January 2023 Newsletter Check out all our latest updates! |
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Four Sisters Publishing prints and distributes book that embrace the feminist ideal of equality for all people. In our newsletter we bring you stories that are relevant to this mission. We also want to update you on our newest products, coupons, and sales so that we can continue to spread the feminist perspective! |
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Emergency Mobilization: Fight for Reproductive Rights! Women's March is mobilizing to protect women's access to mifepristone, a pill used to induce abortion as well as to treat miscarriages. On February 11th, a Trump-appointed judge in Amarillo, TX, will rule on a case in which the Alliance Defending Freedom claims the FDA fast-tracked mifepristone and approved the drug without enough evidence of its safety. Women have been using mifepristone since 2000 and medical practitioners and medical bodies agree it is safe. This is one more push to from Conservatives to restrict the ability of women to control their bodies. If you can't join the protest, you can donate by following the link below! Share this information with your friends and family! | | |
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Dobbs Will Increase Maternal Death Rate The Dobbs decision, in which the Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade, is already affecting women's access to maternity care in conservative states. A study released in December of 2022 by The Commonwealth Fund showed that maternal death rates were 62% higher in 2020 in states with abortion restrictions (28.8 vs. 17.8 per 100,000 births). The study also found that 39% of the counties in states with restrictions were maternity care deserts. The ratio of obstetricians to births in those states was also 32% lower than in states without restrictions, and the ratio of certified nurse midwives to births was 59% lower. According to an article by NBC, between June 24th (ruling in Dobbs) and October 9th, 2022, 26 clinics in states with abortion restrictions had shut down completely, while 40 other clinics in those states had ceased providing any abortion services. These clinics often offer other types of maternal care and family planning services. With maternity care providers already challenging to come by, the complete loss of 26 clinics in those states will only exacerbate the problem and lead to more maternal deaths. We can't become complacent. We must continue the fight to regain the right of women to control their bodies and access needed healthcare. | | |
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Police Reform Continues to be an Uphill Battle Following the brutal killing of Tyre Nichols by police officers in Memphis, TN, Republican lawmakers continue to balk at police reform. Representative Jim Jordan stated on 1/30/23, “I don’t know that there’s any law that can stop that evil that we saw that is just, I mean, just difficult to watch. What strikes me is just the lack of respect for human life. So I don’t know that any law, any training, any reform is going to change. You know, they, this man was handcuffed. They continue to beat him.” This is a thinly veiled refusal by Jordan to attempt any legislation that would hold police officers accountable for their actions or make structural changes to law enforcement that might result in more fair and compassionate policing practices. We must continue to demand police reform, and justice and accountability for police brutality. | | |
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FREE DOWNLOAD! Nikki Catanzaro, a former teacher, veteran, and mother of two, is giving away her e-book, Fight the Patriarchy: A Survival Guide, for FREE! Download it today from Google Play! Available through the end of January. | | |
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The Saddest Little Man: Dealing with Injustice The release of Four Sisters Publishing's newest book is right around the corner! Sarah Solomon has been spending all her time at the drawing board creating beautiful illustrations your children will love! Kids learn how to deal with unfair situations in this hilarious story about a bully and his step-sister. Available April 1st! | | |
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LGBTQ Americans Still Under Attack Several far-right groups, such as the National Justice Party and Patriot Font, as well as about 12 men with a Nazi flag, protested outside a drag brunch in Cookeville, TN, on 1/23/23. The protesters carried signs that said things such as, "No grooming in Tennessee" and "Why do they want an audience of children?" They also yelled disparaging chants like, "Fags out!" This type of attack on the LGBTQ community is not an isolated incident. As of January 21st, legislators have proposed 14 bills restricting drag shows in Tennessee, West Virginia, Arizona, Arkansas, Nebraska, Missouri, South Carolina, and Texas. There has been a backlash against drag queens volunteering to read books to children, and Florida now regulates the discussion of LGBTQ issues in schools. Conservative outrage of drag shows and the existence of LGBTQ people in America is based on Christian teachings that homosexuality is a sin. Equating drag queens with child sex predators by constantly claiming that they're grooming our children is ludicrous and hurtful. The attire at a drag show is no more sexualized than the attire worn in the Miss America pageant, which has been aired on mainstream television for years. If you get the chance, attend a drag show and demonstrate your support for Americans' freedom of expression! | | |
