Print
ShareFeminist Majority "Supreme Court in Peril" Chat Series of 2003
KIM GANDY, President, National Organization for Women (NOW)
Kim Gandy was elected President of the National Organization for Women (NOW) on its 35th Anniversary, June 30, 2001, after serving as Executive Vice President since 1991 and National Secretary (now called Vice President-Membership) from 1987 to 1991. As President, Gandy is the CEO, CFO and principal spokesperson for the organization. She also chairs the NOW Foundation and the NOW Political Action Committees.
Moderator: Welcome.
Kim Gandy: Thank you! Im happy to be here to answer your questions
today.
posted:6/19/2003 2:04:00 PM CST
Maia: What do you think will be the effect of Jane Roe filing to reverse
Roe V. Wade? Could this be even a bigger push for conservatives to go
after abortion rights?
Kim Gandy: We are seeing daily assaults on abortion rights in this country.
NOW is determined that womens rights to safe, legal and acccessible abortion
and birth control will not be taken away. Thats why feminist activists
around the country are fighting so hard to stop the right wing takeover
of the federal courts.
posted:6/19/2003 2:06:00 PM CST
jane momoh: i just want to know what civil right is. i know examples
of civil rights but i dont really know the meaning of it and its differnce
from human rights.your reponse will be gratly appreciated.
thanks
Kim Gandy: Civil rights and human rights are the foundation of our democracy.
They include the freedoms of speech, assembly, religion, the right to
vote, and the right of everyone to be treated equally under the law.
Thanks to the global womens movement, the international community recognizes
that women are entitled to the same civil and human rights as men --
even if that entitlement isnt fully enforced everywhere.
posted:6/19/2003 2:12:00 PM CST
Jen: It seems change through the course is a slow process, why is there
so much focus on the courts as opposed to legislatures?
Kim Gandy: Great question! We have to focus on the courts as long as
the Bush administration is determined to pull off a complete right wing
takeover of the courts. The courts interpret the laws and the Constitution,
and an ideological and politicallty minded Supreme Court could strip
us of our fundamental rights. If that happened, the effects would last
for decades -- for the entire reproductive life of my daughter. Or yours.
posted:6/19/2003 2:19:00 PM CST
Kassi`: Hello, I am eighteen years old and live in a highly conservative
town. I am wondering what I can do tell let the women in my area know
what kind of injustices are going on in our country ?
Kim Gandy: You can be a feminist activist anywhere! First, sign yourself
and your friends up for NOWs Action Alerts (just go to our website, http://www.now.org)
-- well tell you whats going on and what you can do to help. And you
can invite your friends, family, neighbors to your help and talk about
inequality you or someone you know has experienced.
And be sure to sign up to participate in the March for Freedom of Choice
on April 25, 2004 in Washington, DC! This will be a mass demonstration
of historic proportion -- you dont want to miss it. Bring all your friends
and make a road trip out of it. For details, go to http://www.marchforchoice.org
posted:6/19/2003 2:26:00 PM CST
Jen: A lot of people think the womens movement is a white suburban movement,
and they dont understand the implications for women and men off all colors
and classes. How do you organize effectively accross these boundaries?
Kim Gandy: All of the organizing we do is rooted in NOWs philosophy that
ending racism, homophobia, economic injustice and violence against women
are fundamental to achieving womens equality. No one can be free while
anyone is oppressed. Thats why NOWs six core issues are: reproductive
freedom, ending racism, lesbian rights, economic justice, constitutional
equality and ending violence against women. Our membershiup dues follow
a sliding scale so people of all income levels can be NOW members.
posted:6/19/2003 2:33:00 PM CST
Carrie: What Bush nominees is NOW most concerned about?
Kim Gandy: Bush has nominated so many extremists I cant possibly narrow
it to just one! Some of the worst of the worst are: Jeffery Sutton,
Bill Pryor, Charles Pickering, Priscilla Owen, Carolyn Kuhl. You can
find detailed information about these judges on our website, http://www.now.org.
Across the board, Bushs nominees are bent on turning the clock back
on our fundamental rights. They want to drag us back to the 1950s --
in some cases, back to the Nineteenth Century!
posted:6/19/2003 2:39:00 PM CST
Mary-Jane Shorts: Do feminist organizations have a Plan B should the
republicans succeed?
Kim Gandy: If you mean succeed at fully taking over the federal courts,
were just not going to let that happen. Weve come too far to let religious
and political extremists make us second-class citizens again. We didnt
fold up our tents and go home when Bush claimed the White House even
though he lost the 2000 election. And we havent backed down since the
2002 elections -- in fact, were more fired up than ever! We are going
to continue to organize, organize, organize, march, march, march -- and
vote, vote, vote. With the help of everyone participating in this chat
WE will succeed.
posted:6/19/2003 2:47:00 PM CST
Candace: WOW - the march in DC sounds great! I had no idea it was coming
up. My older sister still talks about the march in 1992. How should I
go about spreading the word to my family and friends?
Kim Gandy: You can sign up yourself and your friends and family members
for march info and updates at http://www.marchforchoice.org. Forward
it to everyone you know, and well see you there!
posted:6/19/2003 2:55:00 PM CST
Samantha: Do you think there will be a Supreme Court retirement this
summer? What will NOW and other womens orgs do if there is?
Kim Gandy: Were hearing all kinds of rumors about a potential vacancy
on the Supreme Court. Well be demonstrating at the Supreme Court at noon
on the day after a resigation is announced, and our chapters around the
country will demonstrate outside their federal courthouses at noon on
the same day. We will be organizing at all levels -- national, state
and local -- to convince our Senators that they need to block, by filibuster
if necessary, EACH AND EVERY nominee who doesnt support womens rights.
Not just the first nominee, but the next and the next and the next until
Bush gets the message that we wont accept any Justice opposed to our
fundamental rights.
posted:6/19/2003 2:58:00 PM CST
Moderator: Thank you for joining us today. I hope that you will be inspired
to get involved in the fight to protect choice. For more information
about judicial nominations and getting involved visit either the NOW
website at http://www.now.org or the Feminist Majority’s Million4Roe
campaign site at http://www.million4roe.com. We hope you will join us
again tomorrow at 3pm for our continuing June chat series, “Supreme
Court in Peril.”
Kim Gandy: Your questions have been wonderful and I would love to stay
past 4 oclock if I could! Thanks so much to everyone for participating.
If you want more information about NOW and how to get involved, check
our our website or come to our annual conference in the DC metro area
next month (July 11 - 13) -- for details, go to http://www.now.org/conference.
Thanks again,
Kim
posted:6/19/2003 3:05:00 PM CST
