Heaux's Know: XI
Your sex & reproductive justice newsletter
Hey All,
Since the last edition of Heaux’s Know, we’ve had a bit of growth. So, welcome! to all new subscribers and a warm how’ve you been? to returning subscribers. The news runs the gamut this time including updates of ongoing criminal & civil cases, post-election ballot measures that passed and stories that cover the morose as well as the hopeful. With that being said, the news.
Sex & Reproductive Justice
The University of Wisconsin reinstated SexWIse, the university's peer run comprehensive sex education program after a battle with administration and The Madison Federalist who found the program’s discussion of porn ( in efforts to promote media literacy) and LGBTQIA+ identities as “promotion of porn consumption & LGBTQIA+ topics”. The student run program quickly contested this decision and organized for the reinstatement of their program, citing its importance for educating young college students and encouraging a larger culture of consent. The Herald covered it here
Though he’s since withdrawn from the pursuit to be confirmed as the Attorney General under Trump (he wouldn’t have enough support via vote to be confirmed), Matt Gaetz is still under scrutiny as a House Ethics Committee investigation alleging he paid a minor for sexual services (sex trafficking by its clearest definitions) remained top of mind in the American consciousness. Though Gaetz resignation from Congress for the remainder of this season prevents the Committee from disciplining the man, complicated questions arise as he won reelection with no precedent indicating he couldn’t be reconfirmed in January. The Rolling Stones has the timeline & they’re asking the important questions.
In San Antonio, TX, the Reproductive Justice Fund, an effort spawned in 2022, received a $500,000 increase courtesy of the SA city council. These funds will be distributed to non profits focused on increasing contraceptive access, offering sex education in schools, prenatal care and more. KTSA reported on it here.
Four women are suing the state of Idaho after they were denied access to abortion care for fatal fetal abnormalities. Idaho has some of the most restrictive abortions bans in the country, including the termination of a pregnancy at any stage, with few exemptions, being a felony offense punishable by two to five years in prison. As well as a vigilante law that allows private citizens to sue health care providers rendering abortion care after 6 weeks. There are no exemptions for fatal fetal abnormalities under current Idaho law. The Center for Reproductive Rights fought a similar case in Texas last spring and lost, however, they remain hopeful that their case will lead to victory, and hopefully some justice for these women. NBC News has the story.
In Ohio, a county judge struck down the state’s 6-week ban on abortion, citing the reproductive rights amendment Ohioan’s voted for last year in Issue 1. Though this is a victory for abortion care providers and advocates, the fight remains. Ant-Abortion organizations have already called for appeals to the ruling, Justice Jenkins has a month to consider. The Associated Press has the story here.
This past election, 10 states had Abortion on the ballot, and 7 of them voted in favor of codifying it in their respective state constitutions. Nebraska and South Dakota voted overwhelmingly against codifying Abortion rights and Floridians were unable to meet the 60% yes threshold required to codify these freedoms, falling short with 57% in favor. Colorado, Maryland, Missouri, New York, Arizona, Montana and Nevada all passed with overwhelming support by voters. Turnout has all the details here.
Margaret Sanger, valorized birth control activist, founder of Planned Parenthood (and notorious racist eugenicist) may have the glory, but Mary Ware Dennett also helped shape US History, despite her story and time as a sex education & birth control activist existing in relative obscurity. Stephanie Gorton, author of the The Icon and the Idealist is here to rectify the record and tell these women’s interwoven story in its totality. She wrote up a piece and shared the first two chapters of her book over at Teen Vogue, it’s certainly worth a read.
Missouri Republicans wish to defy the will of Missourians by challenging Amendment 3, the measure that established the fundamental right to reproductive freedom in the states constitution that passed with a clear majority in this last election. Missouri houses one of the strictest abortion bans to be enacted post-Dobbs, with abortion prohibited at all stages with no exemptions. Multiple organizations including Planned Parenthood, have already filed lawsuits against the state’s abortion bans, citing Amendment 3 as an assertion of the right to have reproductive freedoms and thus, abortion access. The story is continuing to develop and Turnout has been following it diligently, here.
Domestic Stories
The last few months have been clear illustrations of what’s to come in the evolving climate crisis. With Hurricane’s Helene & Milton reminding people how absolutely devastating extreme weather conditions are and how difficult it is to survive and rebuild after them. Mother Jones contemplates that reality with Brandi Hand, who survived Hurricane Katrina which irreparably changed NOLA, only to have her life impacted again when Hurricane Helene hurtled toward her home in North Carolina, the place her and her husband resettled after losing everything to Hurricane Katrina. Brandi is but one person in a list of survivors of the climate crisis who are confronted with the reality that few places are actually safe from extreme weather. I highly suggest you give this a read, Jackie Flynn Mogensen wrote a very humanizing tale here.
