Stand Against Racism

Wikimedia Commons, Mayor Bill Peduto at the Stand Against Racism Rally, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mayor_Bill_Peduto_at_the_Stand_Against_Racism_Rally.jpg

This guest edition is brought to you by the YWCA San Francisco and Marin. You can sign up for their advocacy campaigns here. If you or your organization would like to contribute a guest edition, email us at info@mycivicworkout.com.

The YWCA’s Stand Against Racism initiative starts next week, and we all have a role to play. Systemic oppression shows up in thousands of different ways, and we need thousands of responses, each grounded in integrity and real responsiveness to communities of color, our history, and our vision for a transformed world. Every year during Stand Against Racism, hundreds of YWCAs and partner organizations act, educate, and build community around a shared mission of eliminating racism and empowering women. Join in and choose your own way to take meaningful action.

Read More →

Beware Sinclair

Pexels

Recently, a video of news anchors in dozens in different cities all across the nation reading an identical script warning about the dangers of “fake news” went viral. The one thing those anchors had in common? Their stations were owned by the Sinclair Broadcast Group, which determined this promo and other conservative editorials were “must-run” segments. Today’s workout is going to make you more informed about this change in the media landscape and help you evaluate what you hear accordingly.

Read More →

Sex Positive, Not SESTA

Wikimedia Commons, London SlutWalk 2011, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sex_Worker_Rights_-_London_SlutWalk_2011.jpg

Earlier this week, President Trump signed the controversial FOSTA-SESTA (“Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act and Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act) bill, making it law. While the law has been promoted as a means of combating online sex trafficking, the law has been criticized by civil liberties groups, sex worker advocates, and even law enforcement as being too broad, too restrictive in its actions, and an unnecessary or even counterproductive for law enforcement. The Department of Justice went to far as to write to Congress calling the law “a serious constitutional concern”. There are grave concerns that the law will increase the risk and harm done to consensual sex workers: “SESTA is putting people on the streets, where we face more violence and harassment and arrest and brutality by the police. SESTA is killing us.”

Read More →