While we should certainly look back on the last 96 years and honor the gains made in favor of women’s suffrage and gender equality — as well as the sacrifices and grueling work it took women to get us here — it is important to recognize that women have yet to achieve full equality and acknowledge that we must continue to do better.

What exactly do we consider “equality” for women? The right to vote? Access to family planning resources? Equal pay in the workplace? Equal opportunities to work across industries? Perhaps we measure it in political representation, in the number of women who help to shape policy and write the laws that govern our everyday lives.

When you look at the number of women holding political office across the country, you can see we are severely lacking appropriate representation.

It isn’t just the Senate and the House of Representatives. Only six U.S. governors are women, and only two of them are women of color. Just 24.6% of state legislators are women, and 18.1% of cities with over 30,000 residents have a female mayor. The courts also have a deficiency of women judges.

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, when asked how many women on the bench would be enough, responded, “Nine.” That would certainly be a start.

At every level of government there are too few women, and even fewer women of color, LGBT women, immigrant women, and women of different faith traditions. In a nation so diverse, we have an issue of exclusivity in spaces where decisions that impact everyone are made.

The scarce presence of women in our city councils, statehouses, and all the way up to the Oval Office is a sign that we need to do more to ensure there are equal opportunities and resources for women to lead. 

Collectively, we need to encourage more women in our lives to run for office. We need to give our time, resources and support to women who are challenging the status quo. We need to show up and vote for the women in our communities who are fighting to ensure that the institutions which we grant so much power actually represent the people they intend to serve.

The majority of his speech was focused on speaking to her accomplishments, her passions, and her desire to bring people together. He shared the impact she has had in his life and the positive change she will bring as president.

Towards the end of his time on stage, however, President Clinton made a comment about American Muslims that had absolutely no place in the rest of his thoughtful speech:

If you are a Muslim and you love America and freedom and you hate terror, stay here and help us win and make the future together. We want you.

This conditional statement targeted at American Muslims is both upsetting and unsettling for many reasons. Too often we hear that if you’re a good and happy Muslim, you can come here and be a part of society. But there’s a catch: you have to prove day in and day out that you aren’t one of the angry, violent Muslims. You’ll be accepted and allowed to exist, but only after suffering the scrutiny of your neighbors, inappropriate comments from elected officials, government surveillance, daily microaggressions and blatant racism and xenophobia.

Let’s get something straight here: Muslims do not have to prove they are good people because they identify as Muslim. Asking Muslims to “stay here” to “help us win” implies that Muslims are others who aren’t true Americans, and that they should help us, the real Americans, fight terror. Never mind the fact that the majority of domestic terrorist attacks are committed by non-Muslims.

American Muslims do not need to prove they “hate terror” and “love America.” That is not their primary function or responsibility. Believe it or not, Muslims are regular people who have their own lives and problems to attend to. 

Huma Abedin, who is currently the vice-chair of Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign, happens to be a Muslim. Does Abedin need to to prove that she “loves America and freedom” because of her faith? (The answer is “No!”)

President Clinton’s statement was likely intended to challenge the hateful rhetoric of the Trump campaign which is calling for a ban of Muslims, and highlight instead Hillary Clinton’s inclusive and progressive platform. Unfortunately, his comment simply alienates American Muslims and frames the conversation with the same Islamophobia that the Trump campaign encourages. 

American Muslims are just as American as any other person of faith. We should be able to talk about Muslims outside the context of “terrorism,” and the fact that this needs to be said shows just how much work still needs to be done to realize the full humanity and diversity of Muslims in this nation.

In the 5-3 decision in Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt, the court reversed the ruling of the conservative 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, which had previously upheld the law. Justice Anthony Kennedy sided with the liberal justices on this decision, resulting in a majority. Justices Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas and Chief Justice John Roberts dissented.

The first provision that was struck down would have required all abortion providers to have admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles of the abortion clinic. The second provision required facilities where abortions are performed to meet medically unnecessary architectural standards, such as expanding hallways and doorways and adding locker rooms.

Justice Breyer, who delivered the opinion of the court, stated:

We conclude that neither of these provisions offers medical benefits sufficient to justify the burdens upon access that each imposes. Each places a substantial obstacle in the path of women seeking a previability abortion, each constitutes an undue burden on abortion access, and each violates the Federal Constitution.

This decision means that the 19 remaining clinics in Texas will continue to provide abortion care. If the Supreme Court had upheld the ambulatory surgical center requirement, there would have been only 10 abortion clinics left to serve over 5.4 million Texans of reproductive age.

Today’s decision has also fortified the premise of an abortion case heard by the court back in 1992. In Planned Parenthood v. Casey, the court declared that states could pass restrictions on abortion, so long as they didn’t impose an undue burden on women.

There are still over twenty other restrictions on abortion across Texas and hundreds more around the country, including federal restrictions like the Hyde Amendment, which make abortion inaccessible for millions of low-income people. More cases like this may be challenged in the coming years as state legislatures continue pursuing abortion related legislation.

