Women In Politics Magazine: Loud and Proud

June 2021

May 2nd of 2020 I accomplished the sole goal of most high schoolers-I went viral on Tik Tok.

And yet, from the uncoordinated transitions, and the cheesy message within days we were able to build up a powerful team of girls from across the globe who continue to inspire me, and empower the next generation of leaders.

And now, a year later, June 2021 I, along with my co-executive Katherine Bronov, want to reflect on the one year anniversary of Women In Politics.

Rebecca: A week before my first viral Tik Tok that amassed over 100k views, Women In Politics was barely more than an idea growing in my mind. I had originally planned on starting a club at my school before the pandemic but as I sat bored in my room all day with only zoom classes to fill my calendar I was inspired by the many newly created online organizations (shoutout to Girl Genius and GenZGirlGang) filling my social media feeds to take Women In Politics to a larger scale.

I posted my tik tok with very low expectations but hundreds of applications later I realized that I would soon have a team filled with individuals just as passionate as me.

Our first meeting took place on May 10th, 2020. We were 60 individuals on one call, instructions unclear, struggling to adjust to an online environment, meeting across multiple time zones, yet we were all connected. I may have been clueless on how to run an organization all alone but the team I barely even knew already inspired me to never give up on WIP’s success.

Through struggles, hardships, and AP exams in the middle of a pandemic, we survived a month and made it to our first magazine launch. I don’t think I have been prouder in any single moment than the first release on June 13, 2020. I knew then that we had made it to our first milestone and that this organization was going to change my life.

I applied to Women In Politics from that infamous viral Tik Tok. I

:Katherine

remember procrastinating school work one night and stumbling across the video which I straight away showed to my family excitedly. I was immediately connected and hooked. I had no idea what I wanted to do for the organization but I knew I had to be a part of it.

I remember my interview with Rebecca like it was yesterday and now more than a year later I am beyond proud to be a co-executive of WIP alongside Rebecca. I don’t think I have the words to describe how much Rebecca and I cherish running this team and witnessing its growth and accomplishments over the past year. We both consider this organization to be our baby and everyone involved to be our family.

We don’t like to shrink WIP to just a set of achievements and numbers because this organization is so much more than that but for the sake of our anniversary here are the stats:

— 3.3k followers on Instagram — — 25k followers on Tik Tok — — Released 13 magazines — — Launched and run the WIP Ambassador program with over 70 members — — Organized 3 online events — — Uploaded 8 The BreakDown podcast episodes with multiple guests — And lastly we are proud to announce we are in the process of publishing a children’s book

While we are overjoyed with our success over the past year we are even more grateful to have the chance to use WIP to inspire and bring change. We hope that our organization has had as much of an impact on others as it has had on us. This is only the beginning.

We found a mission that empowers, a team that inspires, and a family that loves.

Each day is a blessing with the WIP family, and we can’t wait for what the next year will bring.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1

Pride 2021: Remembering the Women of Stonewall

SAVANNAH MAYALL

5

Freedom of Speech in the Information Age: Mahonoy Area School District vs. BL

TING CUI

8

Liz Cheney: Her Past, Present, and Future

MARY COREY

10

Of Rainbow Capitalism and Representation - a Look into Pride Month

ANTONIA PAULUS

13

15

Performative Pride

REGAN MADING

Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization: The Future of Reproductive Care

EMMA MARZULLO

18

What is the G7

ABOUT THE COVER

Summit?

HANNA MATSUKAWA

by: Adithi Varakantam

This month's issue celebrates the first anniversary of Women In Politics, Pride Month, and the impactful women who fought for these causes. We wanted to to highlight two women who fought for the rights of the LGBTQIA+ community.

