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3/27/2013 - Female Teacher Murdered in Pakistan
Earlier today, female teacher Shahnaz Nazli was shot by two men of unknown affiliation on her way to work at a girls school in the village of Shahkas. She died of her injuries in the hospital. The Khyber tribal district in northwest Pakistan is asking the government to implement greater security measures for women and girls in the wake of this shooting. Concerned citizens in the region have begun a petition, pressing the Pakistani government to provide greater protection for women and girls in the education system. Government officials have acted quickly, rounding up eighteen suspects.
Nazli's murder happens against the backdrop of another shooting, that of Malala Yousafzai. In early 2009, under a pen name, Yousafzai published a diary for the BBC that highlighted the Taliban ban against girl's education in the northwest Swat district of Pakistan. On her way home from school one day, Yousafzai was shot in the head by two men demanding her by name. The fourteen year-old activist is rapidly recovering from her injury and has released videos and commentary stating that violence will not deter her.
Women and girls in many parts of Pakistan and Afghanistan endure threats, violence, and even potential poisoning for seeking or providing an education.
3/27/2013 - US Supreme Court Hears DOMA Case
Today, the United States Supreme Court is set to hear the second case on the topic of same sex marriage presented this week. The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which states the federal government will only recognize marriage as between one man and one woman, is being argued today.
The current Obama administration has stated that it will not defend the law, though it will continue the law's enforcement. The lawsuit against DOMA was filed by plaintiff Edith Windsor of New York, married in Canada to her late partner, Thea Spyer. When Spyer died in 2009, she left her estate to her spouse. However, because the marriage was not recognized by the federal government, Windsor was forced to pay over $360,000 in federal estate taxes that she would not have owed had their marriage been federally recognized.
DOMA was first signed by former President Bill Clinton in 1996, before same sex marriage was legal in any state. Since that time, however, beginning with Massachusetts in 2003, nine states and the District of Columbia allow same sex marriages. Clinton recently came out in opposition of DOMA, encouraging the Supreme Court to overturn it.
3/27/2013 - Obama Nominates First Woman to Head Secret Service
Yesterday, President Obama announced that he will appoint Julia Pierson to direct the Secret Service. Pierson will be the first woman to lead the Secret Service in United States history.
President Obama in a statement, described Pierson, "Julia is eminently qualified to lead the agency that not only safeguards Americans at major events and secures our financial system, but also protects our leaders and our first families, including my own. Julia has had an exemplary career, and I know these experiences will guide her as she takes on this new challenge to lead the impressive men and women of this important agency."
Pierson currently is the Chief of Staff in the Office of the Chief for the United States Secret Service. She has been a Secret Service agent for over 30 years after beginning her career in Florida.
3/26/2013 - Washington May Be First State to Pass Abortion Insurance Mandate
The Washington state Senate is considering legislation that would mandate abortion insurance coverage. The recently proposed Reproductive Parity Act would require all insurance companies providing maternity care to also pay for abortions. Earlier this month, the bill passed the state House with a vote of 53-43. However, support in the Senate is less certain.
Melanie Smith, a lobbyist for NARAL Pro-Choice Washington, said "This is a core value for Washingtonians - we should protect it while we still have it and not leave access to basic health care up to an insurance company." Supporters of the insurance mandate are careful to stress that there are no anticipated spikes in abortion.
In a statement Representative Eileen Cody (D-West Seattle), the bill's lead sponsor, said "It's not expanding abortion coverage, it's ensuring the rights of women to get what they're paying for now and to continue their freedom of choice."
Opponents argue that this forces employers to cover a procedure they'd rather not deal with. Peggy O'Ban, a spokeswoman for Human Life of Washington said "Washington state would be the only state in the country that would force employers to pay for abortion... If passed," she continued, "It would amount to "the first conscience coercion act in American history."
Although proponents of the mandate insist they have the votes in the Senate, it is not clear whether the Senate will in fact allow the measure to reach the floor. The bill will go before the Senate Health Care Committee on April 1.
3/26/2013 - Brazil Doctors Urge Abortion Legalization
On Thursday, the Federal Council of Medicine in Brazil announced their support for legislative reform of the country's current abortion laws. The proposed legislation being debated in the Brazilian Senate would legalize abortion within the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. It would also expand a current exception that allows abortion in only in the case of brain defects to include other fetal anomalies and would allow abortion in cases of insemination or in-vitro fertilization without consent.
The Council's president, Roberto Luis d'Avila, told reporters, "The reality of the facts shows that women are getting abortions with great inequality... Rich women are getting them in safe conditions and the poor, completely unsafe... with complications, losing their uteruses, losing parts of their intestines, dying. It's not possible. This inequality is unacceptable from the medical point of view." In a statement released by the Council, d'Avila said "The council is not in favor of abortion, but rather the empowerment of women and physicians. In this sense, medical organizations agree with the proposal still under consideration in the Congress."
The Brazilian National Conference of Bishops has already spoken out against the Federal Council of Medicine for its position. Despite being predominantly Catholic, approximately 1 million abortions are performed illegally in Brazil a year. About 200,000 women die each year in Brazil from unsafe abortion, which is the fifth leading cause of death for women in the country.
3/26/2013 - Proposition 8 Oral Arguments Heard in Supreme Court
Today the Supreme Court heard oral arguments weighing the constitutionality of Proposition 8, the California ban on same sex marriage.
The Supreme Court heard arguments in the case Hollingsworth, Dennis, et al. v. Perry, Kristin M., et al. Arguments lasted for approximately an hour and twenty minutes, at which point the Supreme Court Justices appeared reluctant on making a decision. They are expected to release a full opinion in June. The Feminist Majority Foundation and the National Organization for Women (NOW) filed an amicus brief in favor of overturning Proposition 8. The brief was written by Michael Rips and Rebecca Edelson of Steptoe and Johnson, LLP. Tomorrow the Supreme Court will hear arguments on the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which only recognizes marriage as between one man and one woman.
Thousands of people descended on the Supreme Court to rally as part of the United for Marriage coalition of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, Human Rights Campaign and other LGBT advocacy and sympathetic groups , including Terry O'Neill, President of NOW. Other speakers included couples and families impacted by the laws, allies from the sports community, and politicians.
3/26/2013 - ND Governor Signs Extreme Anti-Abortion Law to Close Only Clinic
North Dakota governor Jack Dalrymple (R-ND) just signed a series of three restrictive anti-abortion rights measures into state law. All three measures were passed by the Republican-controlled North Dakota House and Senate. The North Dakota legislature also passed a Personhood state constitutional amendment, which would ban the termination of a pregnancy from the moment of conception. The Personhood Amendment will be placed on the November 2014 ballot and does not require the Governor's signature.
Governor Dalrymple signed a TRAP (Targeted Regulation Against Abortion Providers) law aimed at closing North Dakota's only remaining comprehensive reproductive health clinic, The Red River Women's Clinic. The TRAP law requires "admitting and staff privileges at a nearby hospital for any physician who performs abortion in ND." This unnecessary requirement is particularly oppressive and impossible to meet. Because of the hostile state environment and threats to doctors, providers have had to travel from outside of the state to provide abortions at the clinic. In emergency cases, nearby hospitals do accept admission of a patient from the clinic without the doctor who performed the procedure having admitting or staff privileges.
The Governor also signed into law measures instituting a ban on all abortions solely for gender selection or genetic abnormalities, and a ban on any abortion after a heartbeat can be detected.
In signing all of these measures, the governor acknowledged these laws will be challenged in the courts all the way to the United States Supreme Court. He said "likelihood of this measure (fetal heartbeat law) surviving a court challenge remains in question," but he continued it was a "legitimate attempt by a state legislature to discover the boundaries of Roe v. Wade. On the TRAP law, he said it was also "legitimate and a new question for the courts." He also said the
legislature should appropriate the necessary funds for the state attorney general to defend the measures in court. North Dakota, unlike most states today, has a large budget surplus because of an oil industry boom in the western part of the state. The Bakkan Shale deposit drilling has turned North Dakota into the 4th largest oil producer in USA.
In signing these measures into law, the governor ignored the pleas of North Dakota citizens who rallied simultaneously in the four largest cities of the state-- Bismarck the capital city, Minot, Fargo, and Grand Forks--against the measures and for women's rights and lives. The Stand Up for Women rallies showed the commitment of a large pro-choice movement in North Dakota.
3/25/2013 - GLAAD Changing Name and Mission to be More Trans* Inclusive
The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), announced Sunday that it is changing its name from Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation to just GLAAD in an effort to expand its mission statement to include members of the transgender community. GLAAD is known for its efforts to curb anti-gay and lesbian media--an effort it now looks to extend to trans* and bisexual people.
