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Elections Results

By now we all know that Obama is the president-elect, but what about all those other issues that were up for decision? Heather put together a guide to the ballot measures particularly relevant to Scarleteen and our mission and I thought I'd post the results.

Ready to vote? I am.

Vote!I want to take a few minutes of your time and tell you not about me, but about some of the women I meet at the clinic I work at, who come into my office for counsel and tell me some of the most intimate details of their lives.

I want to tell how you much they are like me, you, other women and people you know. I want to tell you how important they are, even though they are clearly so easy for some to ignore or dismiss, even though they are so often rendered invisible.

He did WHAT?! Political Ads In the Final Days Before the Election

Vote!Election day is almost here, three days and counting down. The few days before an election are typically the worst in terms of mudslinging because the campaigns know that people aren't going to have as much time to fact check prior to voting. Often the campaigns will attempt to make the most passionate arguments against the other candidate, and those arguments may contain a lot of fallacies, but the campaigners realize that no one has time to look up information and find out the truth.

Saving Sarah? Or not.

Vote!For the third time in four years, Californians are once again to vote on an abortion referendum. Proposition 4, or The Child and Teen Safety and Stop Predators Act: Sarah’s Law, will require physicians to notify a parent, legal guardian or some other adult family member of a minor seeking an abortion and then wait 48 hours before performing the procedure.

Don't Be a Bystander: Abuse in the Public Eye

A lot of times we think about abuse, whether it's physical or emotional, as something that goes on behind closed doors, and it's hard to change that frame of mind when, in reality, nobody sees the vast majority of abuse that occurs. Like many of the ST Staff, I've seen my share of abuse as the victim, not the witness. So it seems somewhat surprising that I was so shocked to see it, in full daylight, on a busy downtown street this past weekend.

Prop what? Amendment who?

Vote!If you're a U.S. resident, at this point, you've probably given some thought to who you will be voting for for President, and may even know who you'll vote for by now. You may also know, or have some idea, of who you will be voting for when it comes to positions in your state up for the vote this year.

What you might not be prepared for in advance are ballot measures which will be printed on your ballot November 4th, which are just as important, and not always explained clearly or detailed. These measures are one of many reasons why your vote matters so much.

Why Women Should Vote

addamsYou may have recently seen an email floating around called "Why Women Should Vote" summarizing some of the struggles of suffragists who won us that right.

It is a good account, an important account, and I'd implore you to take a look at it if you haven't already.

Remember, it was not until 1920 that women were granted the right to go to the polls and vote.

Dear HHS: How about you consult YOUR conscience?

I am writing to urge you to stop efforts to block women's access to basic reproductive health services.

I understand that the proposed regulations that the Department of Health and Human Services released on August 21, 2008 expand existing law to allow more health care providers and institutions to refuse to provide needed care.

Since this proposal has come to light, I have looked for any evidence that it is in response to a mass of healthcare workers voicing complaint and finding they are incapable of doing the very jobs they have agreed to do. I have found no such thing.

Ever Smiling Doll

Sexuality in ColorI used to play with Barbies a lot when I was little. No wonder I wanted to be blonde.

I smiled at my reflection. Not because of my morena skin. Not because of my brown eyes, or even because I was looking at the face of a child with a life of opportunity ahead. It was because at that time of day, if I used a bit of imagination, the light from Costa Rica’s morning sun made my dark, curly hair glow a golden yellow. I would go into daydreams of myself: blonde with bright blue eyes and a perfectly pink smile, driving off in a matching magenta convertible with the most popular boy in the class.