Ellen DeGeneres is an advocate for equality for all human beings and is an influential member of American society. If she allows for meaning conversation with educated guests to discuss the Equal Rights Amendment on her television program, millions of Americans will become aware of the new movement to ratify the ERA into the United States Constitution.

West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey has launched a cynical and transparent ploy to undermine women's health. His campaign for further regulation of abortion clinics claims to be about the health and safety of women -- but you and I both know that's not true. Singling out abortion providers for unnecessary regulation will not improve health and safety for women -- it will make it harder, or impossible, for providers to continue to offer women quality, affordable care. But it's not too late to do something about it. Now is our chance to let him know that we oppose further regulation of this type, which is unnecessary, politically motivated, and designed not to promote quality health care but to make it less available. Tell him that you don't want politics placed above the health needs of West Virginian women.

When I approached the Sgt. about getting assistance to protect me from my husband who had assaulted, tortured and was stalking me the officer offered me money and a place to live, citing a "personal interest" in me. He then refused to enforce my protective order when I called to report my husband HUNTING me. I was told I was "crying wolf".

A Republican Super PAC has put out a new online "game" where they ask their supporters to virtually slap Hillary Clinton across the face. The Super PAC is known as The Hillary Project and is an anti-Hillary Clinton group that lists Christopher Marston--a Republican campaign consultant and a former member of the Bush administration--as its treasurer. Violence against women is not a joke. It's disgusting, it's outrageous and--regardless of where you fall on the political spectrum--it has no place in our politics. Can you sign the petition demanding The Hillary Project pull down this game and apologize for advocating violence against women?

My two years in the Peace Corps were among the most difficult and most rewarding of my life. I was stationed in a small village called Tanyigbe in Ghana where I taught chemistry and biology at the local high school. Peace Corps volunteers, like me, devote their time and energy in service of people all around the world, and sadly, they too often face the risk of sexual assault. So, when I found out that women in the Peace Corps are denied access to abortion coverage—even in cases of rape, incest or life endangerment—I was outraged. The Peace Corps Equity Act of 2013 would fix this, and we know we can make it happen. When the American public discovered that military women—who are too frequently victims of sexual assault—were denied abortion coverage in such cases, the public outcry led to the passage of the Shaheen Amendment to change that. So we know that if we speak out loud enough, we can win this. And this bill is on the move in the Senate, so we need to act now. Will you join me to create the groundswell we need to ensure that women in the Peace Corps have access to abortion coverage?

I'm a native North Carolinian and I've attended Moral Monday and demonstrated in front of the Governor's residence. While I was at one of the demonstrations, some of us were joking with one of the staff people and that staff person brought out cake. This was after cookies had been brought to demonstrators by Pat McCrory himself that afternoon. http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=news/local&id=9190500 My local paper ran an article on my involvement in the story: http://www.thetimesnews.com/news/top-news/keep-the-cake-burlington-girl-gets-taste-of-activism-1.180273 Governor McCrory responded to the cake exchange through a spokesperson to WRAL: http://www.wral.com/let-them-eat-pastries-/12725222/

The many men and women who protect this country need protection from the sexual predators among them. These are violent crimes of oppression and domination and it should always have been apparent and is today obvious that prosecution of such despicable behavior must be independent of the chain of command.

SFMTA is planning to remove all parking along Masonic Avenue from Fell to Geary, reduce the travel lanes during rush hour so there will only be two lanes in each direction at all times, install a concrete median strip in the middle of the street, and install bike lanes at both curb lanes (cycle tracks, above the roadway and below sidewalk level). There will be bus bulbouts, so when buses stop to load and unload passengers, only one travel lane will be moving. In order to cross Masonic and to access the bus stops, pedestrians will have to cross the cycle track. Emergency response time will be slowed down. The project is estimated to cost $18 million; the actual final cost is anyone’s guess. Our tax dollars could be better spent improving public transportation. Many people affected by this project did not receive notice from MTA. Adequate environmental review has not been performed.

Out-of-state and out-of-touch groups announced their plans to put a Texas-style abortion ban on our own city election ballot this October in a first in the nation test of a new strategy to ban abortions city-by-city. Even though the city attorney has said it’s unconstitutional, they have an agenda to shame and judge Albuquerque’s women and make it impossible for New Mexico women to access safe and legal abortions. Every pregnancy is different and making a decision to end a pregnancy is a deeply personal and often complex for a woman and her family. The government has no role in these deeply personal decisions, but that isn’t stopping these out-of-state groups from trying. We respect Albuquerque’s women and that’s why we’re fighting so hard to stop this measure.

The Equal Rights Amendment was introduced to Congress 90 years ago. Even though a fierce battle for equality was fought during the 70's and early 80's, not enough states ratified the amendment. Therefore, there is nothing in the US Constitution that cements any women's rights, except the right to vote. Please join our group on facebook ERA NOW www.facebook.com/groups/ERANOWGroup

The LA Times, NYTimes, NPR and other media report that 158 women have undergone sterilization in California prisons without the required approval of the state medical committee between 2005 and 2010. The sterilizations were not medically necessary and the victims report that they were coerced into the procedure. We demand answers -- the idea of forced sterilizations bring up the worst of eugenics and of 1939 Germany, not 2013 California. Who was responsible for these sterilizations? Why were they performed when not medically necessary? Why was one of the women's ovaries removed when she specifically told her doctor she intended to have children in the future? Involuntarily removing a woman’s ovaries or pressuring her into a sterilization while incarcerated is absolutely unacceptable. Demand Gov. Brown immediately launch an investigation to determine who is responsible and to ensure this never happens again.

"No woman should have to choose between her health and her job. Legislators often don’t hear the voice of working women like me. I strongly believe that passing this legislation is taking the right step to creating more balance and fairness in the workplace and society for women as a whole. Let's do it now!" --Armanda Legros, a Long Island victim of pregnancy discrimination at work. Groundbreaking bills in the New York State Women’s Equality Act, including vitally important labor protections, are currently languishing in the New York State Assembly. Unfortunately, the New York State Senate refused to pass a 10-point omnibus version of the Women's Equality Act (which the Assembly previously passed), but we must move forward in order to improve the lives of everyday women across the State. These bills would do a great deal to support women in the workplace and in society. Each day these protections are not law, pregnant women, like Armanda and Yvette (video below), are pushed out of their jobs when they need a minor accommodation in order to stay healthy. Mothers are discriminated against and passed over for promotions. Women continue to take home 84 cents to a man's dollar. We need a way to address these issues, and the bills waiting for a vote in the Assembly would help remedy the problems of income inequality and discrimination in the workplace. The Assembly should honor its legacy of passing progressive legislation for women and not delay in passing these laws that will provide support to women and families across the State! The women and families of New York cannot afford to wait. For more information, go to this webpage: http://www.abetterbalance.org/web/ourissues/fairnessworkplace/239-womens-equality-act or watch this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxPenBHVPQs.