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N.O.W. Bay Area Chapter
NEWSNational Organization for Women
Volume VU, Number 2 February 1979
Bay Area N.O.W. is not holding a February Program meeting, to encourage people to attend Women's Week Activities at the University of Houston at Clear Lake City.A Business meeting will be held at 7:30 p.m. Friday February 16th at 1529 Bonanza, Clear Lake City. Call Dorothy Howard at 486-0752 for details.
February 16th is also the March newsletter deadline. Newsletter editor is Melissa Weiksnar, P.O. Box 2197 Suite 2600, Houston TX 77001. Phone her at 965-3032 for further info; mail her newsletter materials or bring them to the Business meeting.
The views and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the individual authors, and do not necessarily reflect those of Bay Area N.O.W. or N.O.W., Inc.
BAYNOW CALENDAR
Jan. 27 - 9—11 a.m. - Consciousness Raising - 1529 Bonanza, CLC (second session)" gee nex-^ pagesJan. 28 - 2-4 pomo - Consciousness Raising - 1529 Bonanza, CLC (second session)"Jan. 29 thru Feb. 3 - UH/CLC Women's Week III (see enclosed announcement)Feb. 3 - 9-11 a.m. - Consciousness Raising - 1529 Bonanza, CLC (third session)Feb. 4 - 2-4 p.m. - Consciousness Raising - 1529 Bonanza, CLC (third session)
Feb. 5-6 Quality of Life Conference - Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, Contact Huntsville NOW President, Janet Yeager (713-295-0955) for details,
Feb. 15 - SUSAN B. ANTHONY'S BIRTHDAYFeb. 15 - 7:30 pom. - Women's Rights Coordinating Council - World Trade Center, Texas at
CrawfordFeb. 16-18 National NOW Board Meeting - Airport Marina Hotel, DallasFeb. 24 "Medical Women: Perspectives" - all-day conference sponsored by women of Galveston-
Houston area medical schools. Contact Beth Hudman (713-762-7867) for details,
March 23-25 Texas NOW Conference, Denton, Texas ___________________________________________ ______________________________ ____________________________-W---
JOIN N.O.W.: Clip and mail with your check to Marjorie Randal, 1922 Redway, Houston 77062. I would like to become a member of Bay Area NOW and National NOW. ($27) I am already a member of National NOW and wish to pay chapter dues, ($7)
I want to join but can only afford $, 1 am not a member but would like to receive the NEWSLETTER for a year. ($4)
I would like to make a contribution of $ to NOW. As a NOW member, I authorize my name and address to be published on the chapter roster.
NAME Home Phone Other Phone
ADDRESS City and Zip
Occu pa t i on_ ______________________ _Interests and/or skills which I can contribute, to Bay Area NOW projects:
TAKING SIDES on THE WOMEN'S. ROOM<3-
<rThe Women's Room is a mind-boggling novel—in my opinion the best novel about women that's ever been written. When you read it you will forget that it is fiction.
We all know women like these—we are these women. You will want to hold and comfort them when they are down and exult with them when they are up.
You will live every moment with them and when you ^lose the book you'll say with me "Why didn't someone write this book years ago?" You will part with it with regret but you will never forget it.
—Marie Stimson
women's culture_______________________A unique evening of women*s culture is planned for Saturday February 3. Sue Fink and Joelyn Grippo will be in town performing at the M.C.G.R., 121A Joe Annie (Houston's Montose area) at 7$3O p.m.
Site and Joelyn are masters (mistresses?) of music and comedy. Coming from Los Angeles, they have recently been gaining national recognition, including a well received appearance at the National Women's Music Festival in Ghampai.gn, Illinois last July. They are warm, talented, and down-to-earth—and Joelyn s character vignettes are not to be missed. Sue's mellow playing and singing will be accompanied by Cherry /Jolfarth and Lynn Keller, members of Jubilee from Austin. And Houston's own Lee McCormick will open the evening.
