West Pinellas NOW

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West Pinellas National Organization for Women

P.O. Box 336, Ozona, FL 34660

(727) 738-0007 wpinellasnow@gmail.com

Join NOW

And Together We Can Make Equality a Reality

NOW is the largest, most comprehensive feminist advocacy group in the United States. Our purpose is to take action to bring women into full participation in society — sharing equal rights, responsibilities and opportunities with men, while living free from discrimination.

November 19, 2013

West Pinellas NOW Chapter Meeting

Tuesday, November 19th at Jason's Deli located at 25801 US Hwy 19, Clearwater

Jason's is located just south of the Westfield-Countryside Mall on the east side of US Hwy 19 in the Cypress Point Shopping Center (next to Burlington)

The meeting will be held in the private room to the right and back of the deli from 6:30 - 8pm.

FEATURED SPEAKER

This month's speaker has not confirmed yet, so we will update this page as soon as that occurs. The speaker will be timely and interesting so please plan to attend.

MERGED CHAPTERS

Several months ago, we held a vote by all those in attendance on the question of whether to merge West Pinellas NOW and Upper Pinellas NOW. The vote was unanimous and we are now a combined chapter and will retain the name of West Pinellas NOW. When choosing your chapter membership choice we are still going to be FL 0640.

RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP

Many of the members of both chapters have allowed their memberships to lapse. We hope you will take the time to go online to either the Florida State NOW website or the National NOW website and renew your memberships. http://www.NOW.org and http://www.FLNOW.org ....This is especially critical this year as we gear up for the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment and CEDAW. We are hoping that the Florida Legislature will finally pass the ERA and include women in our State Constitution. We are also working on the passage of the Federal ERA, the importance of which is crucial to creating a nation of citizens who are all truly equal.

UPDATES

Our Chapter is also very involved in a new statewide campaign being led by the Tampa Bay Area Caucus of which our chapter is a member. We intend to write our own reproductive justice legislation modeled after New York State's Gov. Andrew Cuomo who has also submitted to his Legislature a bill containing a 10 Point Women's Equality Program. We hope to make our chapter a vital part of this statewide movement.

Please don't miss our next meeting. And please consider bringing a friend or two with you. We need to increase our membership numbers if we are going to continue to engage our Florida House and Senate in our fight toward equality.

Please call if there are any other issues that you would like to discuss or materials we can gather for you to bring to the meeting.

WE HOPE TO SEE YOU AND YOUR FRIENDS ON NOVEMBER 19th !

If you did not receive our latest newsletter which outlined a number of upcoming activities of interest to our community, please send an e-mail to bjstar@att.net so we can forward one on to you. We try to make our newsletters as helpful as possible and to include as much local information that we know about. Please call or write to get on our e mail or mailing list NOW.

Connecting the Dots . . .

NOW is one of the few multi-issue progressive organizations in the United States. NOW stands against all oppression, recognizing that racism, sexism and homophobia are interrelated, that other forms of oppression such as classism and ableism work together with these three to keep power and privilege concentrated in the hands of a few.

Government, our judicial system, big business, mainstream media and other institutions treat many groups in our society like second-class citizens. Pitting us against each other is an essential mechanism for maintaining the status quo. Together, we can create the change we've been dreaming of—our unity is our strength.

NOW's Top Six Priority Issues

Advancing Reproductive Freedom
Promoting Diversity & Ending Racism
Stopping Violence Against Women
Winning Lesbian Rights
Achieving Constitutional Equality
Ensuring Economic Justice

Other Important NOW Issues

Affirmative Action - Child Care, Custody and Family Law Issues - Disability Rights - Educational Equity / Title IX - Exposing the Radical Right - Global Feminism - Health and Body Image - Media Activism - Peace - Social Security - Welfare - Women in the Military - and much more!

How Does NOW Take Action?

Educating the public and media about the status of and threats to women's rights

Organizing rallies, protests, demonstrations and marches of all sizes

Protesting businesses that mistreat women and people of color

Lobbying for and writing laws that promote full equality for women

Registering new voters and inspiring them to get to the polls

Recruiting and electing feminist candidates at all levels of government

Initiating and supporting lawsuits against violators of women's rights

Demanding fair and unbiased courts and judicial nominees

Working in coalition with progressive allies

Get Active in a NOW Campaign and Help Change the World!