GLAAD spokesperson Rich Ferraro said in an interview with MSNBC.com, "This is a reflection of the work we're doing today, and a reflection of the work the gay and lesbian community needs to be doing...our name was hindering that in many instances."
Ferrero went on to comment on changing social stigma. "There have been huge increases in support for gay and lesbians, and for marriage equality. We've noticed that trend and wondered how we could use the tactics that the gay and lesbian community had used to get to today's tipping point [for the trans* community]."
Transgender advocate Janet Mock, who joined Rich Ferraro on MSNBC, added "We need to redefine what equality is. If we're defining equality as something that is scarce and limited and is for a very select few in our community and some of us need to wait a little bit. That is not equality. That's upholding very systematic systems of oppression."
According to a 2011 study by the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs, individuals who identify as transgender are 30% more likely to be victims of violence and discrimination (compared with heterosexual people).
3/22/2013 - Ryan Budget Passes House, Killed in Senate
Yesterday the devastating Ryan Budget for 2014 was passed on a party line vote of 221-207 in the House of Representatives. Later that day it was solidly defeated in the Senate in a vote of 40-59.
The Ryan budget would repeal the 2010 Affordable Care Act, which prohibits insurance companies from classifying being a woman as a pre-existing medical condition and eliminates co-pays for birth control. The Ryan budget would also turn Medicare into a voucher system that would leave seniors, particularly women, struggling to get coverage, and authorize the Keystone XL Pipeline. In addition, the proposed budget would restructure the way Social Security Living Adjustments are determined, threatening the stability of seniors nationwide. Paul Ryan also seeks to undo sequester cuts to the Pentagon by instead transferring the cuts to already severely impacted domestic programs.
After passage in the House, no Senate Republican offered the Ryan Budget as an amendment to the Senate Democratic proposal by Senator Patty Murray (D-WA). Senator Murray, as chair of the Senate Budget Committee, introduced the Ryan Budget where she and her fellow democrats were joined by five Republicans in voting against it. The Senate is anticipated to vote on the Murray budget on Friday.
3/22/2013 - New Hampshire House Rejects Private Prison System
This morning, the New Hampshire House of Representatives voted to bar the state executive branch from privatizing the prison system. This decision contrasts with the state's position on the issue last year, when it considered a bill that would send all male prisoners to private prisons. The House said that states are constitutionally required to rehabilitate inmates, so shifting this duty to private entities violates the Constitution. The bill now will move on to the state Senate.
Several private prison companies have donated generously to politicians and groups which seek to intensify drug and immigration laws, in effect producing a greater influx of prisoners. Lawmakers argue that privatization is more cost-effective for the state, but many others see that benefit as moot if the prison system seeks to grow, not shrink.
3/22/2013 - Kansas House Passes Abortion Restrictions
The Kansas state house passed a bill on Tuesday that would deny tax breaks to abortion providers, prohibit providers from participating in sex education programs, and require doctors providing abortions to inform patients they have an increased risk of breast cancer, an unproven correlation within the medical field.
The language of the legislation states that human life begins "at fertilization" and that "unborn children have interests in life, health and well-being that should be protected." In addition, an amendment by Rep John Wilson (D) that would provide exceptions for victims of rape or incest was defeated in a vote of 31 to 90.
It is anticipated that the senate will also pass the bill and Kansas Governor, Sam Brownback (R) has said he will sign any anti-abortion bill he receives.
3/22/2013 - BREAKING NEWS: ND Legislature Passes Personhood Measure
Today the North Dakota state legislature passed a measure that would amend the state Constitution to define life as starting as conception, granting full personhood to fertilized eggs. The state House approved the measure in vote of 57-35. The state Senate already approved the measure in February. The measure will go before North Dakota voters in November 2014. It is the first time a Personhood measure has passed in a state legislature, instead of being added to a ballot through signature drives.
3/21/2013 - Amendments to Ryan Budget Defeated
Yesterday debate continued on the Ryan Budget in the U.S. House of Representatives. Five separate amendments to alter the Ryan Budget (House Concurrent Resolution 25 [PDF]) were overwhelmingly defeated.
