Sally E. Bahner Photo
The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision last week in favor of Hobby Lobby’s policy to deny certain forms of birth control to its female employees has fueled nationwide debate,
On Saturday, the controversy was felt locally when a dozen or so people gathered along Frontage Road in East Haven to protest against the company and the court’s decision.
Ina Staklo of Women Organized to Resist and Defend (WORD), a new grassroots organization defending women’s rights, said, “We’re seeing a lot of attacks by the right wing and concessions by the Democrats, so we’re moving to the streets.”
The group chanted, “When women’s rights are under attack … What do we do? Stand up and fight back!” to the supportive honks of passing vehicles.
Brady Fry, a manager at the East Haven location, had no comments for the press. He said that 16 out of 21 East Haven employees at this Hobby Lobby store are women.
Norman Clement of Act Now to Stop War and Racism (ANSWER), one of the organizers, said, “This is a really important issue. There are 71 other corporations involved and five men deciding on women’s rights.”
According to the Women’s Law Center, 71 other for-profit companies have challenged the Affordable Care Act’s contraceptive mandate in court since February 2012.
He said that women’s rights were also eroded in another U.S. Supreme Court ruling this term striking down the 35-foot buffer zone at Massachusetts abortion clinics. “It’s not a matter of freedom of speech when peoples’ lives are in danger.
“People need to mobilize,” he added. “They’re taking away workers’ rights.”
Staklo lamented the attacks on the clinics and urged that people need the “power to inform and actions to inform.”
###
A phony claim by abortion supporters
The Hobby Lobby suit applies only to those drugs which are not only used for contraception but also will kill any fetus which has already been created.
Obama will try other ways to force companies to pay for abortions or for the feds to use taxes to pay for it.
Just another gripe by abortion lovers who want financing via employers or taxes/
Does not affect non-abortion drugs which would be required under forced financing of contraceptives by companies via Obamacares
This is fact.
The claims in your story are fiction.
( There are other suits by churches re forced financing of contraceptives , by church-related organizations ( hospitals, colleges and schools. etc.) but the Supremes have not yet ruled on them)