The case is challenging a Texas anti-abortion bill from 2024, known as HB2, which has resulted in the closure of more than half of all abortion clinics in the state, leaving 750,000 Texans at least 200 miles away from the nearest clinic.

Two provisions of HB2 in particular will be decided by the court: the admitting privileges and ambulatory surgical center requirements. The first provision states that abortion providers must have admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles of the clinic. The second provision requires facilities where abortions are performed to meet unnecessary architectural standards, such as expanding hallways and doorways and adding locker rooms.

These requirements have been denounced by many, including the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). In a letter to the Supreme Court ahead of the oral arguments on Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt, the President of ACOG, Mark S. DeFrancesco, wrote, “As women’s health physicians, we fundamentally believe that in order to keep abortion safe, we must keep it both legal and accessible. Without question, allowing state governments to impose restrictions that are not medically necessary will only make it harder for women to access the safe abortion care that they need.”

Depending on how the court rules, this case could result in only one or both of the provisions in HB2 to be upheld or struck down. The ruling could apply only to Texas, lifting the restrictions and allowing clinics to reopen, or leaving 5.4 million Texans of reproductive age with only nine abortion clinics.

The fact that the court has only eight justices on the bench could also impact the outcome of the case. If the court is split 4:4 on the decision, then a prior ruling from the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals will be upheld, leaving the Texas law in place, but also leaving the door open for similar cases challenging abortion restrictions to be heard again in the future.  

The most important thing to remember is that Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt is not about determining the legality of having an abortion; rather, it will determine what the states can or can’t do to regulate and restrict abortion, which impacts if a person is able to access it at all.

Stay tuned and check back for information about how the Supreme Court rules on this case and what that means for you.

There are no instances of men dressed as women going into women’s bathrooms to cause a fuss, or of transgender people doing anything in bathrooms that people shouldn’t be doing. Still, bathroom bills have become the new fighting ground over the right to privacy ever since North Carolina passed HB 2, which bans transgender people from using any bathroom that doesn’t match the sex on their birth certificate. HB 2 also prohibits local, city governments from passing any nondiscrimination ordinances of their own.

These bathroom bills are entirely unenforceable, but that hasn’t stopped regular citizens from feeling they have a right to police one another. Since HB 2 passed, there have been multiple instances of cisgender men (who aren’t dressed as women) following women and children into bathrooms just to check if they are really women and are using the correct bathroom. In short, these bathroom bills are causing more problems than they claim to solve.

It should go without saying that you shouldn’t bother people in public restrooms, but apparently it needs to be said. Below, you can find a handy guide to using public bathrooms. Hopefully it is helpful.

1. Don’t follow strangers into bathrooms to figure out what genitalia they have. 
2. When using a public restroom, don’t look into or under someone’s stall.
3. Don’t comment inappropriately on people’s appearances. Oggling strangers isn’t a good idea, either.
4. Do your business IN the toilet or urinal, not AROUND it.
5. Please flush. We can’t believe we need to say it.
6. Don’t touch people without their consent. (Again, can’t believe we even need to say it).
7. If you think you might try to assault someone in a bathroom, tell the authorities so they can stop you from doing that.
8. If you’re not sure if someone is a man or a woman, remind yourself that it doesn’t really matter and that you should go about minding your own business.
9. If someone’s appearance bothers you, but they haven’t actually done anything to you, leave them alone. Your personal discomfort with someone’s appearance and/or existence is your problem and doesn’t outweigh their right to privacy.

There you have it. This is how you use the bathroom. Don’t forget to wash your hands!

When

You can Early Vote every day between now and Friday, May 20. Election Day is May 24, and polls will be open from 7 am to 7 pm.

Where

Check out this handy dandy multilingual map from Harris Votes with a list of each polling location. You can vote at any one of these locations when you go to early vote. On election day itself (May 24) you have to vote at a specific location in your precinct (this is why early voting is more convenient!) You can find out the polling location in your precinct here.

What

You can also view your sample ballot, depending on if you’re voting in the Democratic or Republican primary runoff election. “But I want to vote for both!” you lament. We know, but you have to pick one because these elections determine who will be the nominee for either party, not one or the other.

Democratic Sample Ballot

Republican Sample Ballot

Don’t forget: you need to bring a valid photo ID to vote! Below are all the forms of ID that will be accepted at the polls:

• U.S. passport book or card
• Texas driver license issued by DPS
• Texas Election Identification Certificate issued by DPS (FREE)
• Texas personal identification card issued by DPS
• Texas concealed handgun license issued by DPS
• U. S. military identification card containing the person’s photograph
• U.S. Citizenship Certificate or Certificate of Naturalization with photo

Anything else

Not sure if you’re registered to vote? Don’t know who to vote for? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Below are some trusty nonpartisan sources for you to find out everything you need to know. If you have any questions, just comment below!

Harris Votes for election information.

League of Women Voters of the Houston Area for voting guides in English and Spanish.

Rock the Vote for election and voting rights information.

Now go forth and vote!