Seating is limited, so early arrival or advance tickets are advised (4* donation, available at The Bookstore, B.D. & Daughter, etc.) Sign language and child care will be provided, and the site is wheelchair accessible. Sue and Joelyn are being •resented by Out & Out Productions, whose first production was Meg Christian & Teresa Trull last May. For further information: 665-3083
I agree substantially with the review of this book by Marie; I reacted with a feeling that French has accurately represented the,lives of women in my generation. Our experiences and aspirations seem expertly dramatized.
There is a section of the plot, however, which seems to me unreal. The attempted^ terrorist rescue of the woman prisoner, in which all the feminist terrorists are killed by the police, does not reflect the reality of two such cases won by feminists through legal process in the courts (although,on appeal, of course). I refer to the Little and Garcia cases, in which women were tried for killing potential or actual rapists.
I view this artificial violent episode as a warning to women against violent means of carrying on feminist protest. Are we being indirectly told that men will ruthlessly stamp us out unless we stick to peaceful protest? This is a crude sort of intimidation, and not very convincing as an objection to terrorism.
It seems to me that terrorism is objectionable in itself, because means are,more important than ends. Too much killing has, been done in the n''me of ideas. J recognize the depth of frustration we feel,,which tempts us to "easy" violent solutions, but French does not enlist my sympathy flor terrorism as a means.
—Marjorie Randal
TITLE IX NEEDS YOU!1!I!!!!?
Title IX task force membership has fallen drastically. We plan to take an active role in pursuading Clear Greek Independent School District to present in-service training on Title IX for its employees. I will need mose people in order to be effective—especially those who can work during the day.
—Elizabeth Glenn, 482-106?
—Pokey Anderson
*0n January 20, a demonstration consciousness raising meeting was held at the Uniting Church, These groups wi'll be open until the third session. If interested in participating, contact Marie Stimson at 53/4-2i72zf or 53^-3370. A third group will be meeting at UH/CLC at night during the week. For information call Jane Markley 33^-5O57»
Sixteen women participated in the first meetin-g, thanks to the great publicity job by Judith Blanchard.
c-^
o-1University of Houston at Clear Lake City
2700 Bay Area BoulevardWOMEN'S WEEK III
"Emerging Woman""How others See Us — Content Analysis and Textbooks""Monitoring Title IX Compliance""Is Lesbianism a Feminist Issue?""Help Yourself — Assertiveness, Time Management and Self-Esteem"
Monday, January 29
10:00 Film:1:00 Workshop:3:00 Workshop:6:00 Discussion7:30 Workshop:
Tuesday, January 30
10:00 Film: "Back to School, Back to Work"Noon Discussion:1:00 Workshop:3:00 Seminar:
Mother Knot by Jane Lazarre, My Mother, Myself by Nancy FridayParent Training"A Family Talks About Sex" (film and discussion)
6: 00 Workshop:7: 30 Panel:
"Recognizing A Woman’s Resources""Women in the Corporate Organization" Presented by
Wednesday, January Society of Women Mgrs.
