Thought I would put this up since this is even more reason why we need the emergency contraception pill available over the counter.

There are moral conscience clauses that are condoned and honoured by the Canadian Medical Association which gives physicians the right to refuse to give referrals for things that are not in accordance with their moral judgement.

And as much as I despise the National Post, they did report on these occurrences here.

My favourite part?

For Rene Leiva, a family physician in Ottawa, there is no question about where his Roman Catholic beliefs fit into his medical practice. In his office there is a sign informing potential patients that there are certain things his practice will not do: He will not prescribe birth control pills, though he will talk about natural family planning; and no patient should expect him to give a referral for an abortion because that, he said, would be akin to “co-operating with evil.”

Props to my friend Lisa for pointing out this article in the oh so awesome This Magazine.

Why we’re surprised when babies are abandoned makes the connections between family planning options and the fact that people who do not want to become parents often will find a way out of it, somehow.

I’ve had the exact same thoughts when I hear about another child left somewhere, and the fact that we must still battle to prove that the CHOICE to parent is a right every child deserves.

However I don’t know that the article fully does justice to address what the current realities are in the complete scope of family planning options across the board in Canada.

What do you think?

Check out this one minute public service announcement I stumbled upon on the concept of tolerance:

Do you believe it? Or is it just another nice marketing ploy with diverse children conveniently plucked together?

Mother’s Day comes and goes every year, many of us finding ourselves doing the usual flowers and brunch deal. Yet the actual celebration of this day has a lot more significance than Hallmark would like to admit.

It’s worth a click on Wikipedia to read some of the history behind the creation of Mother’s Day, however one thing that sticks out in my mind is how it used to be associated with the honouring of women as goddesses for our physical ability to actually become mothers, which is one of the most powerful forces on earth.

It’s also worth noting that before the Western blitz of the second weekend in May being Mother’s Day, many cultures around the world had and still perform ceremonies that recognize the strength and vitality of motherhood.

Being a mother is of course more than blood and skin deep. I am blessed to have many great friends who have been wonderful maternal influences on my life and whom I see really take care of everyone around them (see my pic below!)

So to all the rockin’ mama’s out there doin’ tha damn thang, nya weh! (thank you!)

Tina and Ariana Lopes who have been amazing mother figures to me.

20 years ago women in Canada won the historic right to abortion on demand. While the vast majority of Canadians support this right, it is still a choice that often stigmatizes women. These simple portraits show women who have made the choice to have an abortion for what they are: sisters, mothers, neighbours, lovers, friends. These portraits and stories give women voice in a society that so often keeps them silent.

Portraits by Kathryn Palmateer
Opening: May 15th, 7-10pm
Tinto Coffee House
89 Roncesvalles Ave, Toronto

Dance performance by Elizabeth Dawn Snell
Musical Performance by Laura Repo
MC: Jessica Yee

The show in Toronto runs from May 11th - June 1st.

Kathryn will be travelling across Canada after the Toronto show and is still looking for participants, so if you or someone you know is interested in being part of this important project, check out the newly launched website or e-mail arts4choice@gmail.com

Spirit is Canada’s leading Aboriginal magazine, featuring cutting edge material from the Native community across the country.

This current publication is their very first SEX issue and I am so darn excited and happy that it exists. The beautiful young woman you see on the cover is none other than Métis burlesque extraordinaire Veronika Swartz, photographed by the Über talented Ojibwe photographer Nadya Kwandibens.

Within these pages you will read some of the most progressive and provocative literary masterpieces as they pertain to sex and sexuality. The sweet essence of breaking down social taboos will linger in your mind as you are drawn into the demystifying truths of how beautiful and sacred sex really is in the Indigenous world. What remains is pride and ownership over our own bodies (a concept we actually started!)

It moves me to tears to know that we are taking back what has been exploited so harshly from us and letting it out now on our own terms. And it’s a pretty powerful thing.

Exposed and in control? I want to be too!

I’m a rejuvenated, revitalized, and renewed young feminist having just attended the planning session for the TOUJOURS REBELLES/WAVES OF RESISTANCE! Pan Canadian Young Feminist Gathering.

So if you haven’t heard of the next big FEMINIST thing in Canada, get yourself to the REBELLES website and fill up with some information on how to get involved and make sure YOU are a part of what will be the greatest woman-power event these parts have seen in a long time.

I was holed up in rural Outaouais with some of the most amazing and inspiring young women’s advocates this country has to offer. These movers and shakers came from all across Canada in solidarity, ready to mobilize on all forms of oppression against women.

Ideas, frustrations, passions, differences, and tears were shared this weekend in the hopes of creating a conference that will truly speak and include as many issues as possible that are eminently affecting young women. We want to redefine what it means to be a feminist and ensure that what it HASN’T been will be what it NEEDS to become to encompass everyone.

I want to thank all of the participants for sharing their authenticity and originality, nowadays getting that in true feminist form is hard to come by. Be proud of giving it to the world just as you are, every day.

This is going to be one heluva kick-ass conference this coming October if these ladies have anything to do with it!

Your 2008 REBELLES! Feminist Action Team

My friend Carmelle Wolfson and Zach Pedersen, Nikki McDonald, Dagna Pielaszkiewicz and Gemma Holdway produced this short documentary profiling Dakota/Cree activist Audrey Redman on her path to healing as a survivor of Canada’s residential schools.

Indian Road documents one of the best kept secrets of the government and churches that horrendously removed culture and left a legacy of pain and destruction for us as Native peoples in Canada.

Playing:
Friday May 2nd
7-8pm
George Vari Engineering and Computing Centre
245 Church St.
Room 103

It’s not to be missed! Contact Carmelle at cwolfson@ryerson.ca for more info.

This interesting article from the Courier Mail in Australia was sent to me recently.

Here’s a nice little snippet:

PRESCHOOL girls are being targeted with sexed-up dolls, which could create a generation of teenagers who hate themselves, experts say.

She said the dolls’ “fishnet stockings, tight-fitting clothes, high heels and heavily made-up faces and large pouty lips” exposed little girls to dangerous stereotypes.

Now I’ve always been of the mindset that we cannot leave it up to the media and pop culture to be the sole forms of education for our children, however I have been noticing the shift in the appearance of toys like Bratz dolls.

I would also hope that the ability to teach self and social confidence would trump materialistic followings like toys, or even better make people empowered in their own sexuality while wearing things like “fishnet stockings, tight-fighting clothes, etc”.

I could never find a Barbie that looked like me anyway.

What say you? Can we really blame toys for the oversexualization that has occurred in mainstream society?