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Women's March Commemorates 50th Anniversary of Roe Women's March rallied tens of thousands of people across the U.S. to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Roe v Wade, the Supreme Court decision that guaranteed women's constitutional right to an abortion in 1973. In June of 2022, the Supreme Court took this right away from women in the Dobbs v Jackson Women's Health Organization. They ruled that there is no constitutional right to privacy, which was the underpinning principle behind not only the right of women to make personal medical decisions. However, the right to privacy is also the constitutional basis for women's right to access contraception, couples' right to privacy in the bedroom, and the right of same-sex couples to get married. Since the Dobbs decision, all of these rights have been under attack. We must continue to raise our voices and demand the right to privacy be recognized as a human right. If the Supreme Court will not protect this right, our legislators must write it into law. We must demand a right to privacy! | | |
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Religious Hospitals Threaten Women's Reproductive Rights Mercy Hospital in Durango, CO, no longer allows its doctors to tie women's tubes (the most common form of birth control used by women in the U.S.). This is because Mercy was founded as a Catholic hospital and, as such, must provide care guided by the church's doctrine. The number of hospitals under the Catholic Church's thumb has increased by 50% over the past 20 years and is continuing to grow. According to the Washington Post, one in seven hospital beds is now controlled by the Catholic Church. If you live in Iowa, Alaska, Washington, Wisconsin, or South Dakota, 40% of the hospitals in your area are under Catholic "guidance." Catholic hospitals across the U.S. refuse to provide women with contraception, even when medically necessary to control other health issues. Residents of Durango will now have to drive 45 minutes for maternal or reproductive care if they wish to have access to contraception or tubal ligations. According to Dr. Brie Todd, a gynecologist who provides services at Mercy in Durango, "Women will no longer be able to have their tubes tied as a form of birth control, for socioeconomic reasons or for medically life-threatening issues at Mercy." The lack of respect shown for the lives of women by the Catholic Church is astounding. Americans, men and women, have got to fight back against the mistreatment of women by our healthcare system. We must demand that government funds not go to hospitals that refuse to provide women with the medical care they deserve based on the hospital's religious dogma. | | |
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"Born Alive Bill" Drives More Doctors to Refuse Women Needed Medical Care On January 12th, House Republicans passed the "Born Alive Bill," which would require healthcare providers to try to save the lives of babies born alive after an attempted abortion. The vague language of the bill and the steep penalties for physicians who violate the mandate would only scare even more doctors away from providing women with the healthcare they need and deserve. Luckily the bill is not expected to pass the Senate. However, Republicans' continued attacks on women's reproductive rights should not be taken lightly. Every election, we must do our best to vote politicians out of office who do not respect women's sovereignty over their bodies. | | |
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Book of the Month A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo by Jill Twiss, Marlon Bundo, E.G. Keller HBO's Emmy-winning Last Week Tonight with John Oliver presents a children's book about a Very Special boy bunny who falls in love with another boy bunny. 100 percent of Last Week Tonight's proceeds will be donated to The Trevor Project and AIDS United. Meet Marlon Bundo, a lonely bunny who lives with his Grampa Mike Pence, the former Vice President of the United States. But on this Very Special Day, Marlon's life is about to change forever ... With its message of tolerance and advocacy, this charming bunny book for kids explores issues of same sex marriage and democracy. Sweet, funny, and beautifully illustrated, this better Bundo book is dedicated to every bunny who has ever felt different. #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER AND #1 AMAZON BESTSELLER: A runaway hit that hopped to the top of the charts nationwide! As John Oliver explained on the Ellen DeGeneres talk show, his book's gay Marlon Bundo gets married to his bunny boyfriend "because that's the world we want to live in." A PETER RABBIT BOOK FOR MODERN FAMILIES: Love is love in one of the few picture books that is equally a satisfying bedtime story and a timely and vital LGBTQ book for children (and their grownups). POPULAR AUDIOBOOK: The audiobook version is read by Jim Parsons and special guests Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Jeff Garlin, Ellie Kemper, John Lithgow, Jack McBrayer, and RuPaul. Perfect for: Fans of John Oliver, Stephen Colbert, Jon Stewart, and Samantha Bee Go-to gift for children's birthdays, same-sex couples welcoming a new baby, and friends who love parody humor Parents seeking the best books about love and marriage to share with their kids Adding to the shelf with books like And Tango Makes Three, Juli?n Is a Mermaid, Whose Boat Is This Boat?, and Go the F**k to Sleep -thriftbooks | | |
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