Educating the public and media about the status of and threats to women's rights

Organizing rallies, protests, demonstrations and marches of all sizes

Protesting businesses that mistreat women and people of color

Lobbying for and writing laws that promote full equality for women

Registering new voters and inspiring them to get to the polls

Recruiting and electing feminist candidates at all levels of government

Initiating and supporting lawsuits against violators of women's rights

Demanding fair and unbiased courts and judicial nominees

Working in coalition with progressive allies

Get Active in a NOW Campaign and Help Change the World!

Save the Supreme Court
Protect the court from a right-wing takeover
by anti-woman, anti-civil rights judges

Women-Friendly Workplace Campaign
Demand discrimination-free workplaces
Protest "Merchants of Shame" like Wal-Mart

Campus Action Network/High School Clubs
Increase young feminist activism

Equal Marriage Rights NOW
Win full marriage rights for same-sex couples

Social Security Protection
Advocate for real improvements that help women

Love Your Body - NOW Foundation
Challenge dangerous beauty standards
Promote positive body images

NOW's Grassroots Power

Founded in 1966 by a small but determined group of women's rights advocates, NOW has more than 500,000 contributing members and hundreds of chapters across the U.S. NOW members are the heart, soul and muscle behind the group. They elect leaders, set policy and determine our agenda. NOW's vast and diverse membership gives us clout in the government, media and the public eye. By speaking out and taking action, NOW activists make change happen at the local, state and national leve. Because we don't rely on foundation or corporate dollars, NOW's work for equality and justice is made possible by membershup dues, individual donations and volunteer hours.

NOW Member Benefits

Each NOW member can get involved at your own speed. Once you join, you'll start receiving our National NOW Times newspaper, a great place to start if you simply want in-depth analysis on feminist issues. If that gets you fired up, you can sign-up for email alerts and take action right on our web site. Get even more involved by joining your local chapter at no extra cost. Then, you might want to attend a National Conference and help shape policy. It's up to you...but whatever you do, you'll be making a difference.

Join NOW

Women's Rights Activists GET RESULTS . . .

Women win the right to vote in 1920.

The birth control pill is approved in 1960.

The Equal Pay Act is passed in 1963.

The Civil Rights Act passes in 1964, outlawing sex discrimination in employment.

In 1967 NOW leads a successful fight to extend Affirmative Action in federal contracts to women.

In 1972 Shirley Chisholm, first African-American woman to run for president, is endorsed by NOW.

Women win Title IX in 1972, prohibiting sex discrimination in education and school athletics.

In 1973 Roe v. Wade establishes a woman's legal right to abortion.

In 1978 feminists win a ban on employment discrimination against pregnant women.

Sexual harassment is ruled an illegal form of job discrimination in 1986.

NOW wins money damages and jury trials for sex discrimination in Civil Rights Act of 1991.

Family and Medical Leave passes in 1993.

The Violence Against Women Act is signed in 1994 and mass action by NOW ensures funding.

NOW organizes to bring 1.15 million marchers to DC in 2004 for women's health, reproductive rights.

Public support for same-sex marriage has grown due to education and activism by groups like NOW.

. . . But The Struggle Is NOT OVER YET.

Women are paid only three-quarters of men's pay, while women of color make even less.

Racism, sexism and homophobia are rampant, limiting the potential of more than half the country.

A woman has never been President of the U.S., nor been nominated by a major party.

Women make up less than one-fifth of the members of Congress and state governors.

Women hold the top positions at less than three percent of the Fortune 500 companies.

Women are vastly under-represented in science and technology professions, the military, judicial
seats and many prestigious fields.

Increased restrictions on reproductive rights leave women and girls with less control over their bodies, health and well-being.

Women and girls are more than 85 percent of all U.S. rape and domestic violence victims.

Congress and most states do not grant equal marriage rights to lesbian and gay couples.

More than 90 percent of those struggling with eating disorders are women or girls; women are 85 percent of cosmetic surgery patients.

Poor women, women of color and women with disabilities experience a disproportionate amount of discrimination, violence, interference in their private lives, and other barriers to equality.

Women's equality still is not guaranteed in the U.S. Constitution — but we don't intend to quit!

To join West Pinellas NOW, please telephone (727)-738-0007 or E-mail: bjstar@att.net

Please join our Discussion at: http://groups.google.com/group/westpinellasnow