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Anti-Choice Politicians Don't Speak for MeThe vast majority of Americans support legal abortion, but it's impossible for some women to access it. Most counties don't even have one abortion clinic. It's so bad, we scored half of all states with an "F" on reproductive rights. That's because state governments and Congress are overrun with anti-choice politicians who are obsessed with attacking women's reproductive health care. They've forced women to get permission slips, sit through lectures full of lies, and go out of state to get safe, legal abortion. If you think no one should be told what to do if they face an unplanned pregnancy, add your name now. Tell anti-choice politicians: You don't speak for me!47 of 100 SignaturesCreated by NARAL Pro-Choice America
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Ask the Republican Leaders: Where are the Women?Of the 22 Republicans on the committee that handles most bills on abortion rights in the House, zero are women . A record number of women were elected last fall. It’s pathetic that Republican anti-choice leaders didn’t appoint any women in their party to the committee that votes on abortion – health care that only women need. If you think it's shameful that House leaders don't have even one Republican woman on this important committee that votes on abortion and women’s reproductive health, add your name.458 of 500 SignaturesCreated by NARAL Pro-Choice America
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Tell Mitch McConnell to Back Off Our Reproductive RightsMitch McConnell was just sworn in as Senate majority leader, which means nothing is stopping him from following through on his threat to move a 20-week abortion ban. The scariest part is that the U.S. House of Representatives has already passed a 20-week ban, and they can easily do so again. Abortion is a personal decision that should be left up to women and their families – definitely not Mitch McConnell. We have to get out ahead of McConnell’s attack and show that the majority of Americans want him to focus on the economy and jobs, not taking away abortion access. Make sure McConnell hears from you. Tell Mitch McConnell to stop this attack on abortion.12,325 of 15,000 SignaturesCreated by NARAL Pro-Choice America
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Ban PMU Farms in ChinaDear Sirs, Pregnant Mare Urine (PMU) is used to produce Conjugated Equine Estrogen (CEE) which is used for Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) for women experiencing menopause. Pharmaceutical giant, Pfizer Inc., is the largest producer of HRT drugs, and the largest contributor to the PMU industry. Premarin®, Prempro® and Duavee® (formerly known as Aprela®) are just some of the products manufactured by Pfizer for HRT. The PMU industry as a whole is inherently cruel, and PMU Farms are notorious for the brutal treatment of pregnant mares and their foals. For 5 to 6 months out of the mares 11 month pregnancy, they are confined to stalls so small that they cannot turn around or take more than a step in any direction. Mares are impregnated and forced to wear rubber urine collection bags at all times or catheters which are held in place with movement restricting body straps which causes chafing and lesions. Their water intake is monitored and regulated to ensure they produce maximum estrogen-rich urine. They are deprived from normal equine behavior, such as grooming themselves and lying down comfortably. Once the foals are born and weaned, foals are torn away from the mothers and they are immediately impregnated again and forced to live the same cycle for approximately 12 years. Some of the female foals are raised to become PMU mares and forced to endure the same torture as their mothers, or they are sent to slaughter along with the males as they are considered nothing more than a byproduct of the PMU industry. At the height of CEE production in North America in 2003, there were over 400 PMU Farms in Canada and the US, which housed 35,000 to 40,000 PMU mares. Pfizer (Wyeth before the acquisition in 2009) started moving operations to China in 2004, and then moved almost all remaining operations in 2010 because of the public outrage over PMU Farms in North America. China has no animal welfare laws to protect these animals. They have been doomed to a life of incarceration and torture, unless we can work together to ban them. Today, there are only 20 to 30 Farms left in Canada, and none remain in the US. Pfizer decided to move to a culture that is more accepting of animal suffering, and out of the spotlight of public scrutiny here in North America. It is difficult to estimate how many PMU Farms are operational in China, as the information is not readily available. However, since Pfizer has indicated their plans for future growth in the Premarin® family of drugs, one can only logically deduce that there are even more now than ever before. The 2002 Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) – a major landmark study – concluded that the use of PMU drugs increases the risks of breast cancer, heart disease, heart attacks, strokes, blood clots and dementia. Many doctors in the United States and Canada stopped prescribing PMU drugs once the dangers were fully known. However, Pfizer (and Wyeth before it) already knew of these dangers and began moving production abroad where local regulations are more lax and there are significantly less FDA inspectors available to monitor production. Reportedly, this not only results in significantly more horrific conditions for the mares but also less oversight in the manufacturing of an already dangerous drug. The use of CEE in HRT drugs is controversial, as Big Pharma spends millions to hide the atrocities committed upon horses and the vast number sent to slaughter. But another critical fact is the health risk to women. Pfizer continues to market these drugs despite the fact that CEE-derived medications such as Premarin® and Prempro® are listed as "known human carcinogens” by the National Toxicology Program as well as the World Health Organization. Drugs containing CEEs are not well tolerated by the human body and pose serious cancer and cardiovascular risks among others. Pfizer continues to push their newest HRT drug Duavee® (previously Aprela®) without sufficient studies to validate the efficacy from a safety aspect, which contains the same health risks. These drugs contain bazedoxifene, which has yet to receive FDA approval due to increased risks of deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, and retinal vein thrombosis. Duavee® is yet another dangerous drug that has been rushed to market to turn profits at the expense of patients just like its predecessors. Given the great achievements of the pharmaceutical industry over the last few decades, we wonder why an industry giant such as Pfizer, self-described as "the world's largest research-based pharmaceutical company", is not using