Rodeo Round-up: Demons in Your Thrift Store Finds

This week marked the 40th anniversary of the Wounded Knee occupation. What, you never learned about the American Indian Movement’s 1973 Wounded Knee occupation in your history classes? You never learned about the 1890 massacre at Wounded Knee either? Yeah, neither did I. Start your weekend right by reading about both incidents, “Indigenous Feminism Without Apology” by Andrea Smith, and National Geographic’s “In the Shadow of Wounded Knee.”

At OK4RJ, when we weren’t casting the demons from our thrift shop finds, Ricky wrote about their time at Take Root, giving the conference a needed dose of tough love. Then, new blogger Rios reflected on the consent workshop at Take Root. Mel used Robin Hood metaphors and personal experiences with hunger to discuss a crop of bills which would undermine the social safety net for Oklahomans.

In legislation-that-shouldn’t-be-a-thing, the Arkansas House overrode Governor Beebe’s veto of a law that would ban abortions after 20-weeks. To stay updated on this and other Arkansas bills, follow @ACforRJ. The Montana House passed a bill that would require teens under 18 to get parental consent before obtaining an abortion. The South Dakota Senate voted for a law that would require a 72 hour waiting period NOT COUNTING WEEKENDS AND HOLIDAYS for people seeking abortions. I can’t keep up with all this legislation, y’all. You should follow Robin Marty’s blogging on RH Reality Check if you want to try.

In other news, researchers found that teen pregnancy is most common in rural America where, due to geographic isolation from health centers and negative attitudes about teen sexuality, teens are less likely to have access to and education on contraception.

If there’s one thing we learned at Take Root, it’s that voter disenfranchisement is a reproductive justice issue. Everyone should be concerned that SCOTUS will hear a case challenging The Voting Rights Act. Specifically up for review is a section that requires parts of the country that have historically engaged in voter suppression to “pre-clear” new voting laws with the federal government to ensure they do not impose racial burdens. What’s the big deal, you say? Maybe you’ve been drinking Scalia’s Kool-aid and think that the VRA is unnecessary because we live in post-racial America. Nope, Republican lawmakers are still passing laws to prevent Democrats, a lot of whom happen to be black, from voting. Lawmakers claim ID laws are needed to prevent voter fraud except that the voter fraud at issue rarely occurs. Whoops. Plus uhhhh, don’t they watch Scandal? There are much more efficient ways to rig elections.

Olivia Pope disapproves of your voter suppression efforts (unless it’s for Fitzgerald Grant)

Finally, the inclusive version of VAWA passed the House yesterday! Democrats did not back down! This version bans discrimination based on gender identity, sexual orientation, and other factors! This version gives tribal courts jurisdiction to prosecute non-Indians who commit violence against people and families on Indian lands!

But wait! VAWA takes a law-and-order approach to gender-based violence! An approach which many have criticized! Read this INCITE! Women of Color Against Violence statement on gender violence and the prison industrial complex and feel less good about it.

With Beyoncé’s performances at the Super Bowl and Presidential inauguration, do you feel she’s been overexposed lately? Nope, me either. Here’s one from Queen Bey circa 2008. It goes out to the girl featured in the gif above, Quvenzhané Wallis, who had a good week despite some people thinking it’s a-ok to sexualize and tweet gendered slurs about nine-year-old girls. OK4RJ can see your halo, Quvenzhané!

Mallory donated to Trust Women’s efforts to bring abortion services back to Wichita. You should too.