Marsha P.Johnson is a transgender LGBTQIA+ activist (illustrated in the bottom right corner) holding the "POWER TO THE PEOPLE SIGN." She was the main instigator for the Stonewall riots at the Stonewall Inn, where the riots began. Sylvia Rivera was also a transgender activist advocating and leading the Gay rights movement alongside Marsha P. Johnson. Together, they started STAR, a group offered to the house to homeless transgender youth (she is illustrated alongside Marsha P.Johnson in a pink dress). These two women impacted the lives of LGBTQIA+ people.

PRIDE 2021:

REMEMBERING THE WOMEN OF STONEWALL BY: SUSANNAH MAYALL

This June marks 52 years since the Stonewall Uprising, a monumental event in LGBTQ+ history. The uprising was fuelled by a plain clothed police raid on the LGBTQ+ friendly Stonewall Inn, and is often marked the start of the modern, American gay rights movement.

Although the face of Pride in the 21st century is oftentimes the cis, white man, the movement was pioneered by courageous Black women in the late 20th centrury.

Some of the unsung female Stonewallers who played vital roles in the Stonewall Uprising include:

1

MARSHA P. JOHNSON Born transgender in a Christian household, Marsha P. Johnson had a difficult upbringing, resulting in her moving to New York at 18 and turning to prostitution to support herself. It was in New York that she discovered a love for drag, and grew herself up as an influential drag queen, using her success to help LGBTQ youth in similar situations to hers.

On the night of June 28th 1969, Marsha P. Johnson was at the Stonewall Inn when the unjust arrest of several LGBTQ people occured, inciting an emotional response in Marsha; she allegedly threw a cocktail and a brick. Eyewitnesses have widely credited her as one of the main instigators of the Stonewall Riots.

However, in a later interview, Johnson denied this claim, saying she did not arrive until the riot had been going for quite a while.

Regardless of whether Marsha P. Johnson was an instigator or just a participant, she nevertheless mobilized the crowd.She was particularly active on the second night, when she climbed up a lamppost and dropped bricks on a police car.

Unfortunately, Martha joins many other trans women, specifically Black trans women, who are deliberately forgotten by history because of her identity.

Marsha P. Johnson sadly passed away on June 6th 1992. Her body was found on the Hudson River and was deemed a suicide, despite her showing no evidence of suicidal tendencies.

Johnson was just 46 at the time.Her legacy in regard to Pride has prevailed for longer than her lifetime.

2

SYLVIA RIVERA Slyvia Rivera is often recognized as the second instigator of the Stonewall Uprising. Following her mother’s suicide when she was a toddler, Rivera lived with her grandmother. However, at 11 years old, she ran away from home after suffering abuse for being transgender. On the streets of New York City, Rivera resorted to child prostitution until she was taken in by the drag community of Times Square (including Marsha P. Johnson).

Sylvia Rivera played an active role during the Stonewall Uprising, saying in a 2001 interview that she threw the second cocktail. She stayed for all six nights of the rebellion, and led many of the protests.

After Stonewall, Rivera continued to fight for transgender rights and inclusion within the LGBTQ+ community. At a 1973 Pride Parade, she grabbed the microphone and said “if it wasn’t for the drag queen, there would be no gay liberation movement”, in response to the discouragement of transgender participation in Pride.

Sylvia Rivera died in 2002, however her legacy was continued by the Sylvia Rivera Law Project, which works on ending

3

harassment over race and gender identity.

STORMÉ DELARVERIE

Stormé Delarverie is hailed for motivating the crowd into fighting back against the police. She was born to a white father and a black mother, in the 1920s South.

She was in the Stonewall Inn that night, when she was arrested for wearing “gender inappropriate” clothing and roughly ushered out of the building.

When Delarverie started complaining that her handcuffs were too tight, a police officer hit her head with a baton.

In response to her arrest, Stormé Delarverie shouted to the crowd “why don’t you do something”, whilst being forced into a police van. Do something, the crowd certainly did; they formed a mob, and ultimately propelled the rebellion.

52 years on, Pride continues to be a joyous celebration across the world.

