WSW EDITORIAL

Many of us in the feminist movement tend to forget that the values and aspirations we hold dear are alien and threatening to many people around us. We often isolate ourselves in our own communities, associating mostly with those who believe as we do. We are surprised and defensive when our values are challenged because those values have become so natural, and correct for us that they seem beyond question. How, we ask, can any intelligent person oppose something so simple and obviously necessary as the Equal Rights Amendment? How indeed?-and yet the ERA is stalled and hopes for its passage in the near future are dim.

Feminists must realize that unless we show that our

ideas have widespread support, we will lose by default what few gains we have made since the inception of the women's movement. The abortion issue is another case in point; the opposition is well-financed and vocal and, most importantly, uses the tools at hand to attack women's hard-won reproductive rights. Those tools include putting systematic and heavy pressure on legislators, and using the media in a way calculated to convince the undecided that their views are not only right, but are held by the majority. The women's movements must respond in kind. Distasteful as it is to play by the establishment's rules, we have to realize that for now it is their game. We cannot continue to live in our feminist towers, or

we will soon find them being burned from below. We must organize in a way the male-dominated power structure can understand; with our votes, with our money, with our voices. We must take the time to let legislators know what we want and how many of us want if so that they will not dare to attempt such devious maneuvers as the recent Ohio anti-abortion amendment without knowing what it will cost them.

A list of state and federal legislators from the Cleveland area is printed below. Cut it out, keep it handy, and use it to let them know your views on the issues that affect women. Unless we use every means at our disposal to gain and preserve our rights, we have only ourselves to blame if those rights are lost.

Ohio House of Representatives State House, Columbus, Ohio 43215

CONTENTS

Features

Health

Dist.

Name

Telephone

Cleveland Women Working Bank Study... Sexual Harassment on the Job......

Keeping Abreast Of It........

.......5

Bell, Thomas M. (D)

881-5039

Betts, James E. (R)

781-1212

News

Bits & Pieces....

Bonanno, Benny (D)

651-1688

Boyle, Mary O. (D)

382-8371

Local and State

Clio's Musings...

Colonna, Rocco J. (D)

676-4040

Counter-Demonstration for Abortion Rights....

Eckart, Dennis E. (D)

731-8596

Letters...

..2

Hatchadorian, Matthew J. (R)

241-1880

The Motive Behind ''Informed Consent". Ohio Rape Bill.

James, Troy Lee (D)

361-3821

Women's Groups..

.9-10

Lehman, Harry J. (D)

696-1600

Mahnic, Frank Jr. (D)

581-3645

Find It Fastest...

.back cover

Panchal, Francine M. (D)

961-1502

National

Pope, Donna (R)

886-1594

Women Against Pornography.

What's Happening..

Rocco, Kenneth A. (D)

687-1141

Sweeney, Patrick A. (D)

476-2535

Thompson, Ike (D)

541-8988

Thompson, John D., Jr. (D)

921-5250

Cover Photo by Janet Century

What She Wants

What She Wants goes to production in the middle of the month. Copy should be submitted the first week of the month so that we can discuss it and edit collectively at our editorial meetings. Contact us for specific deadlines. Please print or type articles. Mail material to WSW, P. O. Box 18465, Cleveland Heights, Ohio 44118.

WHAT SHE WANTS IS:

A MONTHLY NEWS JOURNAL PRODUCED FOR ALL WOMEN. We always like input from our readers in the form of articles, personal experiences, poetry, art, announcements, and letters. We welcome women who are willing to help us in specific areas of the paper (writing, lay-out, advertising, distribution, publicity, etc.) and/or who are interested in our collective.

WHAT SHE WANTS ADVOCATES:

...equal and civil rights

...the right to earnings based on our need, merit, and interest ...access to job training, salaries, and promotions we choose

...the right to organize in unions and coalitions to advance our cause

...the right to decent health care and health information

...the right to safe, effective birth control and to safe, legal abortions ...the right to accept or reject motherhood

...the right to choose and express sexual preference without harassment ...access to quality education and freedom from prejudice in learning materials

SUBSCRIPTIONS:

A one-year subscription to WSW includes

12 regular monthly issues

Individual

$6.00

Contributing $15.00

Sustaining $25.00

Non-Profit Org. $10.00

777

For Profit Org. $15.00

DISTRIBUTION OUTLETS:

East: Coventry Books, Food Communities, Food Project, Genesis, Hemming & Hulbert Booksellers Central: Barnes & Noble, Publix Book Mart, Rape Crisis Center, WomenSpace

West: Six Steps Down, Tish's Shoe Repair & Emporium

Akron: Nature's Way

WE ARE:

Terry Bullen, Carol Epstein, Linda Jane, Marycatherine Krause, Gail Powers, Mary Walsh

CONTRIBUTORS (articles, poetry, graphics):

Deb Adler, Janet Century, Paula Copestick, Susan Lipkin, Lisa Rainsong, Barbara Winslow

FRIENDS OF THIS ISSUE (production):

No one. Where is everybody?

ADVERTISING, DISTRIBUTION: Judy Gregory, Gale Stone

Ohlo House Districts

Ohio Senate

State House, Columbus, Ohio 43215

Butts, Charles L. (D)

651-8500

Calabrese, Anthony O. (D)

781-5700

Jackson, M. Morris (D)

466-4857

Matia, Paul R. (R)

696-7040

McCormack, John Timothy (D)

531-8343

Stano, Jerome (D)

749-2213

Ohlo Senate Districts

U.S. House of Representatives

House Office Bldg., Washington, D.C. 20515

23 Motti, Ronald M. (D)

20 Oakar, Mary Rose (D)

3822

21 Stokes, Louis (D)

22 Vanik, Charles A. (D)

United States Senate

522-4382

522-4927

522-4900

522-4952

Senate Office Bldg., Washington, D.C. 20510

Glenn, John H. (D)

Metzenbaum, Howard (D)

(614) 469-6697

522-7272

September, 1979/What She Wants/Page 1