Thursday, June 28, 2012

In Goddess We Trust

Very glad that CJ Roberts saw fit to do his job in a non partisan manner today. The health care ruling by the SCOTUS is being hailed as a victory for the people, as it should be. It is particularly sweet for American women, whose rights have been under non stop attack by the Rethuglicans. ( A pretty horrifying state by state legislative list  here.) 
A welcome respite from the relentless misogyny (see above list)  begins today with this decision.  From the Huffington Post: 

"Beginning in August, woman of all income brackets will be able to obtain contraception, annual well-woman visits, screenings for sexually transmitted infections and gestational diabetes, breastfeeding support and supplies, and domestic violence screenings without any co-pays or deductibles."

Some specific things that the ACA will do for womens' health:

Being a woman is no longer a "pre existing condition." Yes! Women were denied coverage for just being women before the Affordable Care Act became law.

Insurance companies can't charge you more for being a woman either. Before the Affordable Care Act was law, women were sometimes charged up to 150% more than men of the same age.

Breast cancer screenings, cervical cancer screenings, domestic violence counseling and screenings and a whole bunch of other preventive care measures must be covered by insurance companies.

Birth control is now covered by health insurance.

Children can stay on their parents' health insurance until they're 26 years old. And if you want to have kids, the law will help you get pre-natal care and counseling and help with breast feeding and supplies too.

AND: important benefits for everyone:

Insurance companies can't take away your coverage if you become too sick.

You cannot be denied insurance coverage because of a pre-existing condition.

Seniors receive a 50 percent discount on prescription drugs when they hit the "donut hole." Especially crucial for senior women, who are the largest population receiving Medicare.

Small businesses get tax credits to purchase insurance.

There are no more lifetime limits on your coverage.

15 million more people will receive coverage because of expanded access to Medicaid.

Millions of Americans are going to receive tax credits to help them get insurance--people who wouldn't be able to afford it otherwise.

12 million seniors are currently receiving free preventative care through Medicare.



No, it's not single payer and it's not perfect. It IS a step in the right direction and it reaffirms my slender hope that sanity may yet rule the day.  Ladies: remember this day. Come November,
don't forget who's got your back, and reciprocate.

Friday, June 15, 2012

Self Love is Not Selfish

My friend Candace owns a day spa and has been, for the last 2 years, through the proverbial wringer, in re to:  permitting, contracting issues, city inspections and all the headaches that go with being a small business owner- and she has been burned out of late. I suppose you could call it ironic that someone in the business of helping others relax, de-stress and promote self-care was so stressed and weary herself. I am glad that she is course correcting; her most recent blog post is here.
 It made me think:  Gay or straight, partnered or single, kids or no- doesn't seem to matter. We are all susceptible, no matter our personal circumstances, to the societal pressure to put ourselves last. Women can be, and are often expected to be, masters of the art of self-denial, putting everyone else's needs first. Traditionally, women have been assigned the caretaker role, both in society and in the family dynamic.  There is a murkier, slightly sinister issue at play here also: the amazing convenience and "coincidence" of having one entire gender being the unselfish, caretaking, more nurturing half, and there is a huge assumption in conventional wisdom that there is a genetic predisposition to do so.  While there is certainly a degree of satisfaction in being a nurturer, it is crucial that we also nurture ourselves. 


Self love = self respect and self esteem. Not as easy to do as you might think- but we must care for ourselves to continue to care for others in our lives. We need to be able to take ourselves from THIS:



to THIS: 

as often as we possibly can.