking at gender, 54 percent of women and 46 percent of men identify as that way.

The current numbers are the result of a trend of increasing identification with being pro-choice since 2012.

05.20.15

Cuts to Medicaid Are Costly to Women’s Health…and to Taxpayers

By Shakyra Diaz

Every now and then politicians get it right, and so it was with Ohio’s Medicaid expansion.

Following the implementation of the Affordable Care Act in 2013, Governor Kasich expanded Medicaid coverage to families earning up to about $40,000 a year for the typical family of three.

03.20.15

Acknowledging Activism for Women’s History Month

By Shakyra Diaz

“Remember the ladies.”

In March of 1776, before the laws of the land were finalized, Abigail Adams wrote to her husband, John Adams, to remind him the Constitution should not limit freedom to men. She cautioned if women were not included, “we are determined to foment a rebellion, and will not hold ourselves bound by any laws in which we have no voice or representation.”

03.13.15

“Heartbeat Bill” Returns, Along With Our Promise to Sue

By Ellen Kubit

Last December, Ohio’s so-called “Heartbeat Bill” ultimately expired when a majority of members in the Ohio House of Representatives voted against it as the legislative session wound down.

However, Statehouse watchers knew to expect it back some time after the new session started in January.

01.21.15

An Era of Reproductive Freedom, Thanks to Roe v. Wade

By Ellen Kubit

It has been 42 years since the landmark Supreme Court case Roe v. Wade, which ruled that a woman’s decision to have an abortion is protected by the constitution.

Almost 20 years later, Roe was upheld but modified. Planned Parenthood v.

01.12.15

Black Lives Matter: Policing, Indifference, and Women of Color

By Shakyra Diaz

Photograph courtesy of Rachel Woods

How much do we as a society value the lives and experiences of black women and girls?

On November 13, 2014, Tanisha Anderson was experiencing a medical crisis. Her family did what any caring family would do—they called 911 for help.

01.06.15

Is 15 Cents High Enough?

By Kim Schuette

A new year and a new minimum wage.

On January 1, Ohio increased its hourly minimum wage from $7.95 to $8.10—85 cents higher than the federal minimum wage. The tipped wage also increased to $4.05—7 cents higher. This modest increase benefits about 277,000 working Ohioans and is estimated to put more than $36 million back into our economy reports The Columbus Dispatch.

12.03.14

What Are Ohio Legislators Cooking Up Now?

By Shakyra Diaz

If you are a member of the ACLU of Ohio, you are no doubt used to hearing from us about our work. Perhaps it is no surprise an organization known for protecting the First Amendment often exercises its own right to free speech.

11.26.14

The So-Called “Heartbeat Bill” Gets Revived

By Ellen Kubit

Another day, another attempt to promote government intrusion into the lives of thousands of women and their doctors.

Last week, the Ohio House Health and Aging Committee snuck onto its agenda House Bill 248 (HB 248), often called the “Heartbeat Bill,” which restricts reproductive freedom and promotes poor health care practices and overreaching governance.

10.31.14

A New Prisoners Report: How Does Ohio Compare?

By Shakyra Diaz

The United States is the world’s largest jailer. With only 5 percent of the population, it has 25 percent of the world’s prison population.

In 1926, following a mandate from Congress, the National Prisoners Statistics Program began collecting demographic data voluntarily provided by states about people detained in jails, state, federal, and private prisons in the United States.