No women in gay leadership - or just not on the A-List?

Looking right now at a photo on page A14 of today's New York Times with the caption: "The president held a Gay Pride event on Wednesday at the White House but has not quite endorsed same-sex marriage." The only woman in the room seems to be one peering down from an 18th century portrait on the wall. Not another woman in sight, just lots of suits and cocktail glasses. Nothing like a room full of gay good ol' boys...same as all the other good ol'boys.
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The New York Times needs to do much better!

(Courtesy of equalrepresentation.org)

Today I received email alerts from The New York Times, CNN and The Miami Herald reporting that Christine Lagarde had become the new head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) - but the Times was the only one that did NOT mention that she is the first woman to head the IMF in the text of the email.

What's with those people? Do they have something against mentioning gender or gender imbalance. Is it wrong to inform/remind readers that women are grossly under-represented in leadership positions, including the United States Congress? They are not doing us any favors!

In November-December 2005, I communicated with them multiple times regarding New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine's appointment of someone to replace him in the U.S. Senate - asking them to not only mention the lone woman (State Senator Nia Gill) being considered, but to report that New Jersey did not have even one woman in Congress. They finally mentioned Gill, but not that the women of NJ were not represented in Congress...let alone suggest that this must change.

"Why couldn’t or wouldn’t The New York Times address the lack of representation for women in New Jersey? Is it considered taboo, irrelevant or somehow unfair to bring up the disgraceful lack of women in Congress when discussing appointments or elections? How are the voters able to consider an issue they are consistently not informed about? Meanwhile, New Jersey still sends not one woman to the U.S. Congress." ("The Truth About the Political Status of U.S. Women: What are we going to do about it", p.9 - an eBook by Paula Xanthopoulou that can be accessed on smashwords.com.)

The New York Times needs to do much better!

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"Michelle Bachmann is a real player."

(Courtesy of equalrepresentation.org)

Mark McKinnon said that, I didn't - but I have to agree. Chris Wallace's face-to-face smirking insult "Are you a flake" was an affront to all women political candidates. Bachmann -- later claiming to Jonathan Karl of CNN that her spine is made of Titanium -- managed to come back strong with a polite put-down AND a recitation of her rather strong resume.

McKinnon's article (below) reminds us that Michelle Bachmann was the first Republican woman elected to Congress from Minnesota back in 2006. Yep, she is a force -- watch out Sarah Palin and Barack Obama. The ball is in your courts...

"She’s not my kind of candidate. And no one I know supports her. But I know enough to know I shouldn’t judge American voters and candidates by my own distorted circle. She is a rock star with the Tea Party set and social conservatives. And I also know enough to know that Michele Bachmann has been underestimated and treated unfairly by the mainstream press." Mark McKinnon, "Bachmann’s No Joke" (The Daily Beast 6-28-11)

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Dems trot out the ERA once again -- so what?

(Courtesy of equalrepresentation.org)

The Democrats' answer to the Supreme Court decision denying a class action suit by women against Wallmart was to re-introduce the ERA. I have to say, "So what?"

The ERA has been introduced in every Congress since 1923. We are reminded that the Dems have had many chances since then when holding majorities to make something happen, like 2009-2010 for example. Every year it is the same ol' same 'ol -- a PR push, photo ops, and then silence.

I love Rep. Carolyn Maloney, but her list of co-sponsors has grown shorter and shorter over the years. And Senator Edward Kennedy did mostly nothing each time he filed the companion startover bill now picked up by Senator Robert Menendez. Last year we were told that all the energy was sucked up by health care. There is always some excuse.

Why doesn't everyone get behind Rep. Tammy Baldwin's bill to lift the deadline set in 1977 allowing only five more years for 3 more states to ratify. Some states that did not ratify by 1982 -- like Illinois (May 2003, when Barack Obama was a State Senator), Florida (2003-11), Arkansas, Missouri -- have been trying in recent years with nothing to show for it. How difficult would it be to pass a bill in Congress now and start over?

Word on the Hill is that the 3-state approach won't fly legally -- but with the precedent of the Madison Amendment (passed more than 200 years later) it's worth a try and would certainly fire up the conversation!

Do the Dems really want a conversation about Equal Rights for women? Or will the next months be all about re-electing Barack Obama...

The Democrats -- even without a Majority, but with potential GOP allies doing what's right if there is ever a vote -- need to put their money where their mouths are. But don't hold your breath...They don't put their money where their mouths are to elect more women to Congress either.