The most significant counter to the Ryan Budget was the official House Democratic budget, proposed by ranking member of the Budget Committee Congressman Chris Van Hollen (D-MD). Van Hollen's proposed amendment would have substituted Ryan's budget with a Democratic alternative that did not cut entitlement programs. The House Democratic Budget was defeated on a 165 to 253 vote.
The Ryan budget would repeal the 2010 Affordable Care Act, which prohibits insurance companies from classifying being a woman as a pre-existing medical condition and eliminates co-pays for birth control. The Ryan budget would also turn Medicare into a voucher system that would leave seniors, particularly women, struggling to get coverage, and authorize the Keystone XL Pipeline. In addition, the proposed budget would restructure the way Social Security Living Adjustments are determined, threatening the stability of seniors nationwide. Paul Ryan also seeks to undo sequester cuts to the Pentagon by instead transferring the cuts to already severely impacted domestic programs.
3/21/2013 - 48 States Slash Higher Education Funding To Avoid Tax Increases
According to a new report by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, all but two states in the U.S. are contributing less funds towards higher education than they did before the recession hit. Except for North Dakota and Wyoming, each state now contributes about 28% less funding per university student than they did before 2008. Arizona and New Hampshire have reduced their contributions to university students by half. Most other states have reduced their funding by a third.
Public institutions are more affordable because they typically draw about 53% of their operating cost from state governments. Now that most state governments won't allocate as much funding, public universities are forced to compromise their own budgets, which most immediately means cutbacks in staff - Arizona schools have cut over 2,100 positions to date. Tighter funds also mean fewer course offerings and the reduction or closure of computer labs and other information resources.
This forces students to pay more for their educations in the form of elevated tuition rates, while state scholarships funding decreases. The report hypothesizes that this could have been avoided if states reacted to the recession by raising taxes to increase revenue and cutting costs in various sectors other than higher education.
3/20/2013 - TX Senate Panel Passes TRAP Bill
A Texas senate committee has passed a TRAP (Targeted Regulation of Abortion Providers) bill that would require abortion clinics in the state to meet strict operating standards that could potentially close many of Texas's abortion providers. The Senate Health and Human Services Committee passed SB 537 on a vote of five to two. Similar TRAP laws threaten clinics in other states such as Alabama, Virginia, and Mississippi.
The bill was authored by Senator Bob Deuell (R) and two senate physicians. The proposed requirements would force abortion providers to follow the same standards as ambulatory surgical centers, including specifics regarding the flooring and ventilation systems. Many clinics, especially in more rural areas, may not be able to afford the necessary renovation that SB 537 would require and could face closure.
3/19/2013 - Federal Judge Overturns Missouri Birth Control Law
On Monday, a federal judge overturned a Missouri law that would allow employers to deny contraceptive coverage for their employees.
U.S. District Judge Audrey Fleissig ruled that the law was unconstitutional because it violated the Affordable Care Act. Judge Fleissig determined that, according to the U.S. Constitution, federal law takes precedent over state laws when there is a legal conflict.
In September 2012, the Missouri state legislature overrode the Governor's veto of the law which would exempt religious institutions from providing contraception coverage to employees. In addition the legislature gave a public rebuttal to the Obama Administration for the Affordable Care Act, the first in the nation. According to the Guttmacher Institute, 20 states [PDF] allow for an employer to deny contraceptive coverage for religious or moral reasons.
3/19/2013 - Philippine Supreme Court Temporarily Blocks Birth Control Law
The Philippine Supreme Court on Tuesday temporarily blocked the implementation of the Responsible Parenthood Bill to allow for the opposition to present arguments against the law. The bill would provide access to state-funded contraception and would provide it free of charge to those who cannot afford to pay. Requirements for comprehensive sex and family planning education in schools are also included in the bill. According to a spokesperson for the Supreme Court, the law is blocked until June 18, at which time the court will hear arguments on the bill.
The Responsible Parenthood Bill was signed into law late last year. The measure was heavily contested by pro-life advocates, especially the Catholic Church, which argued that the bill promotes abortion (abortion is illegal in the Philippines.) However, a spokesperson for President Benigno Aquino told the press "We will observe the resolution issued by the Supreme Court and we are confident that the government will be able to defend the merits of the law."
3/19/2013 - Hillary Clinton Officially Announces Support for Same-Sex Marriage
On Monday, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton officially announced her support for same-sex marriage rights. In the past, Clinton has supported civil unions and domestic partnerships, but did go so far as to say that she supported marriage equality.
