Boston forum highlights fight for women's rights

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- women's rights Order a Socialist Action pamphlet today! 4 SOCIALIST ACTION MARCH 1989 On Jan. 27, Boston Socialist Action sponsored a forum on the fight for women's rights. The speakers were Alexei Folger, from Socialist Action; Karen Uminsky, from Mass. Choice; Gustie Trainor, a long-time socialist and activist in the women's movement; and Toni Troop, Boston NOW Vice President for Action. We are reprinting below the speeches by Gustie Trainor and Toni Troop. Gustie Trainor Ever since the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) was proposed as an amendment to the Constitution in 1973 and adopted by the U.S. Congress, it has been an ongoing struggle-a struggle by women, their organizations, and supporters—to get the 38 out of 50 states to ratify this amendment so it could become a law. I'd like to read the ERA to you in case you haven't read it.

"Section 1-Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any state on account of sex.

"Section 2—The Congress shall have the power to enforce appropriate legislation for provisions of this article.

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not appear to be attracting many new recruits to their cause. They promised 3000 protesters in Atlanta, but only had about 700. On Oct. 29, their activities ranged in size from a dozen to a few hundred people. In many areas, Operation Rescue uses the same busloads of people to cover several cities.

A response from women Operation Rescue people have been able to temporarily shut down some clinics in several cities. But they have been turned away by organized pro-choice forces in other places— such as Boston on Oct. 29.

The Boston activists organized 2000 people to demonstrate visibly that they, not the Operation Rescue fanatics, are the majority. By outmobilizing these anti-women forces, they effectively isolated them and helped increase the pressure on police and other government agencies to enforce a woman's right to choose abortion.

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"Section 3—This amendment shall take effect two years after the date of ratification."

By June 30, 1982, 35 states had ratified the ERA, three states short of the 38 necessary for ratification. There's no doubt that a majority of people were in favor of passage of the ERA at this time. A gallup poll in 1980 showed that 61 percent of the population was in favor of the ERA, the same year that an NBC poll showed that 71 percent were in favor.

The opposition was so dedicated, however, to defeat the ERA that four states rescinded their ratification from the pressure. If Congress had already passed the ERA, why all the fuss about the states ratifying it?

Despite the rising support for the ERA and its passage in Congress, it still has not been ratified by the necessary number of states.

Why are we having so much trouble, why have some states rescinded their ratification?

Both Republicans and Democrats who are in the legislature oppose the ERA. Also corporate interests who are opposed to women in leadership positions in business and government. They want to keep women in low-wage positions.

The passage of the ERA is crucial to every aspect of women's lives. Reproductive rights and the ERA are key to women's economic and reproductive freedom. We must direct all our efforts to pass the ERA and to keep pro-choice abortion laws. I consider these two laws to be basic rights of women as human beings. Toni Troop Over the last month and a half since we started to organize for the April 9 march, we've been unable to keep up with all the calls that have been coming into the office from a wide range of organizations and from people of all ages and economic classes. I was Some of the smarter anti-abortion groups have argued that Operation Rescue's bulldozing method of shutting down birthcontrol clinics would force a response from women. And they are right. Around the country, pro-choice groups have been responding to Operation Rescue's attacks.

Activists come out at six in the morning, rain or shine, ready to defend the clinics.

Some are women who were active years ago when abortion was illegal in most states.

Others are young women who, having grown up with legal abortion as an option, are enraged by attempts to interfere with the clinics' operations.

Terrorism over the years While the efforts of Operation Rescue have been very well publicized, terrorism and violence from right-wing forces are not new.

The National Abortion Federation has been tracking these activities and keeping statistics for years.

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in the office the other day for just a few hours and had three calls from women under the age of 16.

Abortion is a baseline issue; it is a key to all women's rights. But it's insufficient without access. NOW is committed to access for abortion and we are pleased that our state is one of only 13 that now has Medicaid funding for abortions, and we will continue working to make sure that this remains so.

Presently there are 25 referendums in different states around the country aimed at eliminating abortion rights. The "pro-life"

movement—or anti-choice movement—is trying different languages and different referendums in different states to see which one is the most effective to confuse people.

The name "pro-life" is an example of how they so cleverly confuse people about where they really stand on the issue.

Over the last eight years with the Reagan administration these attacks have escalated, and we can see that Bush has no intention of changing that trend.

But something that we're concerned about is the fact this is not just a legal issue, it's not just a constitutional issue, it's not just a were 70 arsons and bombings, 34 attempted arsons and bombings, 213 bomb threats, 216 clinic invasions, 41 assaults and batteries, 2 kidnappings, 191 instances of vandalism, 143 clinics beset by hate mail and/or harassing phone calls (which included 61 death threats), and 624 clinics whose services were affected by picketing and blockades.

The misnamed "right-to-life" groups use terrorism because they do not have mass support. A majority of the people in this country continue to support the right of women to choose to have abortions-despite the sustained assaults on this right by governmental authorities.

NOW's call for the April 9 demonstration is meeting with unprecedented enthusiasm.

Abortion is no longer viewed as a dark secret which women can only whisper about to each other. Women and men who are concerned about women's rights and civil liberties in general are joining the struggle both at the clinics and in building a massive public demonstration.

The battle to ensure abortion rights is important for all of those who want to make this world a better place for women, for working people, and for children.

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political issue—-it's a women's issue. And women are being left out of the discussion.

On Channel 7 a few weeks ago they had a debate about abortion rights with two white men-you know, there's something wrong with this picture! Women are being left out of the discussion, and it's our bodies and our lives that we're talking about here.

In addition to the legislation that is being proposed to curtail our rights, Operation Rescue, which is the activist, right-wing group that many of us have seen face to face over the last few months, is out there to deny women's access to abortion. But they are such a small minority that even if they all get active, our numbers are so much greater-and we have to be as visible as they are.

There are many discussions going on around the country as to what is the best tactic to use to counter Operation Rescue.

Getting out there at 7 a.m. every Saturday morning is tiring, but women and men are going because they understand what is at stake. There are many options we are discussing, and the answer is not clear. But what is clear is that as long as they are there, we have to remain visible.

The march is called "March for Women's Equality and Women's Lives." It's very important that we bring the largest numbers to D.C. in April. We hope to bring at least 10,000 from Boston alone. It's also important that we get out there to not just maintain the rights that we have-but to expand our rights. It's unfortunate we are impeded from moving forward with our agenda by having to continually fight for a right we won 16 years ago. But we will not give up this fight.

We are confident that this is going to be the largest march on Washington. We are confident that the majority of people in this country accept the right of women to safe, legal, and accessible abortion as well as women's basic right of equal protection through passage of the ERA We're going to go to Washington and we're going to send one loud, clear voice to our Congress, president, Supreme Court, and legislatures that women's equality and women's lives are a national priority. We're not going to be silenced by George Bush or Operation Rescue or the media for mobilizing for the long haul for women's rights-and we look forward to working with all of you over the next few months.

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