Do you BELIEVE in Equal Representation?

(Courtesy of equalrepresentation.org)

To be honest, I was really proud when today's Iowa poll showed Mitt Romney 23%, Michelle Bachmann 22%, and Tim Pawlenty 6% -- a woman beating the boys at their own game, wow! How many women anywhere on the political spectrum could pull off something like that these days? Give me names.

Congresswoman Bachmann held her own against Bob Schieffer on Face the Nation this morning, even answering questions about God and her view on homosexuality. She BELIEVES that marriage is between a man and a woman, but "I am running for president of the United States, I am not running to be anyone's judge." Can't say I buy that pitch, but that's not the point. Bachmann was dignified, knowledgeable and on message - what a concept!

By all accounts, Michelle Bachmann really BELIEVES in what she says/stands for - and you have to give her that, because it's what resonates with the people who support her. You may not be one of them, but I wonder what you really BELIEVE in.

The second-class status of women in the United States Congress -- 16.6 % of seats, 235 years after independence from the British Empire -- is an unmitigated disgrace. The U.S. is tied with Turkmenistan in 69th place for electing women, 87th on the list if you count all the ties. This is something that may concern you, but do you actually BELIEVE in Equal Representation?

Making progress will take serious commitment, a willingness to stand up to the status quo and be more tolerant of women you might not agree with in order to achieve critical mass and change the legislative dynamic in Washington. You don't have to vote for women you don't agree with (in case you actually live in their districts), just don't go after them with shotguns and money that could be used to elect women you do agree with...

A real paradigm shift -- out of the headlock our 2 main political parties have us in -- is needed if we are ever to achieve even the 30% participation benchmark used worldwide. Enough talk and talking points!

If you really BELIEVE in Equal Representation, you must do something about it.

(More information/documentation on all of this can be found in "The Truth About the Political Status of U.S. Women: What are we going to do about it".)

12 OPEN SEATS so far in House of Representatives!

So far, there are 12 "open seats" in in the House of Representatives as far as we can see - though redistricting and the addition/subtraction of seats will play a role in coming months. Florida, for example, will get 2 new seats! There are 8 "open seats" in the Senate. Keep score at www.openseatscongress.org.
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Amazing how Sarah Palin makes the media crazy!

(Courtesy of equalrepresentation.org)

Amazing how one woman can make the media go crazy when she doesn't play by their rules and give them news on a silver platter -- especially since they didn't find what they wanted in the emails recently released. They wanted the village idiot, but instead got a fully, engaged sincere governor who had beat an incumbent to get in! I was watching Anderson (where is my next sensational story?) Cooper's face, when he got the first reports on the emails - his facial expression went from smug to perplexed. Poor boy.

Too bad Governor Palin got caught in the tsunami of our totally whacked out national politics. I don't agree with many of her ideas, but she is entitled to them and has achieved the prominence that make some men drool. You can call her a "celebrity" to dis her, but she probably doesn't care. Let give this anti-Palin thing a rest, unless we simply want to deflect attention from the sexual misconduct of male members of Congress...

20 States Send NO Women to Congress!

(Courtesy of equalrepresentation.org)

235 years after independence from the United Kingdom, U.S. women hold a measly 16.6% of Congressional seats - far below the 30% benchmark set by the United Nations. Most shockingly, 20 NO TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENATION STATES (40% of all states!) do not send even one woman to Washington!

The U.S. is currently 69th in the world for electing women to national legislative bodies, 87th on the list if you count all the ties! Many countries of all sizes and political systems have gone ahead of us by using some kind of candidate quota system. Global results and studies clearly show that we are stuck if we continue business as usual.

The numbers do not lie.

The Truth About the Political Status of U.S. Women: What are we going to do about it?

(Courtesy of equalrepresentation.org)

You can access this eBook HERE...Women hold a measly 16.6% of the seats in the U.S. Congress, 235 years after independence from the British Empire. We are 69th in the world for electing women, actually 87th on the list if you count all the ties. Why don't our political parties establish voluntary quotas, like so many other countries have done to accelerate the election of women? Have women become enablers of a national disgrace? Can we reach 30% by 2020? Call to Action!

(This provocative exposition can be used by women's groups, candidates, political entities, educators, think tanks, and others to stimulate discussion and debate.)