WSW EDITORIAL
This is directed to those of us who carry pocket calendars those little notebooks crammed with dates of appointments, conferences, demonstrations, rallies, names of people to call to get a particular project moving. Those of us who feel a sense of dread when, after a long meeting, we schedule another
meeting and another. Political workaholies, you might well call us, because we know that to gain out many goals --reproductive rights, FRA, affirmative action, an end to violence, etc., etc. requires constant and collective action.
Many of us would not have it any other way. Dur
CONTENTS
October 14 Lesbian and Gay Rights March. Shorts....
S
Features
Women Against Pornography
Pornography and the First Amendment. Report on the NY Pornography Conference....
Take Back the Night Committee vs. Sexist Promo. 21 Women and Unionism: Interview With an Organizer. . . 8
News
1 ocal
Abortion Rights Action Week Activities.. CCC Displaced Homemaker Program..
National
Affirmative Action: Fulllove vs. Kreps. .
Clio's Musings. Letters.... Women's Groups.
11
Off My Breast.
Viewpoint.
}
10
Classified Ads.
Find It Fastest..
4
What's Happening.
6
14
back cover
15
ing the early stirrings of the women's movement, we discovered that the personal is the political. This ex citing insight elevated to a respected level of concrete political activism concerns we had been taught to believe trivial and selfish. Becoming a committed Teminist fulfilled our needs for dignity, Friendship, support and criticism, and gave us a new sense of power over our lives.
This new insight also brought with it a tremendous responsibility: it was imperative to maintain our acrivism as a safeguard for the future and a buttress. against reaction. As a too frequent consequence, however, we neglected our personal lives for the sake of the political. Our sense of who we were became ried to our pocket calendars, to how much time and energy we spent on polities. As an end result, we can become ineffective politically as well as impoverished spiritually.
We must rebalance the equation; we must nourish those personal thoughts and feelings that led us originally to political feminism. Each of us has a personal view-an original and unique mix of doing and thinking on our own, not only talking but experiencing what we truly feel, not only producing a concrete
Cover Photo: Pearl Jividen, U.E. District 7 President (right) and Kathy Laskowitz, U.E. Field Organizer, 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
T
Sustaining $25.00
―
Non-Profit Org. $10.00 For Profit Org. $15.00
DISTRIBUTION OUTLETS:
East: Appletree Books, Coventry Books, CWRU Bookstore, CWRU Women's Center, Food Communities, Food Project, Genesis, Hemming & Hulbert Booksellers.
Central: Barnes & Noble, Publix Book Mart, Rape Crisis Center, Women Space
West: Six Steps Down, Lish's Shoe Repair & Empornim
Akron: Nature's Way
Kent: Kent Natural Foods Store
Columbus: Ian the Flames Bookstore
Boston: New Words Bookstore
product but creating the meanings attached to it. We need to nurture the personal life in order to enrich and renew our political ideals: the personal is the political, but the political is also the personal.
This idea seems obvious, almost simplistic. Bul how can an activist achieve this ideal balance when she knows that she is needed for those concrete and often boring jobs that stabilize and advance women's rights? How can she justify her self-nurturance when so much needs doing and so few do it? Where, she wonders, are all those armchair feminists who have reaped the benefits of her labors who take for granted the availability of abortion, the job opportunities won by affirmative action, the new protections from rape and battery?
-Carol Epstein
WE ARE:
Ferry Bullen, Carol Epstem, Linda Jane, Marscatherine Kraine, Gail Powers, Mary Walsh CONTRIBUTORS (articles, poetry, graphics):
Janet Century, Paula Copestick, Chris Haynes, Jan Feld,
Pat McNeil, Sandy Pope, Carol Siler, Roslyn Falerico. Nancy V., Barbara Wisłow
FRIENDS OF THIS ISSUE (production):
Janet Century, Pat O'Malley
ADVERTISING, DISTRIBUTION:
Judy Gregory, Gale Stone
Copyright 1/7/4
H'SH' depends heavily on its advertising income to survive. Some of our advertisers have helped to sup port us throughout the years, while other relatively new. In return, we help them spread the news of their services throughout the women's com munity.
The next time you do business with a BSH ́advét tiser, let them know you saw their ad and encourage them to continue their support. We would also appreciate any feedback on the quality of the services. They provide. With your help, we can ensure a mutually beneficial relationship.
October, 1979/What She Wants/Page 1