It’s a month to not only celebrate the

Delarverie went on to accumulate the role of “guardian of lesbians in the Village”. She got a state gun license, and would roam around lesbian bars in Manhattan, on the lookout for any harassment.

progress our world has made towards recognizing the LGBTQIA+ community, and the equality, love, and respect they deserve, but also remembering the selfless people, including Johnson, Rivera and Delarverie, who’s activism got us to where we are today.

In 2014, Stormé Delarverie died peacefully in her sleep.

4

Freedom of Speech in the Information Age: Mahonoy Area School District vs. BL BY: TING CUI

Since the Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District case 50 years ago, there has been ongoing tension between the right of students in public schools to speak and the authority of school officials to regulate or punish such speech to maintain an effective learning environment. The landmark Tinker case is referenced a lot by courts when considering student speech cases. It has set the precedent that students do not “shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate,” but also that student conduct that “disrupts classwork or involves substantial disorder or invasion of the rights of others” is subject to restriction by public schools, but not private schools. Public schools are run by the government and therefore face direct limits imposed by the Constitution, while private schools legally do not face the same Constitutional constraints largely because they are not federally funded. However, when the Tinker case’s ruling was made in 1969, the Internet didn’t exist. The arrival of social media and other online platforms has brought particular concern and debate over how much, if any, authority school officials should have over a student’s speech when they are off campus or on social media. The case of Mahanoy Area School District v. B.L examines where to draw the line between a student’s right to speak online and a school’s duty to discipline online behavior.

5

The media has recently been bringing attention to a case from 2017 regarding a cheerleader from Pennsylvania named Brandi Levy, who is referred to as B.L. in the case.

B.L., a student at Mahanoy Area High School (MAHS), tried but failed to make her high school’s varsity cheerleading team - making instead only the junior varsity team. Frustrated by this, B.L. posted a picture of herself raising her middle finger on Snapchat with the following text: “F*** school, f*** softball, f*** cheer, f*** everything.” The post was made on a weekend, away from school, and was visible to about 250 people, many of whom were her schoolmates. A fellow student saw the post and screenshotted the message, which then made its way to the school’s cheerleading coaches. The coaches decided that B.L.’s post violated team and school rules, which B.L. had agreed to follow before joining junior varsity cheer and was consequently suspended from the team for a year.

This sounds like a normal situation for a

In the end, the 3rd Circuit Court of

teenager, and typically this is where the

Appeals, which covers the states of

story would end, but not in B.L.’s case.

Pennsylvania, New Jersey and

With the help of her father and the

Delaware, decided to draw a line

American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU),

between student speech that occurs

B.L. sued the school alleging that

on campus and speech that occurs

school officials improperly broke the

off campus in Mahanoy v. B.L. With

boundary that should exist between a

some possible exceptions for bullying

student’s school life and personal life.

or harassing speech that affects other students, the appeals court stated

Levy’s dad argues that the school

that public school officials should

interfered with a parent’s right to

have no authority to punish students

discipline, or not discipline, their child

for their off-campus speech.

for things they do outside of school.

However, the school officials retaliated

The school district was not satisfied

by arguing that a geographic line

with the decision and appealed the

between off-campus and on-campus

case all the way to the Supreme

speech no longer exists in the age of the

Court. This process has stretched out

internet, so they have wider authority to

for so long that B.L. is no longer in

regulate student speech, regardless of

school. However, on April 28th, 2021,

where a post is made.

the Supreme Court of the United States began hearing oral arguments for Mahanoy Area School District v.

B.L.

6

In the oral arguments, B.L.’s attorney described the school’s proposed approach of applying Tinker to certain online conduct outside of school as using a “blunt instrument,” meaning that it is too broad and imprecise to be used efficiently in all situations. In contrast, the school district’s attorney characterized B.L.’s proposed approach of the first amendment as “Frankenstein’s monster,” since lower courts would be forced to determine whether to use Tinker or the traditional strict First Amendment doctrine in light of each student’s “youth and context.”