Movement Media Alliance, a collective of social justice oriented media makers, launched Communities Beyond Elections, a project highlighting the people who comprise of the country, not the politicians allegedly representing their interest. Da’Shaun Harrison, the Editor-At-Large of Scalawag Magazine wrote a moving piece about this project and it deserves more attention, as does Communities Beyond Elections. Have a read here.
Former President and President-Elect, Donald Trump has announced via Truth Social his day one plan to impose a 25% tariff on goods coming into the US via Mexico & Canada with an additional 10% tariff on goods from China, where we receive almost half of our imports from. Corporations in the US have already begun releasing statements and asserting the cost of goods will rise in response to such political action. NewsWeek wrote a guide to items consumers may want to purchase ahead of these tariffs due to anticipated price increases.
The Menendez Brothers, who found renewed interest in their parricide case after a recent Ryan Murphy adaption gained popularity, are still fighting to come home. Their resentencing hearing, previously scheduled for early December, has been pushed back a month into January, ensuring the siblings will bring in the New Year incarcerated still. The new district attorney, Nathan Hochman once sworn in on December 2, vows to objectively review their case and make a fair assessment of their resentencing. The Daily Beast has the story here.
Alex Jones, right wing commentator and prior owner of InfoWars is fighting a battle in court over satire magazine, The Onion’s purchase of InfoWars in a bankruptcy auction. Jones claims that fraud and collusion took place in order for the media outlet to purchase the website. The emergency motion to disqualify The Onion’s bid on InfoWars, has been pushed back by Justice Christopher Lopez who stated he plans to hear the motion simultaneously with the trustee’s request to approve the sale of InfoWars to The Onion. Politico has the write up.
Ryan Kobayashi, the father of Hannah Kobayashi, a missing Hawaiian woman has died, with the official cause of death ruled a suicide by LA county’s coroner’s office. Mr. Kobayashi was found in a parking lot with multiple blunt force trauma injuries. While attempting to mourn the loss of Ryan, the family is still working diligently for answers to Hannah’s disappearance. Hannah has not contacted loved ones or been seen since November 10, two days after missing her connecting flight to NY, where she planned to visit her aunt living Upstate. ABC7 mocked up the timeline of her disappearance. The Guardian has the details on Ryan Kobayashi’s death, and Li, his surviving fiancee has started a GoFundMe.
Susan Lorincz, a white woman who killed Black neighbor, Ajike “AJ” Owens by fatally shooting her as she knocked on her apartment door, was sentenced to 25 years in prison. She was found guilty of Manslaughter by a jury in August when her Stand Your Ground law defense fell through with little evidence that she was in imminent danger, justifying her use of fatal force. Pamela Dias, AJ’s mother, made a public statement after Lorincz’s sentencing. CNN has the details here.
A Connecticut couple was booked in Minnesota for allegedly stealing $1 Million in goods and items from Lululemon stores across the country. As relayed by the Associated Press, “According to the criminal complaints, a Lululemon investigator had been tracking the pair even before police first confronted them on Nov. 14 at a store in suburban Roseville. The investigator told police the couple were responsible for hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses across the country, the complaints said. They would steal items and make fraudulent returns, it said.” The full story is here.
Damian Williams, Manhattan’s top federal prosecutor is resigning ahead of Trump’s inauguration. Williams is the first Black person to occupy this title and was nominated by President Biden. Williams has led successful, public cases targeting Billionaires such Max Bankman-Fried and Sung Kook "Bill" Hwang for financial fraud and corruption. Edward Kim, his current deputy will occupy his seat after December 13th, when he resigns. Reuters wrote about it here.
According to the Harris' team, Kamala Harris is weighing her political options after Inauguration Day. According to insiders, Harris’ good will with the Democratic Party increased during her presidential run and thus, see her political future nearing its prime, not its end. With frequently louder talks of Democrats such as current California State Governor, Gavin Newsom considering a 2028 presidential run, talks of Harris wanting to succeed into the Governorship have increased as well. Ultimately, it’s too early to tell, but Politico is sharing what they know, here.
Transgender rights have been a political hotbed for years, and that aggressive fight is only getting larger in scale. South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace in preparation for Delaware Rep.-elect Sarah McBride’s entrance to Congress as the first openly Trans person, introduced a resolution with aims to ban Transgender people from using single-sex bathroom facilities that don’t correspond with their sex assigned at birth. Since introducing this resolution, Mace has proposed even more extreme legislation that would institute a bathroom ban for Transgender folk on all federal properties. McBride has already released a statement stating she plans to comply if this resolution is to pass and Mace’s bill poses a larger threat for Trans folk within the US during a time of damning legislative violence. ABC News has everything about the bill, and the state of Transgender rights across the nation here.