Let me also speak directly to the transgender community itself. Some of you have lived freely for decades. Others of you are still wondering how you can possibly live the lives you were born to lead. But no matter how isolated or scared you may feel today, the Department of Justice and the entire Obama Administration wants you to know that we see you; we stand with you; and we will do everything we can to protect you going forward. Please know that history is on your side. This country was founded on a promise of equal rights for all, and we have always managed to move closer to that promise, little by little, one day at a time. It may not be easy–but we’ll get there together.

On March 23, North Carolina passed House Bill 2—in under 24 hours—which prohibits transgender individuals from using the public restroom that matches their gender identity. Shortly after, the Department of Justice ordered the state to stop enforcing the ban, arguing that it violates the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

North Carolina is the first state in the country to pass a law like this—also referred to as a “bathroom bill”—banning transgender people from using any public bathroom or changing room that does not match the sex on their birth certificate. House Bill 2 was passed in response to a local nondiscrimination ordinance in Charlotte, North Carolina, similar to Houston’s very own HERO (Houston Equal Rights Ordinance), which prohibited discrimination based on many characteristics, including sexual orientation and gender identity.

Proponents of House Bill 2, including North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory, argue that it is intended to prevent men pretending to be women from entering women’s bathrooms to cause problems.

The argument that men dressed as women will suddenly be allowed to enter bathrooms to assault women and children is not only dangerous, it is disingenuous. Violence against women is a very real problem that needs to be addressed. But the solution to male violence is not to discriminate against transgender and gender nonconforming people and make it more difficult for them to take care of their personal business in peace.

Unfortunately, legislation regulating who can and cannot use bathrooms is likely to become the new normal, if we allow it. Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick has already suggested that a similar law is likely to come to Texas during the next legislative session.

It is up to us to make our communities safer and more inclusive, so that every single person feels welcome and supported. As Lynch put it yesterday, “This is not a time to act out of fear. This is a time to summon our national virtues of inclusivity, diversity, compassion and open-mindedness. What we must not do—what we must never do—is turn on our neighbors, our family members, our fellow Americans, for something they cannot control, and deny what makes them human.”

An Open Letter to Abortion Providers

Today is Abortion Provider Appreciation Day. While many people today are writing letters to thank you for all that you do, you’re at work. Today, you very likely walked past a group of people yelling at you, shaking photoshopped signs intended to intimidate your patients. You probably had hate-filled words hurled at you as you walked from your car into the clinic. You may have even donned a bulletproof vest because you have received death threats many times before.

When these are the obstacles you face just to do your job every day, your job becomes a revolutionary act. To endure bullying, harassment, even violence–against yourself, your staff and your patients–and continue to provide health care, well that makes you a hero.

Abortion providers endure people stalking them at their homes, publishing their personal information online, harassment outside of their clinics and attacks on their ability to provide medical care by politicians. These attacks on clinics and the lives of doctors are a result of the anti-abortion rhetoric and legislation in our state and across our nation.

Like any other doctor, you strive to provide the best possible care to your community with as much compassion and expertise as you can. However, abortion providers, unlike other healthcare professionals, are blatantly singled out by politicians and anti-choice extremists.

We know that recent legislation is, unfortunately, making it more and more difficult for you to do your job. Despite their very limited understanding of the reproductive system–and the law–state legislators rely on misinformation to curb access to abortion for thousands of people.

The recent legislation passed throughout our country are increasingly outlandish and, frankly, dangerous. Every year, the number of regulations grows steadily even though abortion is already one of the most regulated medical procedures.Since 2024, over 1,000 laws have been enacted to restrict abortions. One such law has the potential to set a nationwide precedent, which would drastically affect the ability of millions of people accessing their right to reproductive healthcare.

Right now, the Supreme Court is pondering on the implications of Texas’ House Bill 2. Specifically, they are debating if the requirements within the law present an undue burden for Texans. As the Justices deliberate, you continue working with bated breath because you understand the importance of your work. You’re still bravely performing abortions. You are still doing your job with grace, compassion and tenacity, despite the fact that HB2, and other laws like it, strive to make it almost impossible. This national absurdity would discourage someone else. Yet, you fearlessly persevere. We are in awe of you.

And here’s the thing–you do more than perform abortions. You help people regain a sense of control in their lives. You give them an opportunity to live, grieve and plan their futures in their own way, in their own time. You do all this simply because you trust your patients.

Because of you, millions of people every year are able to exercise their right to bodily autonomy. Because of you, your patients are able to access a medical procedure that is becoming increasingly difficult to obtain. Your commitment to providing safe abortions without judgment, and with sincere compassion, is a testament to the highest standard of medical care.

Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, for existing. Thank you for being here, every day, no matter what. Thank you for providing abortion care.

Sincerely,

Laila Khalili & Lesli-Elsie Simms on behalf of Lilith Fund Board & Staff

If you’d like to show your appreciation and gratitude for abortion providers, you can take part by sending a postcard through the 1 in 3 Campaign.