The Mahanoy case is especially relevant for school districts across the country because of students’ daily use of social media. This becomes even more critical when it regards a school’s ability to respond to off-campus cyber bullying. The Justices carefully considered this possibility using hypotheticals presented by Justices Sotomayor and Kagan, which speculating that, without applying Tinker to such online speech, a school district’s desire to respond to student bullying would likely not reach the level of a First Amendment exception.

If the Court rules in favor of the Mahanoy School District, students attending American public schools will not have the same First Amendment protection as everyone else. Speech that would be protected if they weren’t students would be punishable by school officials who claim - as the cheerleading coach in this case did - that their speech was disruptive to other students. Giving public school officials, who are government workers, the power to monitor and punish students for their speech 24/7 could fundamentally change the relationship between students and the government. It’s a dangerous civics lesson.

The Supreme Court’s decision, expected later this year, will provide some guidance for public school administrators on how free speech affects a school official’s ability to respond to online student speech. The oral arguments suggested, however, that the Justices may settle on a narrow ruling in this difficult case in order to avoid broad implications for other situations. For now, we can only hope that our teachers don’t

7

have Snapchat.

:

LIZ CHENEY

, PRESENT,

HER PAST

AND FUTURE

By: Mary Corey In terms of politics, 2020 was about as tumultuous as it gets. But as 2021 goes on, it is becoming clear that this trend is only continuing. One woman in the center of recent political controversy is Liz Cheney, a Republican congresswoman from Wyoming.

Liz Cheney, daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney and former Second Lady Lynne Cheney, has had a long and successful career prior to becoming an elected official.

Before she was a Representative, Cheney was a lawyer, a Fox News analyst, and worked in the State Department as a Deputy Assistant Secretary of State and Principal Deputy Secretary of State for the Middle East. In addition to serving in the House of Representatives, she is a member of the International Board of Directors at the University of Wyoming. Liz Cheney is married to Phil Perry, and they live with their five children in Wilson, Wyoming.

She first was elected to serve as Wyoming's single Representative in the House of Representatives in 2016 when she ran on a platform of restoring America as a world leader, pursuing conservative solutions to issues such as job creation and tax cuts, and expanding industries that matter most to Wyomingites such as mining and agriculture. Cheney currently serves on the House Armed Services Committee and the Natural Resources Committee.

Until very recently, Cheney was also Chair of the House Republican Conference, making her the third-ranking House Republican.

8

Liz Cheney and other House Republicans first began to part ways during former President Trump’s second impeachment trial. Cheney was among one of the 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump,and she, to this day, firmly believes his dangerous rhetoric is what caused the violence on January 6th, 2021. Following Cheney’s response to January’s events at the Capitol, the House Republican conference held a secret ballot in February to remove Cheney from her position as chair. This vote failed 61-145.

Tension continued to rise between Cheney and her fellow Republicans in the House as the year went on. Not only did she vote to impeach Trump, but Cheney has also been a vocal critic of the claims that there was voter fraud in the 2020 election. On May 11, the night before a vote was expected to remove Cheney as the chair of the House Republican Conference, she gave a defiant speech on the House floor. As she criticized former President Trump and the modern Republican party as a whole, all but one Republican representative stormed out of the chamber. Unsurprisingly, the next day Cheney was removed from her position via voice vote. One of the top contenders for her replacement is Elise Stefanik, a less conservative representative but one who has proven more loyal to Trump and his branch of the party.

So what is next for Liz Cheney? First and foremost, she will have to fight very hard to be reelected to her seat in 2022, when she will be running for a 4th term in the House of Representatives. As of mid-May, at least 5 Republicans have filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission to run against her in 2022.

9

BY: ANTONIA PAULUS

It's June! That time of the year when suddenly, are

everywhere

pride

flags

you

hanging

go,

there

from

the

flagpoles. That time of the year when in

almost

collection shoes

every of

store

t-shirts

detailed

with

there

with

is

a

rainbows,

colorful

stripes

and bandanas in every design to buy.