In a video by the Human Rights Campaign, Clinton spoke of her changed views: "America is at its best when we champion the freedom and dignity of every human being," she said, "Full and equal citizens and deserve the rights of citizenship. That includes marriage. That's why I support marriage for lesbian and gay couples. I support it personally and as a matter of policy and law."
Hillary Clinton's announcement comes after former President Bill Clinton published an op-ed urging the Supreme Court to overturn the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which Clinton signed into law in 1996. DOMA defines marriage as between one woman and one man in the eyes of the federal court and has been used to deny same-sex couples equal rights and benefits even if they are legally married in their state.
3/18/2013 - Ryan Budget Goes To Vote Tomorrow
The Ryan Budget is scheduled to be voted on by the House tomorrow. The House Republican's budget severely impacts domestic programs that women and people of color rely on while undoing major victories that occurred during the Obama Administration's first term.
The Ryan budget would repeal the 2010 Affordable Care Act, which prohibits insurance companies from classifying being a woman as a pre-existing medical condition and eliminated co-pays for birth control. The Ryan budget would also turn Medicare into a voucher system that would leave seniors, particularly women, struggling to get coverage. In addition, the proposed budget would restructure the way Social Security Living Adjustments are determined, threatening the stability of seniors nationwide. Paul Ryan also seeks to undo sequester cuts to the Pentagon by instead transferring the cuts to already severely impacted domestic programs.
In addition, the Ryan budget isn't financially sound because it relies on savings from the Affordable Care Act while simultaneously repealing it. Wall Street reforms that aimed at keeping the wealthiest in check would also be repealed. And while the budget proposes to reduce the national debt in a 10 year span by cutting government spending, programs such as education and job skills training that can help create a strong workforce will be the victims of harsh cuts after already detrimental sequester cuts.
3/18/2013 - Steubenville Teenagers Found Guilty of Rape
The two teenagers accused of raping a sixteen year old girl from West Virginia were found guilty in juvenile court this past Sunday. The two star football players were both sentenced to one year in the state juvenile system for the sexual assault. One of the players must also serve an additional year for the distribution of a nude photograph of a minor. The State Department of Youth Services has the ability to keep the two young men in the juvenile system until they are 21. They must also be registered as sex offenders once they are released.
Because the accused are teenagers, they had a non-jury trial decided by a judge. Judge Thomas Lipps presided over the case and found them delinquent, which is the juvenile equivalent for guilty. Much of the evidence for the case came in the form of social media distributed by the defendants themselves as the victim did not remember the attack. Judge Lipps described the evidence as "profane and ugly" and a cautionary tale of teenagers with alcohol and "how you record things on social media that are so prevalent today."
The two football players were accused of raping a 16 year old classmate in August after she became intoxicated at a house party. Witnesses tweeted and posted video of the attack on social media sites, and the case went viral.
3/18/2013 - New GOP Study Shows Public Feels Republicans Are "Out of Touch"
On Monday, the Republican National Committee released the results of a new study intended to describe public opinion of the party. Commissioned by the party chairman, the study called the "Growth & Opportunity Project" [PDF] features suggestions on how to reform the party's image before the 2014 midterm elections and the 2016 presidential elections.
The study, which featured in-person interviews as well as thousands of online surveys, found that people consider the party to be "scary," "narrow-minded" and "out of touch," as well as the party of "stuffy old men." Then it details recommendations on how to gain more support such as increasing social media output, updating its technology and reframe its arguments to appeal to a women and minorities.
The study suggests [PDF] that the GOP take a more tolerant look at immigration to appeal to Latinos, establish a database of African-American leaders, and prepare for interviews with Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert to gain youth popularity. The study also suggests that the RNC must find a way to respond to the War on Women and highlight how the GOP supported the women's rights movement. Despite citing a study by the Center for American Progress that the number 2 issue for women voters was "a candidate who will fight for them," the study makes no mention of the party's stance towards birth control or abortion.
3/15/2013 - McCaskill Responds to Military Sexual Assault Hearings
During a hearing Wednesday before the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Personnel, Senators criticized the military's handling of sexual assault cases, and called for serious reforms of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. The Senators heard testimony from sexual assault survivors and advocates, and grilled military leadership on the fairness of the current system, which gives commanders the authority to dismiss jury verdicts and overturn sentences after a courts martial.