International Headlines
In Romania, Călin Georgescu, a far right nationalist with Pro-Russian sentiments, is steaming ahead in the Presidential election, securing first place in the polls of the Presidential run-off. The success of his campaign is being largely attributed to social media, with viral TikTok videos and podcast appearances galvanizing voter bases for him. This election is further proof of the shift in political ideology across the West, favoring right wing nationalist and militant sentiments, exploiting economic hardships and the threats of war for political gain. The next round of these elections takes place in December where Georgescu and his far-right allies seek to snag seats in parliament as well as the Presidency. The Guardian has the story here.
A full on brawl took place in Serbian Parliament, as a deadly rail station roof’s collapse sparked conversations about who’s at fault. The ruling party as well as their opposition appeared with banners, accusing each other of negligence resulting in the fatal accident and fists began to fly when members attempted to snatch the opposing political party’s banner. This roof collapse has been met with protest and outcry against the Serbian government which constituents say is ineffective and authoritarian. The Associated Press has the details here.
A tourist yacht sank in the Red Sea on Monday. Though there were rough waters warnings made, the vessel went out to sea and capsized. According to Egyptian officials, 28 people have been rescued with 16 passengers remaining missing as of the time of reporting. Foreign nationals from all across the US, EU & China were aboard the ship and 12 have yet to be recovered as well as 4 Egyptian crew members. Multiple dignitaries have been approached for information and comment with varied results. The story is here.
Four Lebanese sources claim a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel is set to be announced by President Biden and French President Macron soon. Since September, Israel has launched a brutal assault against Southern Lebanon, killing at least 31 people in the last 24 hours. This assault takes place amid continued genocide of the people of Gaza with journalist on the ground calling the circumstances “completely apocalyptic” in Northern Gaza. Israel’s attacks have killed and/or injured hundreds of thousands of people within the Gaza Strip as well as neighboring areas in Lebanon. Al Jazeera has the live updates here.
In Sudan, the “biggest humanitarian emergency” on the globe continues to devastate civilians, with experts estimating 2.5 Million people will die of starvation by year’s end. The lack of global humanitarian response has made circumstance more dire, as soup kitchens are forced to close for lack of funding and the brutal civil war forces over 10 Million people to be displaced within the country. According to the UN and Human Rights Watch experts, the city of Darfur is experiencing a genocide caused by the fighting of RSF forces and the Sudanese Army. Last week, Russia vetoed a UN Security Council resolution cosponsored by the UK & Sierra Leone which sought to enforce compliance with a commitment both the RSF & Sudanese government made to respect International Law and ensure the protection of civilians. The World Food Program is on the ground in Sudan, feeding civilians, I’d urge you to donate if you can— the world is literally watching the people of Sudan starve to death and any assistance we can provide, we should. HRW has a wealth of information about the ongoing conflict and crisis here.
Illegal Gold Mining continues to drive deforestation in the Democratic Republic of Congo amid ongoing climate crisis. Okapi Wildlife Reserve, also known as “Africa’s Unicorn”, is endangered and its continued devastation will have lasting effects on biodiversity and the climate, with OWR being in the top 40% of terrestrial protected areas most resilient to climate change. Over 18 mining sites are active with an estimated 25,000 miners consistently mining the area. This is amidst civil war, where the Eastern DRC continues to be devastated by Rwanda backed rebel militias such as the Tutsi M23. The country of Angola has been steering mediations between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda, with a peace agreement seemingly making good aims toward implementation. The International Rescue Committee has been on the ground in the DRC since 1996, they’re currently launching a response as Monkeypox has been declared a public heath emergency by WHO and Africa CDC. All of these efforts require funding, and if you have some spare dollars hanging around, consider putting it towards humanitarian efforts such as these.
Censorship is a global hot topic, as illustrated by Australia’s latest bold move to ban social media for citizens under 16 years of age. The bill was introduced on November 21st with large support from the current center-left Albanese Government. Youth activist and their allies have been staunch opponents of this bill, presenting the potential unconstitutional nature of such an action and reminders for parliament that children are not apolitical, with activist such as Greta Thunberg, Leo Puglisi, and others as examples. Both Google and Meta as well as TikTok’s parent company, Bytedance, have released statements urging the Australian government to reconsider. Currently, Australia is conducting a trial on age verification using biometric facial age estimation, age verification and inference technology meant to consider the efficacy in moderating minor’s access to online pornography. Tech companies and activist are calling for a halt to this bill until the trial is completed in 2026. Key players in the online censorship debate noted how fast Australia is attempting to pass this recent legislation amidst pushback. This is the story.
And that was the news. If any source grabbed your interest, I urge you to share it and please patronize the independent media publishers I attempt to platform. We’re in a time of deep censorship with legacy media doing the work of the establishment gleefully and thus, we must uplift independent journalists and publications seeking the story without fear of it antagonizing their funders.
Thanks for sticking with me, and as always: Stay Thoughty and Stay Thotty.
- Nia Òla
Lovely. Succinct. Everything I needed to know for the week.