That time when suddenly, everyone is loved and everyone can love who they want. It is a colorful time, to say the least. But who is really served by the actions during Pride Month - and how far

has

the

Western

society

come in its acceptance?

really

Every

year,

towards

a

more

steps

more

free,

are

taken

accepting

world. Definitely not only during June, but that seems to be the time where it is

most

Month,

visible a

because

month

it

is

Pride

dedicated

to

celebrating members of the LGBTQIA+ community,

in

memory

of

the

Stonewall Uprising of 1969. However, is

the

Pride

advertising Month

really

associated helping

with

achieve

equality for the LGBTQIA+ community, or

is

it

just

another

way

for

corporations to make a profit?

10

Oftentimes, the most blatant actions taken by companies to show their support are the various pride collections available in stores. They usually offer a small variety of t-shirts with different flags or other products decorated with all things colorful.

Depending on who is asked, the first issue can be found here: not many designs are casually wearable - but again, this will always be a measure of taste, as long as nothing is offensive. The bigger problem many have with most products is that while some brands keep their collections strictly rainbow themed, which is fine, others actually display different identities´ flag designs. While this would be a great form of diversifying the products, companies do not always do so inclusively. Although there is definitely an increase in diversity over the years, finding a lesbian flag, for example, is a rare occurrence - it being the right one (meaning the one without an incredibly bad and hurtful history) is even more rare. Now when looking for a “less known by mainstream media'' identity, hope is often not even given by any brand.

Still, like every year, while there is at least some visible improvement - there is still more that is much needed.

Although the issues mentioned above are definitely none to dismiss, the real problem around the modern idea of pride month lies elsewhere. To see it, one may have to be reminded of the original idea behind all those rainbows and parades. Pride Month is supposed to honor the events of Stonewall and raise awareness - with the main goal of helping the queer community. While actually using one´s platform to speak out about the issues queer people face is the most important thing to do, raising money by selling pride merchandise and donating the profits to organisations dedicated to protecting the

LGBTQIA+

community

would

still

be

an

effective

way

to

show

support.

Unfortunately, surprisingly few companies seem to make that connection. A 2019 study done by Reboot Online shows that of 122 companies with a pride collection, only 64% actually donate to queer causes - which does give the impression that at least some part of the remaining 36%´s motivation actually lies in profiting off others´ oppression (which of course is not a “pride month only” issue). Thankfully, this is not the norm. Many - but again, not all - big companies like Apple or Target financially support different organisations active within queer communities, yet not always without contradicting themselves by collaborating with homophobic partners or companies that if anything, only change the brand logo´s colors to the colors of the rainbow.

11

While there is a lot to critique about many companies´

actions,

it

is

still

incredibly

important to say: the mere existence of Pride Month is already a huge thing. The mere

thought

LGBTQ+

that

community

themselves

the

members

are

way

able

they

of

to

now

the

present can,

by

buying pins and t-shirts, is something no one

would

have

dared

to

dream

of

decades ago - so yes, any support shown is appreciated.

However, as accepting as the world may seem

during

pride

month,

it

looks

a

lot

different in reality. There is still so much hate, so much hurt and ignorance beyond the realms of every pride collection, even in Western countries where pride is a yearround topic. So the most important thing to remember is to listen to queer voices, especially when it comes to ways to help them

-

and

recognize

one´s

privilege.

Contrary to what some may argue, pride month does not position members of the LGBTQIA+ citizens,

community

but

rather

above

serves

cis-straight

as

a

time

to

promote equality for all. Equality, however, will

not

beyond rainbows, world

be

achieved

the

roads

until

treat

all

without

decorated

nations

members

looking

of

with

around

the

the

LGBTQIA+

community with dignity and respect, not because there is a month dedicated to it, but because it is a global expectation.

