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Welcome to the first Newsletter from ICAH's Youth Activist Network
Happy New Year everyone! Welcome to 2009 and welcome to the very first newsletter by the Youth Activist Network from the Illinois Caucus for Adolescent Health.
The Youth Activist Network is a space for young activists who are working and/or are interested in sexual health, social justice, and reproductive justice. It is a space to offer resources, tools, communication, and ideas. The Youth Activist Network (YAN) is a space to inspire and maintain momentum among young activists. Its hopes are to create networks, and enhance leadership and organizing skills.
We plan to create this online community by growing our subscription base and showcasing the work, ideas, artwork, and writings of young people on justice issues.
The Illinois Caucus for Adolescent Health (ICAH) is a non-profit organization that envisions a world in which all young adults in Illinois use their power to achieve health and well being in their own lives and for their communities. Our mission is in partnership with youth, we advocate sound policies and practices that promote a positive approach to adolescent sexual health and parenting.
YAN's Issue Blog: "Our View"
Hey Everyone! My name is Anshae Lorenzen. I am 17years old. I attend Big Picture High School. I’m a senior and I’m a dancer with the Joffrey Ballet’s Strobel “Step-Up” program. I also work with the Illinois Caucus for Adolescent Health (ICAH) on different projects to promote Sexual Health Education and Access. I also do work for the Youth Pride Center (YPC) which is a center that deals with GLBTQ issues.
To give you all a little background of what’s going on, there are gay youth that hang out on Belmont at all times of the night, and because of that the city officials have a negative view on all gay youth. The city officials think that all gay youth that travel up to the Belmont and Halsted area are either prostituting themselves or doing drugs. This is the stereotype, yet there are gay youth who are in school, and who don’t do any drugs. In the Youth Pride Center, I am the head of Code Red. Code Red is a group of gay youth that go to events through out the city to represent YPC and breakdown the stereotypes set upon gay youth.
One idea that YPC came up with to show the city what is going on was a town hall meeting that we called “Our View.” The setup was like “The View.” Our panel was made up of all gay youth. We had hot topics to talk about, like the new high school that they are opening for the GLBTQ community. Interesting right? Yeah, we thought it was too. Some thought of it as segregation or a target for more violence. Well I think that the Pride school would be a great place for those who are harassed and discriminated because of their sexuality to have a safe space, but it does set up some problems. One point that was brought was that the pride school will make the youth that attend open to more harassment because they are segregated.
But unfortunately the designers of the Pride school had to pull the plug on the school because of changes that they were asked to make. They were asked to change the school’s name from “the High School for Social Justice Pride Campus” to “the Social Justice Solidarity High School.” Also they were taking all specific references to gay students out of the mission statement. Chad Weiden, who would have been the principal of the school, and Katherine Hogan, a teacher from the Social Justice High School are saying that they are not going to give up on the school and are going to submit an “even stronger” version of the plan next year so that the school can still be opened in 2010 as planned. Tell us what you think at our blog youthactivistnetwork.blogspot.com
Article Of The Month: Parental Notification
A Women’s Right to Choose by: Kayla Ginsberg
On January 22, 1973, a woman’s right to an abortion was legalized in the Supreme Court decision of Roe v. Wade. Having recently celebrated the 35th anniversary of this accomplishment, it is strange to think that Illinois is on the brink of a major step backwards with regards to this issue. At all costs this step must not be taken.
The Parental Notification Act of 1995, were it to be enforced, would require all women under the age of 18 to inform their legal guardian within 48 hours prior to obtaining an abortion. If these minors don’t feel comfortable informing their legal guardians about this procedure, they would have the choice of appearing before a judge and explaining their situation. This judge might or might not grant them this allowance.
For 13 years, this law has remained dormant. In 2006 however, Attorney General Lisa Madigan asked the court to allow enforcement of this act. Luckily, there remains much debate over it, and we are still waiting for the court’s decision. At any point, however, this act could be imposed throughout Illinois.
In many cases, young women already involve their parents or guardians in their decision whether to have an abortion, even without a mandate. 90 percent of teens aged 14 years or younger reported having told at least one of their guardians about the procedure. By taking away a young woman’s choice as to whether or not to inform their parents or guardians, the state might indirectly encourage many more instances of domestic violence and youth homelessness than are found at present. 56 percent of young women choosing not to include their parents in their decision cite fear of physical abuse, mistreatment, or eviction as their primary reasons.
The exceptions clause, allowing the teen to appeal to a judge if they feel uncomfortable telling their guardian about their procedure, is harmful as well. A trial date can often take weeks to obtain, by which time the possibility of an abortion might have expired. In addition, a young girl might feel uncomfortable testifying to a stranger about their reasons for obtaining an abortion.
This is a simple case of freedom of choice. This debate highlights the mixed messages that youth are receiving. Nearly half of unmarried youth ages 15-19 living in the U.S. have reported having sexual intercourse at least once. On MTV we see women portrayed as blatant sexual objects. Social imagery in popular culture is encouraging young women to have sex.
At the same time, many Illinois high schools have abstinence-only sex education courses, which provide a limited range of choices. There are increasing accounts of pharmacists refusing to fill contraceptive prescriptions. In addition, the price of birth control is rising. What all this means is that the likelihood of teen pregnancy is severely increasing.
Into this mix comes the renewed threat of the Parental Notification Act. The issue comes down to whether or not teens are included in a woman’s right to choose. This Act was originally proposed because it was assumed that minors were too immature to make the huge decision of whether or not to have an abortion. I say that if we are too immature to make this decision by ourselves, we are too immature to raise a child. It is vital for the protection of young women throughout Illinois that this law never gets implemented.
AS OF NOW:
Come January 2009 a new legislative session will begin in Springfield and one of bills up for vote will be the Reproductive Justice and Access Act (RJAA). If RJAA is passed by legislators the 1995 law of Parental Notice will be repealed, or in other words gone!
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Illinois Caucus for Adolescent Health
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In This Issue:
YAN's mission
YAN's Issue Blog
Article of the Month
Info SEXtion
Call for submissions!
Save The Date!!!
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ICAH needs your support. Donations support ICAH’s mission and allow ICAH staff and leaders to respond to unanticipated shifts in policy, pilot new ideas, grow successful initiatives, and accommodate requests for help from youth, schools and community organizations
Donate now
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Interested in becoming a writer for the Youth Activist Network? Just email us at maya @icah.org
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Info SEXtion 6.6% of students identified as gay, lesbian, bisexual, or unsure about their sexuality
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Submit your ART to the youth activist network!!!
We can showcase your Drawings, Multimedia, Writing, or other artwork on our newsletter! Just email us at maya @icah.org
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SAVE THE DATE JAN 03, 2009 SAVE THE DATE JAN 03, 2009
The 2nd Annual Teen Test Day
Saturday, Jan. 3rd, 2009
@ The South Shore Cultural Center
7059 South South Shore Dr.
10am-4pm
For an all day Teen and Family Health and Wellness Celebration
and Free Concert ***(5pm-9pm) Featuring Tha Pope, Ben One, and a Special Surprise Guest Artist. Go to www.teentestday.com for more info.
There will be screenings for Diabetes, HPV, Breast/Cervical Cancer,
HIV/STD, Hypertension, Bone
Marrow Density, Sickle Cell Anemia, Asthma, Cholesterol, Body Weight/Obesity,
Ear, Nose and Throat. With LGBT and Conflict Resolution Workshops.
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