Lives Ruined, Lives Scheduled to be Ended in Uganda

Lives Ruined, Lives Ended

The two Emails below seem equally important to me.  Please check them out.

Right now if a woman in the military is raped, insurance will not cover her abortion--a

ban more restrictive than the federal Hyde Amendment. That's wrong and the "Shaheen

Amendment" would end this ban.

Will you sign the petition asking Congress to pass the "Shaheen Amendment?"

click here

Click Here

Dear Teresa,

This week we have a big opportunity to do right by servicewomen, but it's going to

take all of us speaking out together--and quickly.

Here's the deal: Right now, if a woman in the military is raped and becomes pregnant,

her insurance will not cover the cost of an abortion if she chooses to have one.

She would have to pay for it out-of-pocket.

In 2011 over 471 rapes were reported in the military and the reality of sexual assaults

is MUCH higher--the Pentagon estimates only 13.5% of military rapes are reported.

1

 And most of these women make around $18,000 each year--meaning that if they end

up pregnant as a result of a rape, it could end their military careers if they can't

afford an abortion on their own.

2

Earlier this year, the Senate Armed Services Committee passed the "Shaheen Amendment"

that would end the ban on abortion coverage for rape survivors in the military with

bipartisan support. But conservatives in the House are blocking it.

3

  Now, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) is back in front of Congress.

A vote could happen any day--so we need to speak out right now and tell Congress

they must pass the "Shaheen Amendment."

 Can you sign this petition asking Congress to pass the "Shaheen Amendment" to end

the ban on abortion coverage for servicewomen who are rape survivors? We'll deliver

your comments to Congress this week.

Add your name to the petition

The ban on abortion coverage for servicewomen is even more restrictive than the federal

Hyde Amendment that bans federal funding of abortion for civilians. Even the Hyde

Amendment allows for exceptions in the case of rape and incest.

4

Our servicewomen sacrifice everything for our country. And rape in the military is

a very serious problem. They deserve to have insurance coverage for abortion if they

become pregnant as a result of a sexual assault. We should not get in the way of

our servicewomen's rights to make their own personal, medical decisions--especially

when they are sacrificing so much for all of us.

Take Jessica Kenyon, who was serving in the military in Korea. She was raped by a

fellow soldier and became pregnant. Because of the ban in place now, she could not

find an affordable and safe abortion where she was stationed. And as a result of

trauma from her rape, she was discharged from the military, and eventually had a

miscarriage.

5

This week we have an opportunity to do better by the women who fight for us.  Let's

be sure to speak out.

Add your name to the petition

Thanks for speaking out!

--Nita, Shaunna, Kat and Karin, the UltraViolet team

Sources

1.

House GOP Blocking Abortion Access for Raped Soldiers,

 Mother Jones, June 13, 2012

2. Ibid

3.

What is the Shaheen Amendment?

 Stand with Servicewomen

4.

House GOP Blocking Abortion Access for Raped Soldiers,

 Mother Jones, June 13, 2012

5.

Senator Shaheen Champions Access to Reproductive Healthcare for Servicewomen,

 National Women's Law Center, June 14, 2012

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Change.org

Uganda's speaker of parliament has promised to pass a "Kill the Gays" bill in the next two weeks. Citibank and Barclays wield significant influence in Uganda, but have not spoken out against the bill.

Sign Collin's Petition

Teresa -

The speaker of the Ugandan parliament has promised she will pass the so-called "Kill

the Gays" bill in the next two weeks -- she called it a "Christmas gift" for the

Ugandan people.

The bill would legalize the death penalty for LGBT people and people with HIV or

AIDS.

Uganda experts say that one way to stop this bill is to get pressure from banks that

have significant resources invested in the country, such as Citibank and Barclays.

Citibank and Barclays together have hundreds of millions of dollars invested in Uganda

and wield significant influence in the country, just as banking lobbyists wield influence

with Congress in the US.

Citibank and Barclays speaking out against the "Kill the Gays" bill might be the

best -- and only -- chance to stop it.

Collin Burton is a Citibank customer who is also gay.

Collin started a petition on Change.org asking Citibank and Barclays to speak out against the "Kill the Gays" bill. Click here to sign Collin's petition right now.

Citibank and Barclays are both big supporters of LGBT rights for their own employees,

yet they invest money with a government that is threatening to execute LGBT people.

"I expect Citibank and Barclays to live up to the values of equality and fairness,

not just list them on their websites," Collin says.

If Citibank and Barclays speak out against the "Kill the Gays" bill, Ugandan legislators

will see that they are risking the business relationships that keep their government

afloat.

Click here to sign Collin’s petition asking Citibank and Barclays to issue strong statements condemning Uganda’s "Kill the Gays" bill. The bill could come up for a vote any day, so swift action is essential.

Thanks for being a change-maker,

- Mark Anthony and the Change.org team