12

PERFORMATIVE PRIDE

By: Regan Mading

Just as the seasons change from spring to summer, and the months change from May to June, popular brands like Soul Cycle and Target light up with rainbow lights and pride flags. Many brands come out of the woodworks to make their allyship to the LGBTQIA+ community known. Logos turn rainbow and merchandise with slogans like “Pride” and “Ally” pop up in shops. But is this allyship genuine? Do these companies actually care about the LGBTQIA+ community, or do they just care about the LGBTQIA+ consumer?

Brands aren't activists unless it is convenient for them. This goes beyond pride month, and extends to whatever issue or movement is popular at the moment. Just like all preformative activists, these brands only stand up for the issues that the general public is interested in. As supporting these is what will get a company income. This idea and logic apply to the basics of the capitalist system: let the consumer control the market, and: what is

13

The line is clear, here is an

bought is what will be produced.

explanation. The community is every

So, if the general public accepts an

one that is LGBTQIA+ and advocating

idea such as pride and celebrating

for their safety and inclusivity,

pride month, then companies will

regardless of if they are a possible

support that idea as well. But if

consumer or not. But the consumer is

standing up for something loses

rather just whoever is going to

consumers for a company, chances

purchase a product, and ensuring that

are the company will cut that

there will be no loss of customers.

commercial or product. An example

It seems more likely that this allyship is

of this would be when Ikea removed

purely performative, here is why.

an ad featuring a lesbian couple from a Russian magazine because of the backlash they faced.

An example of the other side of the

Moral of the story is, these brands'

coin of this issue would be when an

performative activism is obnoxiously

executive at the Barilla pasta

obvious, and their superficial motives

company was quoted saying that the

and actions aren’t cutting it. To these

company would never feature a gay

brands: do better, take action the

couple in its advertisments. This

whole year round in regards to pride

statement was met with backlash and

related issues. In the beginning of 2020

boycotts. And then like magic Barilla

alone 44 transgender or gender non

began featuring gay couples in ads,

conforming individuals were murdered.

and making freqent statemets

And the view of the LGBTQIA+

regarding their allyship. The

community that exists in western

pessimistic, and most likely accurate

culture and motivates this activism is

interpretation of this situation would

absent in many other parts of the

be that because Barilla lost

world, and in 71 counties being gay is

consumers, they turned their brands

illegal. What this means is that brands

missions around in order to save their

that produce pride merchandise for

sales.

their own financial benefit could actually make a difference regarding

However, isn’t it possible that Barillas'

where they donate their profits, and

change of heart was genuine? Well

what issues they raise awareness for.

yes, it is possible but also extremely

The work regarding fighting for equality

unlikely. It's also important to look at

and equity is far from over, and

the side of this argument that, yes,

performative pride isn't going to get us

even though the motives of

any closer to the finish line.

conglomerate-based pride are questionable, they are still raising awareness and pushing the narrative in a positive direction. But that benefit does not outweigh the drawbacks that this hollow-hearted activism holds.

14

DOBBS V JACKSON WOMEN’S HEALTH ORGANIZATION: THE FUTURE OF REPRODUCTIVE CARE BY: EMMA MARZULLO On

May

17th,

the

Supreme

Court

of

the

United

States

granted

a

petition to hear question one presented in the case Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. That question being: Are all limitations on pre-viability elective abortions unconstitutional?

This case began on March 19, 2018, when the state of Mississippi signed the Gestational Age Act, or Mississippi Code

§

41-41-191, into law. The

Act states that abortions performed after fifteen weeks of pregnancy are

a

“barbaric

practice,

dangerous

for

the

maternal

parent,

and

demanding to the medical profession” (Gestational Age Act, 2018).

That same day, the Jackson Women Health Organization, the only clinic to offer abortions in the entire state of Mississippi went to the Southern District

Court

to

request

an

emergency

restraining

order.

This

restraining order would put a temporary hold on active enforcement of the new law. The constitutionality of the Gestational Age Act was also challenged.

