January 2009 |  From the desk of Kelli Conlin, President
Last week gave us cause for hope and optimism, here in New York and around the world. We celebrated the 36th anniversary of Roe v. Wade on Thursday, the landmark Supreme Court decision that recognized a woman’s right to decide for herself if and when to have a child. NARAL Pro-Choice New York marked the occasion by increasing support for the Reproductive Health Act, a bill that will place all the protections of Roe firmly into state law. New York also got a new U.S. senator last week in Kirsten Gillibrand! With her solid pro-choice background, we are confident that Senator Gillibrand will be a fitting successor to Hillary Clinton and we look forward to working with her in the coming months. Click on the link in the article and you can send Senator Gillibrand a welcome note of your own. Finally, President Obama’s inauguration reminded us that Americans support and value strong pro-choice leadership. His reversal of the Global Gag Rule ended the period of America holding women’s health captive in the name of conservative ideology. With only one week down, President Obama is already making strides to make reproductive freedom a priority in his administration. Here’s to Roe, to President Obama, to Senator Gillibrand, and to all the pro-choice successes that await in 2009. For Choice,
Kelli Conlin |
Welcome Senator Gillibrand!  U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, from the great state of New York! Has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?
Back in December, Kelli wrote an op-ed in the Albany Times Union saying the next senator needed to be a strong pro-choice advocate. Well, ask and you shall receive.
We’ve been fans of Kirsten Gillibrand for years, endorsing her in both her 2006 and 2008 runs for U.S. House of Representatives. As our statement of support says, Gillibrand has a 100% pro-choice record from NARAL Pro-Choice America and has proven that she’s the right person to fill Hillary Clinton’s shoes. As an ally and advocate for women, Gillibrand co-sponsored legislation to ensure access to and funding for contraception. That’s the kind of leadership we’re used to, and it’s what New York needs.
Click here to let Senator Gillibrand know that as a pro-choice New Yorker, you welcome and support her as she takes up the mantle of protecting and expanding women’s reproductive freedom.
36 Years Old and Counting As Roe v. Wade reached its 36th anniversary on January 22, last week gave plenty of opportunities to mark the occasion.
President Obama’s inauguration was a pleasant reminder that Americans admire and value leaders who support a woman’s right to choose. Then President Obama paid homage to Roe by taking swift pro-choice action on Friday to reverse the Global Gag Rule, showing the world that America will no longer sacrifice reproductive health on the altar of conservative ideology.
NARAL Pro-Choice New York used Roe day to emphasize that even New York, one of the first states to legalize abortion, relies on Roe for our reproductive rights. New York’s once trailblazing state law hasn’t been updated since 1970, meaning that if Roe were to fall, New Yorkers’ rights would be dialed back to what they were in 1970.
Passing the Reproductive Health Act this year will make sure that women’s health is always protected in New York. You can help us drum up support for the Reproductive Health Act by learning more about the bill, collecting petition signatures, or even hosting a house party. With your help, we can pass this bill in 2009!
Got Activism?President Obama's campaign had the best grassroots organizing operation in history. We’re gunning for second-best. 
This month, NARAL Pro-Choice New York launched the Activist Leadership Circle, a core group of about 15 super volunteers whose knowledge and passion about reproductive rights was evident throughout the long election season. Recognizing that real change comes from the bottom-up, the Activist Leadership Circle allows these committed activists to develop new organizing goals and take leadership roles in advocacy campaigns. The Back Up Your Birth Control NYC Day of Action (March 25), the Reproductive Health Act Lobby Day (this spring), and summer outreach leading up to the 2009 City Council elections in November are just a few of the activities the Activist Leadership Council is gearing up for.
Get in touch with Lalena Howard to learn more about the Activist Leadership Circle. Also be sure to check out Lalena’s podcast, “What is Community Organizing,” hosted on the SAFER (Students Active For Ending Rape) blog.
Movin’ On UpNARAL Pro-Choice New York finally got a piece of the HuffPo pie! Check out Kelli's new blog on The Huffington Post. This new venue means more exposure for the issues of reproductive choice that matter to us, and to you. Kelli’s latest post discussed how as Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton offers a new vision that recognizes the impact United States foreign policy has on women’s lives across
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