 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
||||||||
 |
 |
|||||||||
 |
 |
 |
||||||||
 |
 |
|||||||||
 |
 |
|||||||||
 |
 |
 |
||||||||
 |
 |
|||||||||
 |
 |
|||||||||
 |
||||||||||
A list of NOW in the news articles
Chicago NOW Statement on Blair Hull Domestic Violence Allegations
Chicago, IL – March 1, 2025 – The Chicago chapter of the National Organization for Women (NOW) today strongly denounced the response of senatorial candidate Blair Hull to allegations of spousal abuse contained in records of his divorce from Brenda Sexton in 1998, and called on both Hull and the other candidates to provide a clear, emphatic statement on the issue of domestic violence for voters to consider before the March 16 primary.
“Hull may have moved past the incident personally, but as a candidate he needs to state his position on the issue and explain how he will address the problem if he is elected to the Senate,” said Jennifer Koehler, president of Chicago NOW. “A candidate – whether Hull or any of the other candidates – without a strong statement on domestic violence does not deserve our vote.”
Most troubling about Hull’s response to the allegations of abuse has been his failure to communicate the seriousness of domestic violence in this country, she said.
“In interviews over the weekend, it sounded as if he were saying he would like to move on to ‘real’ issues like healthcare,” said Koehler. “Domestic violence is a real issue, as real as healthcare, the economy or the war. Ask the woman who’s been beaten so severely she ends up in the hospital. Hull also said it is a private matter, in the past. The police used to consider domestic violence a ‘private matter,’ too, but they don’t anymore – they consider it a crime.
“Treating this as a non-issue is a grave injustice to the victims of domestic violence and a disservice to our society as a whole,” she concluded. “We need to take the issue seriously and talk about it openly, because one of the problems of domestic violence is the silence that surrounds it. Victims are afraid to speak out for fear of reprisal or ostracization, and so it continues, at all socioeconomic levels, every day.”
Bonnie Grabenhofer, president of Illinois NOW, added, “Since NOW's inception, we have been working politically to stop violence against women. Women face a continuum of potential violence throughout their lives from incest, sexual abuse, sexual harassment on the street, at school and at work, rape, domestic violence, to hate crimes and murder.” The January 2000 report from John Hopkins School of Public Health and the Center for Health and Gender Equity states that that one in three women will experience violence in her lifetime.
Chicago NOW is asking all of the candidates for an overall position on the problem of domestic violence and how they would work for meaningful change. Said Koehler, “This is an opportunity to create a dialogue about this important issue and to give voters the opportunity to compare the candidates’ views.”
For more information, please call Chicago NOW, 312-805-1503.
###
Statement of Bonnie
Grabenhofer, President,
IL NOW Condemns Constitutional Amendment
to Ban Same-Sex Marriage
NOW has a long history
of supporting lesbian and gay rights. And we're very proud that the first
2 women to get married in
We believed in marriage then, and we want it NOW.
President Bush has taken the unprecedented step of
trying to use the Constitution to restrict rather than expand civil
rights. And he lied when he said that states could define marriage for
themselves. The way the amendment is written, it takes that right away
too.
He keeps mumbling something about it threatening
marriage. There is not a single reason for how the marriage of a loving,
committed couple threatens someone else's marriage. Is heterosexual
marriage that fragile? Maybe he's afraid that same-sex marriages will have
a lower divorce rate – Now there's a threat!
President Bush
said that he wanted to proceed with "kindness, goodwill, and decency".
There is absolutely nothing kind or decent about denying equal rights or
the pursuit of happiness to a small group of citizens. His action is a
blatant attempt to shore up the support of the right wing by generating
fear and divisiveness. That won't work!
Not only is this kind
of action wrong at the federal level, it is wrong at the state level. Not
one, but two constitutional amendments prohibiting same-sex marriage have
been introduced in
We applaud the courage
of public officials in
We want Equal Marriage NOW!
Feminists Condemn House Passage of Deceptive Abortion Ban, Urge Activists to March on Washington
Follow this link to here NOW's statement on this ban...
Resolution against the Patriot ACT Introduced in Chicago City Council
For more information on the Patriot Act, please visit:
Bill of Rights Defense Commitee
The American Civil Liberties Union
Governor signs the Minimum Wage Law
Thanks to a great response from WE-WIN members, Illinois’ neediest workers will see more in their paychecks each week. Governor Blagojevich recently signed legislation that raises the minimum wage from $5.15 to $6.50. An increase in the minimum wage is long overdue-it has been six years since the last increase.
To read more about the new
minimum wage law, see:
http://capwiz.com/we/issues/alert/?alertid=3240636&type=SW
If you would like to thank the Governor for signing this into law, please click here: http://capwiz.com/we/mail/compose/?state=IL&alertid=3240636&type=SW
Student Financial Assistance Improved
Governor Blagojevich recently signed legislation that improves an important financial assistance program. The program will now reach more students and will provide more aid for the very poorest recipients.
To read more about the new act, which improves the Illinois Incentive for Access program, please click here: http://capwiz.com/we/mail/oneclick_compose/?alertid=3158071
If you would like to thank the Governor for signing this act, please click here and scroll down to write to the Governor: http://capwiz.com/we/mail/oneclick_compose/?alertid=3158071
Insurers Must NOW Offer Contraceptive Coverage
Re-introduced in June, the Equity in Prescription Insurance and Contraceptive Coverage Act would require insurance plans that offer prescription drug coverage to cover contraceptive drugs and devices. Illinois joined the 20 other states that have enacted similar legislation after Governor Blagojevich signed the bill into law. The law will go into effect January 1st, 2004.
Thank you for exposing these flagrant biases in health care!
|
|