10:00 Panel: "Women in Houston News"1:00 Discussion:3:00 Film and
Discussion:
"Women of the Future — Clues from Science Fiction"
"Love It Like A Fool" (about Malvina Reynolds) and "Women in Rock Music"
6: 00 Workshop:7: 30 Seminar:
"Disco — Let’s Dance""Women in Art"
Thursday, February 1
10:00 Workshop:Noon Discussion:
"Career Planning — How Do I Get Where I Think I Want To Go- Socialist Women: European Feminism in 19th and Early 20th
1:00 Workshop: 77To^Uqlev-edl^i N- Boxer and Jean H. Quataert"Job Seeking Skills — Interview Techniques"
3:00 Film:6: 00 Panel:7: 30 Seminar:
"With Babies and Banners""The Two Career Marriage""Love, Honor and Cherish — Family Violence in Today’s Society"
Friday, February 2
For more information, please contact:
10:001:006:00
Workshop:Workshop:Film andDiscussion:
"Suddenly Single — Women, Marriage, Death and Divorce" "Consciousness Raising - What Is It? Why Should I Participate "Men’s Lives"On Men by Phyllis Chesler
8:00 Keynote Address: Frances (Sissy) Farenthold
Tickets: General Public $3.00, UH/CLC students $2.00
Women’s Resource ServicesRoom 2-107 Bayou BuildingUniversity of Houston/Clear Lake City 713-488-9216
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WOMEN'S WEEK IIIUNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON AT CLEAR LAKE CITY
WOMEN'S RESOURCE SERVICESMONDAY, January 29 — FRIDAY, February 2
SPECIAL GUEST
FRANCES (SISSY) FARENTH0LD
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MINUTESDECEMBER JANUARY
Bay Area N.O.W. celebrated the holiday season with a party on Dec 7.Bottles of wine, crackers, and other goodies helped the festivities along. Marge Randall set up a table with literature, buttons, jewelry, etc. for sale.
Rema Lou Brown said a vote in the Illinois Senate on the ERA was expected around Dec 12. She gave us names and addresses of the Illinois governor, key legislators, and the mayor of Chicago. Many letters were written at the meeting—Carolyn Waddell wrote 2?.
Rema Lou has somehow gotten on Phyllis Schlafly's mailing list, and plans to resoond to know what is happening on that side.
Nora Mertz let the group know that she had gotten her first raise that day.
Dorothy Howard stated that she had received a plea from Oklahoma NOW for help in urging Tthe ERAthere. She urged letter writing that night to Illinois and OK and announced that a cooy of "The Women's Room" would be awarded to the person who wr^te the m-st letters. She noted a rally in OK city on Jan 8th.
Phyllis Tucker told of the Marge Adams concert on Dec i^ sponsored by Breakthrough and the University of Houston Feminists' organization.
Evie Whitsett sail NOW has a magazine buying service--renewals or subscriptions ordered through this service will benefit NOW. She said a half-hour segment on Bay Area N.O.W. was taped for later radio broadcast. Various area NOW chapters .are sponsoring Consciousness Raiding grouns at the first of the year. She cited a newscl; p on the loss of convention revenues in Miami Beach due to the E.R.A. boycott.
Marge Randall auctioned uni iLue T-shirt- bright red, with a flower in the middle of the front circled b • the words "Ladies Sewing Circle and Terrorist Society." Cynthia Sutton won i * for $22. Proceeds were added to the treasury.
Melissa Weiksnar has booklets on "Rape Crisis" prepared by Women for a Safer Community in Ithaca New York.
The meeting began with a tape of Melvena Reynolds singing her song "Are You Pregnant Again Rosie Jane?" Joan Glantz, with the American Civil Liberties Union and Texas Abortion Rights Action League (TARAL) then discussed Abortion Rights. Glantz began by stating that her position was pro-choice, not pro-abortion; that no one likes abortion but the choice must fee available.
She mentioned several Supreme Court decisions affecting abortion. First was a 1950s case establishing that the right to privacy was guaranteed in the Constitution. This right was a basis of the 1973 v. Wade decision, which stated that the decision to have an abortion must be left solely to a woman and her physician. Only after viability (24-28 weeks) can the State prohibit abortion, except when a woman's life or health is in danger.
In 1976 the High Court ruled that husbands and parents cannot be required to give consent prior to an abortion. In 1977 the Court ruled that ‘-tates do not have to pay for non-therapeutic abortions for poor women, even though childbirth expenses are covered in state Medicaid rograms. The Court, also found regulations against the public funding of abortions pernissable and that oublic hospitals do not have to provide abortiions.
Joan also noted recent federal legislation nearly prohibiting the use of government funds for abortion services to women on Medieaid, military women, and women in the Peace Corps. Another threat to abortion rights is a constitutional amendment which could prohibit all abortions.