The United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi ruled in favor of the clinic, saying the Act was unconstitutional. They reasoned the state law laid in conflict with the conclusions of prior SCOTUS cases, including Roe v. Wade, Planned Parenthood

15

of

Southeastern

Pa.

v.

Casey,

which

barred

states

from

limiting

abortions before the twenty-four-week gestation period, when the fetus become viable, meaning able to survive outside the womb.

Displeased

with

Thomas

this

Dobbs,

Department

of

the

to

Court

of

Appeals

Circuit

in

the

decision

for

the

States

the

of

Court

of

officer,

United

December

Circuit

state

Health

appealed

Fifth

outcome,

Fifth

2019.

The

affirmed

the

lower

court,

meaning the decision of the lower court

was

deeming The

reinforced

the

Court

Act

once

again,

unconstitutional.

referred

to

Planned

Parenthood of Southeastern Pa. v.

Casey, saying, “until viability, it is for the women, not the state, to weigh any risks to material health and to consider personal values and beliefs in

deciding

whether

to

have

an

abortion” (Jackson, 2019).

of

known

certiorari, as

a

more

request

May

17,

2021,

the

SCOTUS

granted

the

petition for the writ of certiorari, agreeing to make a final rule on the constitutionality of the Gestation

Age

Act.

This

case

will

be

heard

during the October term of 2021 to 2022, but at the time of this publication, the date for oral arguments has not yet been set.

However, beyond

this the

case’s borders

importance of

extends

Mississippi.

Many

Americans throughout the country have offered the Court their own opinions. So far, there have been eight brief amici curiae, or arguments, filed by organizations, such as the American Center for Law Justice, the Inner Life Fund, and many

others

question

of

with

a

vested

abortions

at

interest fifteen

in

the

weeks

gestation. This gives weight to the enormity of the Supreme Court’s agreement to rule on the

The Petitioner, Dobbs, applied for a writ

On

question presented by Dobbs.

commonly

for

a

second

appeal, but this time, to the highest court in the land, the United States Supreme Court. In August of 2019, the

Jackson

Women

Health

Organization issued a strong brief of respondents, claiming both lower Courts issued opinions and rulings that had correctly applied previous SCOTUS

logic.

However,

this

was

met with a request for the United States

Supreme

Court

to

provide

more clarity in a reply of petitioners.

16

This case is fundamentally about individual women and their reproductive rights. If the SCOTUS decides to reaffirm the decision of the two lower Courts, women’s right to an abortion before the twenty-four-week viability period cannot legally be encroached on by a state. Women’s reproductive rights have continued to be chipped away at since the Roe v. Wade decision was issued. Although small, an affirmation will be a significant and imperative victory in the continued protection of women’s reproductive rights.

If the SCOTUS rules in favor of Dobbs and the Mississippi Department of Health, in one form

or

another,

decisions

which

the

former

currently

SCOTUS serve

as

precedents for abortions rights will have to be reconsidered. This includes the landmark decision

for

women’s

reproductive

rights,

Roe v. Wade. In 1973, this case established a woman’s right to have an abortion under privacy

rights

Amendment.

Court

provided

Considering

currently

appointed

in

has

majority,

a

6

the

the –

the

3

Fourteenth

conservative Republican

restriction

on

women’s bodies and their choice is a rather real and terrifying possibility.

Some say the beginning of sexism in the

modern

world

started

with

the

agricultural revolution, and ever since then,

women

have

been

fighting

for

their rights, only gaining the right to vote in 1920. It seemed women would have

the

right

themselves

to

and

privacy their

between

healthcare

providers to choose if an abortion was right for then, following Roe v. Wade.

Still, these rights have continued to be debated. controlling

In

our

patriarchal

women

and

their

society, bodies

seems a normal pastime. If women can create new life, they should have a say in

their

Dobbs

own. v.

