By Andrew Davis
A new online interactive map of the United States reveals the differences states have regarding sexual and reproductive rights, according to a May 31 telephone press conference.
The speakers at the conference were Leila Hessini, senior policy advisor of Ipas, a women's sexual- and reproductive-rights organization; Loretta Ross, national coordinator of SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Health Collective; and Jason Cianciotto, research director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Institute. The 50-state map, accessible at www.mappingourrights.org, compares state statutes on a variety of subjects, including marriage, access to birth control and Social Security benefits.
Hessini said that, although the United States presents itself as a bastion of liberty, freedom actually depends on several factors, including race, age and sexuality. As an example, she cited South Dakota's recently passed law that allowed abortion only when it is needed to save a mother's life as something more reminiscent of 'Afghanistan than Oregon.' She also said that only eight states 'recognize unions outside of traditional heterosexual marriage' and that only 'nine states actually require that women who are raped are offered emergency contraception in emergency rooms.' Hessini then said that the lack of appropriate legislative measures can lead to extreme reactions, such as a Michigan girl who asked her boyfriend to beat her with a baseball bat to terminate a pregnancy because she couldn't face getting her parents' permission for an abortion, as state statute required.
Ross added that there are a host of complicated human-rights issues to consider when a woman is pregnant, including healthcare issues and even adequate environments for children. She also stated that SisterSong's approach to 'reproductive justice' is tripartite: fighting for a woman's right to have an abortion, the right to have children and the right to parent the children she has. 'It's a complex matrix of human-rights issues,' she said. ' [ However, ] human rights should not depend on geography. They depend on the entitlement [ people ] should receive simply because they're human.' Ross praised the map as a tool that will let rights organizations 'see what they're up against.'
Cianciotto applauded how all the information was amassed to clearly present the issues to the map site visitor. However, he felt that the most pertinent issue is that the map 'breaks down artificial barriers between Americans, particularly between [ LGBT ] and heterosexual Americans. ... Until the day that all Americans, gay and straight, have equal access and opportunity to form and protect their families, Mapping Our Rights will help them make informed decisions about how where they live affects their civil rights and what steps they need to take to protect themselves and their families.'
The map—the result of a common vision between the organizations represented in the press conference—allows the user to see two different aspects. Clicking on the left arrow allows the user to see the 25 key reproductive and sexual policies that were used to rank each state. ( The map employs a penalty-point system to assess overall performance. The most progressive states—New Mexico and New York—are in blue, while states that are most conservative—such as South Dakota and Ohio—are in red, with other states in between. ) Clicking on the right arrow allows one to see where a state ranks in terms of everything from poverty rate to the percentage of uninsured people.
See www.mappingourrights.org .