An excellent discussion took place alter Joan's talk, fhe pro-choice Anniversary Workshop at U of Houston on Jan 20 was announced. The hat was passed and tne concern and generosity of Bay Area NOW again showed with the donation of $14-9 to help with workshop expenses. Lynn McGregor was designated Chair of the newly formed Task Force for Choice. If you are interested in helping or have suggestions, call her .at 488-1901.*
Ev'.e ’/hitsett announced that the church has requested that we fill out a building use form for the next few months, ^etty Yancy's sister has died; see Evie about making contributions to a memorial fund at the Women's Center. Charlo Pte Taft sent us some pro-choice buttons to be used in Houston. Th« buttons were printed by Dallas Co. NOW. Rema Lou Brown announced Women's Week at University of Houston—Clear Lake City willbe held the week of Jan 29 through Feb 2.
—Lynn McGregor
Reflections
I just spent four days on a business trip in Wyoming. And / as I try to reflupercate from the bug I caught up there, I*m still thinking about how I navigated amidst the sexism. In one case, my outrage flowed naturally into words; in the second I knew what to say but lacked the nerve; I've just now thought of how I should have enhanced the third encounter.
The Casper Wyoming airport is as low, cold, and growing as your stereotyoes would have it. Flight operations must be snowed in a lot, judging from the" impressive range of paperback books for sale. When I stepped behind the book rack to purchase my own selection, I noticed a printed T-shirt hanging to the right of the cashier's window. White with navy binding about the collar and sleeve caps, on it was imprinted the body of a nude woman, sitting on her heels, her back toward you, her head turned so it was facing you. I was so outraged that I don't even remember the two-part caption— something like "try something different tonight—eat meat." The woman's body was dashed and labelled to indicate various cuts of meat.
I was jubilant that my reaction was so lucid and spontaneous. "I can't believe you have a shirt like this for sale." The white haired, half-wrinkled woman didn't alter her facial expression from when she'd handed me my change. "This shirt is simply degrading, and I can't believe you're selling it." Again, no response.
Did this woman have any rower to control which one T-shirt hangs outside her little cubicle? Did anyone else hear me— if they did, they didn't join my protest. Was my impact limited to the ego trip of coming up with the right words in reaj time? Is a follow-up letter to the airport manager due? Oe will the cashier simply put the shirt inside, closer to the racks of Penthouse and Oui, out of the view of customers who get at raged over such merchandise?
My case of "maybe I should have said it" also involved a woman in the butt-over-heels pose—except she was a figure in white paint on the inside of a bright orange Playboy ashtray. Something about the ashtray bothered me—something so obvious that I didn't see it sooner. Namely, what other member of the animal species lines a dish in which you can poke your cigarette butts—burning at that—or simbly litter with a^hes?
Company politics got in my way—I need the close cooperation of the young engineer who owns the ashtray, and though I
rehearsed my reasoning many times in my head while near his office, I never spoke my peace. Will I do so now that I'm back in Houston?
On the last dry kleenex of my uncomfortable return to Houston, I should have asked this overly self-confident young woman from the School of Mines, "If you are so convinced about your own mental equality with males, what have you done this past year in support of the Equal Rights Amendment? I use the words 'overly self confident' because this 20 year old woman a~smed oblivious to a fact of life—despite her individual mental prowess, legal and institutional barriers can totally undermine her professional ambitions.
Her attutudes brought to mind remarks made by feminists 30 years my senior. One, Hetty Friedan, recently told that her daughter, upon acceptance by Harvard Medical School, ebulliated that her admission came not because she was female, but because she was a person. Friedan quickly reminded her daughter that she did not get in on her own recognizance—that women before her had to fight for what is seen by historically agnostic youth as the status quo. As Friedan said, "Without an Equal Rights Amendment, all the doors we have opened could be shut behind, us."
