FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
From: Central Phoenix Area NOW: Inez Casiano
CONTACT: Panayiota Bertzikis, President, Central Phoenix/Inez Casiano Chapter of NOW
PHONE: 802-578-4769
EMAIL: [email protected]
PROTEST HOBBY LOBBY DECISION
Monday, July 7, 2014 — 6:00pm
(Southwest corner Cactus Rd. & Tatum Blvd.)
The Supreme Court ruled that some private employers with religious objections can refuse to cover contraception for women employees. The court’s ruling struck down the birth control mandate for “closely held” corporations in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores and Conestoga Wood Specialties v. Burwell. The private companies challenged the mandate of the Affordable Care Act requiring employers to offer health insurance that covers all FDA approved forms of birth control without copayments.
Unintended pregnancy is deadly. It is closely correlated with infant mortality, maternal mortality and increased risk of domestic violence homicide. The U.S. has the highest infant and maternal mortality rates in the developed world — a higher rate than in many developing countries. Each year in the U.S., more than half of all pregnancies are unintended.
The Affordable Care Act’s contraception mandate holds the promise of saving women’s and infants’ lives by reducing the incidence of unintended pregnancy. Yet the Supreme Court wants to gut that life-saving mandate.
Even if corporate bosses seriously believe birth control goes against their religion, there are some “beliefs,” no matter how sincerely held that should simply not be respected by any government. A “belief” that works to the detriment of a specific demographic group that has historically experienced discrimination is no more than a religious mask for bigotry. The world has rejected the use of religion to justify racial and homophobic bigotry, and the same must be true for gender bigotry as well. Every woman has the right to make her own reproductive health decisions. Not her boss, not some bishop, not some politician — and certainly not some Supreme Court Justice.
This is clearly an attack on women. Please join The Central Phoenix/Inez Casiano Chapter of the National Organization for Women in a protest on this attack against women and women’s health.
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Bring your signs, your friends and join us this Monday, July 7th at 6pm outside of Hobby Lobby, 4643 E Cactus Rd, Phoenix, AZ 85032.