First World Feminism

What's the point of this website?

A fair question. Two quick answers:

1. Those of us lucky enough to live in the most progressive parts of the world tend to focus on how good we have it, and yet we still haven’t achieved true gender equality.

2. I’m over trying to pitch women’s magazines. I find that if the story isn’t about slimmer thighs for summer, they’re just not interested.

This stuff is important, I’ll try not to make it too dry.

Photo from Change.org

CBS plans to air a 30-second, $2.5 million ad by right-wing anti-abortion group Focus on the Family during the Super Bowl. The Super Bowl audience is one of the largest of any event, spanning all ages and political positions. Last year’s viewership was 151.6 million.

Focus on the Family’s ad, yet to be released, allegedly features the story of football player Tim Tebow’s mother, who continued a risky pregnancy against her physician’s recommendations. The implicit suggestion that pregnant women whose health is at risk shouldn’t worry because nothing bad will happen is dangerous, and the ad neglects to mention that Tebow’s mother fell ill in the Philippines, where abortion has been illegal (even to protect the woman’s life) since 1930 and is punishable with prison time for both the woman and the doctor. Tebow’s mother didn’t so much “choose life” as choose not to go to jail. In other words, the story is a fabrication.

The ad represents a sharp turn from CBS’s usual policy against airing controversial ads during sports events. Citing its anti-advocacy policy, CBS has rejected ads from MoveOn.org, PETA and the United Church of Christ, which welcomes LGBT parishioners.

Things you can do:

Support NOW’s efforts to urge CBS to pull the anti-abortion Super Bowl ad.
Sign the Feminist Majority Foundation’s petition of the ad.

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First World Feminism

Abortion and the Superbowl