The second feminist is downright bitter toward the college set. I was bothered when I first heard this veteran seethrat the apolitical 20 year olds, saying that there's something about the courtship ritual at that age which takes over, and sometimes she feels like just Walking out on E.R.A., aborti n, and EEC saying "Here it is, kids." (It is amazing to think what would happen if older women stopped fighting for the gains the younger (N<9men take for granted.) I can empathize with the social and emotional turmoil of the late teens—I can't feel contempt for the women having to direct their energies inward<-for awhile.
But I'm sure that my older friend and I can share the same contemptuousness toward the engineering student. This person literally stuck her nose up at women who .■ere ooting for early marriage and families (isn't the point freedom of choice?) The young woman chose her major because so few women are in it and she will make
Reflections (continued)
a lot of money (will she enjoy her work, I wonder?) She recites how the males at school are bitter—and she too cries unfair that job offers for females carry ten per cent higher salaries. I first tell her that she can always offer to start for 10% less, and thenltell her to look at the big picture—the wage gap between males and females has widened in the past 20 years, and I asked her to inquire if the -emales will still be 10% of the males in raises and promotions five, ten, even one year down the line.
Still, I was unusually charitable in our discussion (I think I got suckered in because after introductions she hit me with "I thought y°u lookei like an engineer.”) I named several books she should read (including "Words and ;4omen ), and chastized her use of the word "girl in reference to her professional colleagues, only a few years old^r than she—I was struck by the distance in outlook.
—Melissa M. Weiksnar
As a parting shot, I wonder if I’ll be mechanically told "Thank you, sir" when I check out of the hotel on my next trip.
Hto.'jcvx ^orloict o ma-U be offenped bu (Xe^.rxej i A
fwTMS ojrVirginians Don’t Find Comic Strip Funny
Mengden proposes 3 measures to restrict abortions
HF i-io-iRAUSTIN (UPI) — Sen. Walter
Mengden, R-Houston, proposed legislation Tuesday to restrict abortions by requiring doctors to try to save the lives of aborted fetuses and barring state and local governments from subsidizing the operations.
Mengden filed three bills on the controversial subject, including one to prohibit the state or any political subdivision from using any public funds to pay for abortions unless necessary to save the life of the mother or to terminate a pregnancy resulting from rape or incest.
"If someone wants an abortion for convenience sake, let them pay for it out of their own pockets,”
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Mengden said. "Taxpayers should not subsidize such unnecessary operations.”
Another bill would prohibit the state or other governmental entities from providing group insurance, benefits covering abortion.
"Right now, the state group insurance provides 100 percent- coverage for all abortions for any reason,” Mengden said.
Mcngden’s third bill would require doctors and other medical attendants to provide all medical attention necessary to keep an aborted fetus alive.
"In California and Massachusetts, there have been instances of babies wh.. were killed after" being aborted alive,” he said. "Tot me, this is unthinkable and I want to insure that this does nut occur in Texas.” ।
The bill would give the State Deq partment of Human Resources authority to assume custody of any child born during an abortion.
$ 3t Ch
When John Warner married Elizabeth Taylor, he has said often, he knew tie ran the risk of being called "Mr. Elizabeth Taylor." Now the freshman Republican Senator from Virginia is being satirized as "Mr. Elizabeth Taylor” in the Doonesbury comic strip and, although the gibes have, according to an aide, given Mr. Warner a few chuckles, they haven’t sat well with some of the Senator's Rqxiblican friends.
THE NEW YORK TIMES,
FRIDAY, JANUARY 12. 1979
In fact, the Republican caucus of the Virginia General Asseyib^y has voted to censure the comic strip’s creator, Garry Trudeau, for mtidng sport of Mr. Warner. Speaking in behalf of 27 fellow Republicans, State Senator Wiley Mitchell called the Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist’s gibes against the Warners "outrageously offensive to good taste and common decency." He added: "I don’t think we should sit placidly by and let the gnomes of the world run over us without expressing indignation.” Mr. Tru
deau, who describes Miss Taylor in the comic strip as "a tad overweight, but with violet eyes to die for,” never comments on criticism of the strip, a spokesman said yesterday.
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