The

Jackson

agreement Women’s

to

put

Health

Center on the docket has all eyes and ears on the Supreme Court, for better or for worse.

17

WHAT

IS

BY: HANNA MATSUKAWA

Origin of the g7 The G7, or Group of Seven, is an assembly of some of the world’s leading industrialized nations. These seven countries meet annually to discuss global policies and issues. The members of the G7 are the United States, France, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Canada. They first met in 1975, as a group of six countries, with Canada then joining in 1976 and Russia joining in 1997. For many years, these eight countries met until Russia was expelled from the G8 in 2014 for annexing Crimea from Ukraine. Each summit meeting is led and hosted by one of the seven countries.

What has the G7 Accomplished?

During their annual summit, the G7 discusses matters ranging from economics to health to the environment. At the 2013 summit, held in Northern Ireland, the members of the G7 discussed the Syrian conflicts and negotiated trade deals. At the 2016 summit, they agreed to fight climate change and join the Paris Agreement. The G7 has also worked to fight AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria. The G7 works to advance gender equality and created a Gender Equality Advisory Council to advise their meetings. This council is composed of gender study experts and advocates for equality who help ensure that the theme of gender equality is prevalent throughout all aspects of the summit and in the work of the G7.

18

Controversies of the g7 While progress does result from the G7 summits, a select group of world leaders coming together to sway global policies has bred controversies and pushback. Countries that are not members of the G7, as well as much of the public, are taken aback by the power blatantly wielded by the seven members. Recent summits have been met with thousands of protesters rallying in the streets of the host cities during the meetings. Demonstrators range from anti-globalization protesters to environmental and health activists calling for greater action. One person planning to protest the 2021 summit says they oppose the G7 because it is a group of “the wealthiest countries in the world coming together to set the agenda and to maintain the inequitable system of global capitalism,” (Greg Martin, Cornwall Live).

g7 summit 2021 The 2021 G7 Summit will be held in Cornwall, a coastal town in the UK, from June 11-13.

The main agenda for this year’s summit is to “build back better” and restabilize the world devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Along with recovery from the Coronavirus, the G7 plans to address climate change and build a greener future, as well as promote free and fair trade. This year’s summit will once again have a Gender Equality Advisory Council to lead discussions on gender equality. The G7 plans to support better women’s education, stop violence against women, and increase economic empowerment. While the G7 remains controversial, important and beneficial policies have resulted from its annual summit. As global citizens, it is our job to hold both of these in account and look at our world with a critical and forward-thinking eye.

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Founder and Co-Exec. Director

Rebecca Joseph

Walnut Creek, CA | 15 years old My name is Rebecca Joseph and I am a highschool sophomore from the Bay Area. I got interested in politics during my first year of high school where I joined the Speech and Debate team. From there I fell in love with the world of politics, but soon became aware of the lack of representation women were getting in the field. I wanted to be part of a community of teens who want to support each other and the younger generation to pursue a career in politics; however, I was unable to find anything, so I started Women In Politics. Now, four months later I have been blessed with an amazing team and I cannot wait for all we are going to accomplish.

Please enjoy this issue!

Co-Exec. Director Katherine Bronov

Philadelphia, PA | 17 years old My name is Katherine Bronov and I am an online high school senior from the suburbs of Philadelphia, PA. I have been passionate about politics since the start of high school and I have searched for organizations and clubs that interest me but found nothing until Women In Politics (WIP) caught my eye. WIP is a very special organization and fascinatingly the first of its kind. I am so grateful to be a part of this team and work alongside girls that are just as enthusiastic about politics as I am and recognize the shortage of women in this important field. Please enjoy this issue!

Ella Stillion Southard Athens, GA | 16 years old

SRETIRW

Writing Leader

Lily Sun

San Ramon, CA | 16 years old

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Sara Keegan

New York, NY | 16 years old

Rachel Baumann | Jessica Salazar | Katherine B | Rebecca Joseph

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SROTIDE

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