the most innovative and state-of-the-art methodology in developing safer and more effective drugs, but instead persists with decades-old technology that relies on the increasingly unpopular and detrimental use of animals. It is common knowledge that genetic engineering currently enables scientists to synthesize natural hormones found in the human body. Through recombinant DNA techniques, bacteria have been created that are capable of manufacturing human insulin, human interferon, human growth hormone, and human follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) for example – why not estrogens? E. Coli may lack the basic machinery required for steroid synthesis but the literature indicates that there are other host micro-organisms that function to bring about hydroxylation, a critical step in the synthesis of steroids with effective biological activity. Overall drugs containing CEEs are not well tolerated by the human body and pose serious cancer and cardiovascular risks among others. The manufacture of exact replicas of human estrogens using this technology would not only serve to reduce some of the uncertainties associated with the risks of HRT but also resolve issues related to negative press releases, class-action lawsuits and animal rights advocates concerned with drug safety and animal abuse. Consumers are more cynical than ever before, seeking safe and ethically produced goods....6,866 of 7,000 SignaturesCreated by Nancy Watson
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Glass ceilingI look to a day when people will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character." - Martin Luther King, Jr.113 of 200 SignaturesCreated by Rachid Zegdi
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Equal Pay for All Genders in MinnesotaIn 2013, it was recorded that women get paid an average of seventy-eight cents to every man's dollar, just because of their genetics. That is a twenty-two percent gender wage gap. We hope to create a more fair world for our children in the future, and for other girls wishing to be viewed as equals.93 of 100 SignaturesCreated by Maeve Seymour
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Defend Pregnant Women’s Rights!Peggy bravely stood up to UPS for violating the Pregnancy Discrimination Act and now her case is headed to the U.S. Supreme Court, where it will be heard on Wednesday, December 3rd. When Peggy Young, a UPS driver for 10 years, found out she was pregnant, her doctor recommended that she avoid lifting more than 20 pounds. But UPS refused her request for “light duty” — even though the company provided accommodations to people with disabilities, on-the-job injuries, and even to people who had lost their drivers’ licenses as a result of DUI convictions. Instead, Peggy was pushed onto unpaid leave for the duration of her pregnancy and lost her UPS-provided health benefits when she needed them most. [1] Send this SuperMom a message of support for standing up for her rights and the rights of pregnant workers across the nation. Sign our note AND leave a personalized message of your own! * We’ll make a giant Thank You card for Peggy with your signature on it, and will hand-deliver each message of support (along with a beautiful bouquet of flowers and a MomsRising t-shirt!) to Peggy and her legal team on Wednesday, December 3rd, the day her case (Peggy Young vs. UPS) will be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court. [1] National Women's Law Center - Fair Treatment for Pregnant Workers: Peggy Young's Story12,239 of 15,000 SignaturesCreated by Sara Alcid
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MAKE HISTORY! HELP ILLINOIS RATIFY THE EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENTEvery constitution written since the end of WWII includes a provision that men and women are equal citizens. The U.S. Constitution has no such provision. Attempts over more than 200 years have been unsuccessful. Equality is long overdue - in the workplace and in institutions throughout our society. This is a civil rights issue. Pass the ERA for your own sake, for your mothers, your wives, your daughters, your sisters! Help us make Illinois the 36th state to ratify the ERA. Tell the Illinois House of Representatives to vote "YES" now, during veto session.85 of 100 SignaturesCreated by Maureen Headington
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Support A 20 Week Abortion BanAccording to what I have read and pictures I have viewed,fetuses at 20 weeks are fully developed and are capable of feeling pain.187 of 200 SignaturesCreated by Frances Ayers
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Dartmouth Alumni Magazine: Stop being SexistAlumni, students, faculty, and parents have a vision for an inclusive and equitable Dartmouth. But Dartmouth Alumni Magazine (DAM) is turning back the clock by publishing a racist and sexist admonishment to women and people of color to have "good manners" and be grateful for being accepted to such a prestigious institution. A conversation about the future of the college should include diverse perspectives. However, editors of a publication that is sent to all alumni, and is widely available on campus for students and community members, should have better judgment than to publish racist and sexist letters that are intended to offend. Such outdated and offensive views only contribute to the culture that tells minorities to accept the status quo--and that must stop. Dartmouth Alumni Magazine seeks to represent every member of the Dartmouth Community. It must hold itself to a higher standard and move the conversation forward, not backward.421 of 500 SignaturesCreated by Kaili Lambe
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Let's Hold Them AccountableWhen Mitch McConnell is sworn in as majority leader in January, he’ll be surrounded by at least six new anti-choice senators. Here’s the thing: Anti-choice candidates didn’t win by running on their beliefs – they won by running on ours. Voters didn’t send these Republican freshmen to Washington to roll back our reproductive freedom. More than 50 percent of voters in Iowa and Colorado who support abortion rights backed Gardner and Ernst. Now that we’ve lost the Senate, our top priority is to force the freshmen Republicans to keep the promises they made to the voters who put them in office to focus on expanding job opportunities and economic security for everyone.23 of 100 SignaturesCreated by NARAL Pro-Choice America
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Keep Our Campuses Safe (Disallow Promotion of Rape Culture)This man yells at female students calling them whores in the middle of campus. He yells homophobic, sexist slurs and tells everyone they are going to hell. His female counterpart holds a sign "you deserve hell." He promotes insensitivity to rape survivors. He is negatively affecting the learning environment and causing severe anxiety for recent sexual assault victims.2 of 100 SignaturesCreated by O