WOMEN PROTEST HYDE AMENDMENT

by Marycatherine Krause

·

Abortion is the issue in Congress, in the courts, in the streets. In Cleveland, on Friday, June 24, 1977 at noon a group of 100 to 150 women with some supportive men, gathered at the State Office BuildIng to demand the continuation of Medicaid funding for abortions in Ohio. The cooperative effort of eleven major Cleveland women's rights organizations was successful in attracting the attention of the local

STOP THE HYDE AMENDMENTS DISCRIMINATION AGAINST POOR WOMEN

Militant/Caryl Loob

news media. All three news cameras filmed seg. ments of the hour long demonstration in front of the State Office Building. Clevelanders on Public Square during lunch were also made aware as the marchers continued down Superior to the building

where Senators Glenn and Metzenbaum have their offices. Representatives from both senatorial offices were available.

The endorsement of the protest by Greater Cleve. land Welfare Rights Organization, Planned Parenthood of Cleveland, Inc., Religious Coalition for Abortion Rights, Cleveland Abortion Rights Action Leagues, Preterm Cleveland, Women Together, WomenSpace, Rape Crisis Center, NOW, ACLU. Women's Rights Project, the Project Director for Family Planning of the Cleveland Health Department, and other interested feminists demonstrated the need for abortion and for all women's rights advocates to write to guarantee every woman her right to choose.

Concerted action is necessary now, On June 20, 1977, The U.S. Supreme Court decided (6-3) against state responsibility to provide Medicaid reimbursement for abortions (as specified in the Constitution and under federal law). The court also ruled that publicly supported hospitals may not be forced to provide abortion services, even though they provide other pregnancy-related care.

But the number of abortions will not decrease, only the number of medically, safe legal abortions had by poor women. Their recourse will be medically unsafe, self-induced or illegal abortions. Dr. Louis Hellman of HEW estimated that 125 to 150 women will die and another 25,000 will be hospitalized with serious medical complications each year as a result of those abortions. Poor women then do not have the right of equal accesss to health care.

Ohio's present system of Medicaid reimburse. ment for abortions is based on an injunction won in 1974. The recent Supreme Court decision could provide grounds for the dissolution of that court order.

Abortion, unless necessary for the life of the wo man (complete only upon certification from medica! and mental health examiners) will again come to a vote in the Senate the week of June 27, 1977. The Hyde Amendment, part of an appropriations bill. would prohibit the states from using federal funds for Medicaid reimbursed abortions. Last year the Senate upheld the right of (poor) women to control their bodies by a 2-1 margin. Abortion rights advo cates campaigned all last summer and into the fall to eventually over-ride a presidential veto.

Ohio Senator Glenn is expected to vote with abortion rights sentiments based on his record.

Ms. Korn, Cleveland office manager for Senator Metzenbaum, said that the Senator had been reach. ed in Washington, but had "no comment". She ask. ed that marchers leave their names and addresses

for proof of support and updates on issues to be mail. ed ut by the Senator's office.

Abortion is a more volatile poliitical issue than ever. "Right-to-Lifers' 'have been waging well-organized campaigns against women's reproductive rights. Eagle Forum (John Birch Society) and other "rightist" groups have been vigorously attacking all women's rights.

After the protest, Liz Harris of Preterm Cleveland commented that it had been a bad week for women but that she was encouraged by the turnout.

Women must unite now against all who oppose our right to choose.

State and federal denial of the right to choose for poor women can only be construed as a threat to the reproductive rights of every American woman. We demand our rights in reproduction, civi, li berties and sexual preference.

INFORMER CONFESSES

TO BREAK-IN

New York (Majority Report/LNS) --In Colorado, the mysterious burglary and vandalism of the offices of the feminist newspaper Big Mama Rag, which oc curred on August 2, 1975, has finally been solved All this time no one had a clue as to who had broken into the paper's basement office and poured glue in to the typewriters, and ink and glue thinner all over bundles of the August, 1975 issue.

But in a recent interview in the Straight Creek Journal, a Denver alternative paper. Timothy Redfearn, an FBI informer whose activites were uncom ered in 1900 pages of FBI documents turned over to the Socialist Workers Party, has confessed to the break-in. Redfearn said he had been reporting reg ularly on Big Mama Rag and member of the colle tive for several years.

Some examples of his contributions to federal icy enforcement. "It is rumored that (a member of the Young Socialist Alliance) is a lesbian;" "Several YSA women (he gives their names) are hang.ng out now at the Woman to Woman feminist book store The radicals running the store are not only selling lesbian, homosexual and women's liberation works, but are also selling radical literature.

WHAT SHE WANTS IS:

What She Wants

...a monthly news Journal produced for all women. There is no subject unsuitable for our readers and therefore you will find articles on every topic from politics to poetry in sach issue,

WHAT SHE WANTS W:

training,

viza in unions

work and and promotions we

decent health care and health information effective birth control and to

I er reject motherhood

male and express sexual preference without

te susationse in aducation and freedom from prejudice ing materials

pagë 2/What She Wahts/July, 1977

WSW always likes input from our readers in the form of letters, articles, Off My Breast, personal experiences.

WSW always likes to include new women on our staff who are willing to write, help with lay-out, organization, editorial, advertising, and selling--full time and part time.

WSW always likes new subscribers, distribution people, outlets for sales, and publicity.

WSW always needs information about what Cleveland women are doing, planning, thinking, writing, breaking up, putting together. WSW always needs YOU!!! Write us at:

What She Wants c/o Cleveland Women's Counsel P.O. Box 18472 Cleveland Heights, OH 44118

WE ARE

Laurel Brummet, Linda Carwall, Sarah Fitzsimmons, Sunny Fry, Chery! Gould, Judy Gregory, Sandy Handley, Meredith Holmes, Marycatherine Krause, Victoria Lee, Barbara Louise, Carol Patterson, Valerie Robinson, Barbara Reusch, Mary Walsh, Jackie Wessel, Maricia Ziegenbusch

This publication is on file with the International Women's History Archive now at the Special Collections Library, Northwestern Univ ersity, Evanston, Illinois 80201; on microfilm through June 1974 from the Women's History Research Center, 2325 Oak Street, Berkeley, California 94708.

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