The Newsletter of the Deeds Not Words Community

August 5th, 2016 | Deeds Digest No. 11
Hello #ChangeMakers!

I awoke this morning in Austin, Texas to what has become a sadly familiar news headline: “Abortion debate tearful”. This time, the tearful conversation surrounded Texas’ proposed rule that would require the burial or cremation of fetal remains in cases of miscarriage or abortion, part of the the Governor’s “Life Initiative.”  This move, of course, comes on the heels of the Supreme Court’s Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt.  Once again, Texas argues some interest in protecting the “sanctity of life,” when in reality it seeks to throw another impediment in the path of women seeking safe, legal abortion.

As the ACLU argued, requiring women or abortion providers to fund burial or cremation services for their fetus would drive up the cost of abortion and discourage women from seeking a safe procedure. The Funeral Consumers Alliance of Texas testified that the basic charge for funeral services in our state is around $2,000. And this is as much about adding shame as it is adding cost, of course. As one woman who had an abortion after she had been raped testified, “[being forced to bury the fetus] would have essentially been the state of Texas rubbing my face in my own rape.”

In the face of this, I find myself refocused on the resolve necessary to assure the dignity and safety of women in Texas and elsewhere. I hope you do, too, #ChangeMakers. We need you.

xo,
- Wendy

This week’s #ChangeMaker is Hope Solo - a World Cup Champion, three-time Olympic medalist and winner of the 2011 and 2015 FIFA World Cup Golden Glove award. Off the field, Hope works with the Women’s Sports Foundation, founded by Billie Jean King to advance the lives of girls and women through sports and physical activity. Hope is one of five members of the U.S. women’s national team who have filed a wage discrimination lawsuit with the U.S. Soccer Federation and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

#ICYMI
Hope Solo is done being told the wage gap isn't real | 2016ish #5

Watch this week’s #ChangeMaker Hope Solo and our friend Elizabeth Plank talk about equal pay! Vox

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: Sex Education (HBO)

Information allows us to make informed decisions. But, across our country teenagers are not getting consistent information about birth control, disease prevention, and abstinence in their school’s sex education courses. John Oliver looks at some of the misinformation that passes as sex ed in junior and senior high schools across the country. Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

Kevin Roberts, the executive chairman of ad agency Saatchi & Saatchi set the ad world on fire last Friday with his inflammatory remarks announcing that the gender equality “f—ing debate is all over” and that agencies are misunderstanding how women view success. A few days later he suddenly announced his retirement. Bye Felicia! The Wall Street Journal

Ever heard of Janet Jagan? This woman was a trailblazer! In 1943, this Marxist nurse from Chicago moved to British Guiana, off the coast of Venezuela, with her groom, where they fought for his country’s independence. In 1997, after a career spanning forty-six years as Guyana’s longest-serving parliament member, Janet ran and won the presidency filling the spot left suddenly vacant after her husband’s untimely death. The New Yorker

The Millennial Trains Project is a three-year old program that brings together change makers from around the world who want to increase their leadership, community engagement, and social entrepreneurship skills. From small town train stations to the White House, MTP has been hailed as a game-changing innovation in the realm of next-generation leadership. Let’s follow together as they embark on two journeys this summer focusing on the themes of change and unity. Millennial Trains Project

Big news in Texas – thanks to generous donations made by the Boone Family Foundation and Harold Simmons Foundation, low-income women will soon have access to free IUDs and STD testing in Dallas-Fort Worth area. Jezebel

Madison “Peach” Steiner founded Peach’s Neet Feet with the mission to create a movement of pay it forward initiatives and selfless acts of giving. She uses art to create custom, hand-painted shoes to celebrate children who are fighting cancer and living with disabilities. For ways to get involved, visit their website.

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