UNITE WOMEN!: PHOENIX RALLY AGAINST THE WAR ON WOMEN

Today there was a marvelous get together in Phoenix at the State Capital Building.

500 people gathered to gain momentum against an ever growing threat to crucify women's health care, everyday equality, and fundamental freedoms. This happened all over the country... did you go to one?

I think that this issue is particularly hot (pun!) here in Arizona, because on top of presidential candidates preaching about the gifts of rape, we have a female governor with tumbleweeds for brains.

I strongly urge you to research these issues. This is not a localized state issue; it is the beginning of the boiling point in which we fight back or get poached. Too many plays on words? Oh well.

I think that if you DO look up the proposed bills you will wonder a.) is this a prank? b.) this is the 21st century right? or c.) what the FUCK? I went through all three of these in subsequential order.

I wanted to dispel two myths that the general public might have about this sort of rally.

Myth: These women are crazed extremists and conspiracy theorists trying to cry "fire" in a crowded "theater"!

Fact: If wanting all humans to be treated respectfully and equally is extreme, then you're right. But I don't think of this as a meeting of Extremists, but rather Realists. The system is broken. There is article after article, bill after bill, tragedy after tragedy, injustice after injustice to prove this. Women make up half of the population and still make 77% of what men do in the exact same job. They want women to disclose the details of their sex lives to their employer, and men do not have the same mandate. They don't want women to have access to birth control,yet you're not allowed to have an abortion, but if you have the baby and can't afford to take care of it you're SOL. I could go on. Asking for an equal slice of the pie is not extreme, its a goddamn right. End of story.

Myth: This is not a fight for the young and hip.

Fact: WRONG. Some of the sexiest young ladies (and their boys) were there and involved beyond what was expected. I focused on photographing them, as they represent us in a strong and beautiful way. Many of the older women have already fought this fight, and brought signs today that said "I have to fight this shit AGAIN?". It's our future at stake and our turn to take the baton with their support. Let me be clear about one thing though: my generation hasn't dropped the ball like many say. It's not from lack of presence that politicians are pushing religious morals on everyone. This type of extreme oppression is relatively foreign to us young folks since we have been reaping the benefits of the 3rd wave of feminism our whole lives. It is only now as the shit hits the fan in a way it hasn't in decades that we have the opportunity to slap the oppressors in the face by telling them what we fucking think. And we will goddamnit. We will.

Alrigggggght, I'm done now. If you want news coverage from today, go here.

If you're unsure what the war on women looks like, go here.

If you want to check out the Unite Women web page go here.

If you want to write an email to Jan Brewer telling her to kick rocks, go here.

If you want to contact Rick Santorum and suggest that he gets a vasectomy, go here.

Free speech right?