Following the hearing, Senator McCaskill announced that she will be introducing legislation to limit the power of commanders. "Giving military commanders with no legal experience the ability to completely nullify a jury's verdict without even requiring justification is against everything that be believe about justice in this country," said Senator McCaskill, a former prosecutor.
Senator McCaskill's move after the testimony of military sexual assault survivors during the hearing comes in response to a recent case at Aviano Air Base in Italy, where a Lieutenant Colonel who was convicted of aggravated sexual assault and sentenced to a year in prison had his sentence overturned by a Lieutenant General without explanation.
Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel has responded to the outcry over Franklin's actions by calling for a review of the UCMJ provisions that give commanders to override a court martial.
3/15/2013 - Senator Reverses Position on Same-Sex Marriage
Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) announced on Thursday that he has changed his position on same-sex marriage and will now support marriage equality. The former staunch supporter of the Defense of Marriage Act credits his change in opinion to his son, Will, who came out to Portman as gay two years ago. Although economic issues will remain his office's number one focus, Senator Portman will no longer continue to vote against same-sex marriage.
The Senator spoke with reporters on Thursday for interviews and also did a televised interview with CNN. He published an op ed explaining his shift in position in The Columbus Dispatch. Portman described the life event which led to the new personal and political philosophy: "My son came to Jane, my wife, and I, told us that he was gay, and that it was not a choice, and that it's just part of who he is, and that's [sic] who he'd been that way for as long as he could remember."
When Will first came out, Portman looked to his church and also to former vice president Dick Cheney, whose daughter Mary is a lesbian, for guidance. Portman cited fatherhood, but also faith
as his ultimate reasons for making the radical policy switch. On Thursday, he told the Plain Dealer, "The overriding message of love and compassion that I take from the Bible, and certainly the Golden Rule, and the fact that I believe we are all created by our maker, that has all influenced me in terms of my change on this issue."
In his op-ed, he concluded, "I've thought a great deal about this issue, and like millions of Americans in recent years, I've changed my mind on the question of marriage for same-sex couples. As we strive as a nation to form a more perfect union, I believe all of our sons and daughters ought to have the same opportunity to experience the joy and stability of marriage."
Reuters adds that this is not revolutionary. The Republican party is becoming increasingly split on the issue of gay marriage because of growth in public acceptance of LGBTQ individuals in recent years.
3/15/2013 - ND Passes Six Week Abortion Ban
Today the North Dakota state Senate approved two bills that together would form the strictest abortion ban in the nation. Now they go to North Dakota Governor Jack Dalrymple (R) for his signature.
The state Senate voted to approve a measure that would ban abortion when a heartbeat is detected. With a transvaginal ultrasound, a heartbeat can be detected as early as six weeks. The state Senate passed another bill that prohibits abortion even when a fetal abnormality is detected, including severe genetic defects. Both of these measures have already been approved by the state House.
It is uncertain if Governor Dalrymple, who has been against abortion in the past, will sign the bills into law.
3/14/2013 - Archbishop of Buenos Aires Elected as Pope
Yesterday Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, the Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Argentina, was elected to replace Pope Benedict XVI.
After two days of discussion, the conclave announced that they had selected Cardinal Bergoglio to lead the Catholic Church and assume the name Pope Francis. He is the first Latin American pope, as well as the first Pope selected from outside Europe in more than a millennium.
Despite being lauded as a champion for social justice and the poor, Pope Francis shares the very conservative social views of his predecessor. Vocal in his opposition to abortion, same-sex marriage, and the ordination of women, Pope Francis frequently came into conflict with the Argentine government. During the debate to legalize same-sex marriage in Argentina, President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner criticized the then-Cardinal, "It's worrisome to hear phrases such as 'war of God' and 'projects of the devil,' which are things that send us back to medieval times and the Inquisition."
Pope Francis takes the helm of the church amid scandal of the previous Pope's involvement in cases of priest pedophilia and corruption within the Vatican. During his papacy, Pope Benedict XVI came under scrutiny for the Vatican's handling of sexual abuse by priests in the United States and throughout Europe. In 2011, the Center for Constitutional Rights and the Survivor Network of Those Abused By Priests (SNAP) filed a case against the pontiff in the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity in a cover up by Vatican leadership in cases of sexual abuse of children by priests. In addition, the Vatican came under financial scrutiny in 2012 when the Pope's personal butler released private documents of the pontiff in an attempt to expose the corruption of the church.
