Bill to Build the Smithsonian American Women's HIstory Museum Fails after Republican Prejudices Prevail

The Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum has been years in the making — and now, transphobia is threatening to derail the whole thing. 

By a 204-216 vote, House Democrats pulled support after Republicans ammended the legislation to require that transgender women be excluded. 

Democrats cautioned that the amended version of the bill also gives Trump too much sway over the museum’s design and location. 

Despite the roadblocks to its physical construction, digital exhibitions from the women’s history museum are available online now, as are classroom resources for teachers and a state-by-state guide of women’s history in America. 

https://19thnews.org/2026/05/smithsonian-american-womens-history-museum-bill/

"Women on Waves" Brings Reproductive Services in International Waters

Just like states that circumvent casino laws by floating ships in international waters, “Women on Waves,” a Dutch non-profit, provides safe medical abortions and reproductive health services to women in countries where abortion is heavily restricted or illegal.

"Women on Waves" sails a ship into international waters (usually 12 nautical miles off the coast of a country with strict abortion laws). Because national abortion bans only extend to territorial waters, The ship operates under the jurisdiction of its flag state because national abortion bans only extend to territorial waters. Women brought onto the ship undergo medical evaluations, and receive abortion pills.

In Malta, the group has placed several abortion key safes across the country. The safes contain abortion pills. Women who are less than 9 weeks pregnant and in need of an abortion can email the organization to get the location and the code of the safes.

https://www.womenonwaves.org/en/

Republicans Again Show Their Support for Hierarchies with Opposing Same-Sex Marriage

Acceptance of same-sex marriage and relationships in the U.S. has flattened after more than two decades of steadily increasing support, with an ongoing decline among Republicans, according to a new Gallup poll.

A May poll showed that only 37% of Republicans believe that same-sex marriage should be legally valid, and 35% thing gay and lesbian relationships are "morally acceptable."

Someone has to bring up the rear, and those people seem to be attracted to the Republican party. Since most of the change is due to dropping acceptance among Republicans, hierarchy builders know where to find each other. 

https://apnews.com/article/gallup-poll-same-sex-marriage-morality-e12acb151446ac1b7970c0825bf1d072

Olivia Book Breaks Barriers in Ballet

Olivia Book was promoted to the corps de ballet of Ballet West in Salt Lake City, making her one of the first professional ballerinas with a limb difference. She has a congenital limb difference — her right arm is smaller than her left. 

In recent years dance has been rethinking its relationship to diversity in areas like race and body type.

Bradford Chin, an assistant professor of dance at the University of Wisconsin-Madison said that Book's promotion allows us to question how we conceptualize what a healthy body looks like and how we approach the idea who is a qualified dancer.

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/29/arts/dance/olivia-book-ballet-west-limb-difference.html

Hegseth Shows His Sexism and Racism in Blocking Promotions

In a move that disproportionately targets women and minority officers, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recently blocked the promotions of at least seven Navy officers who had been selected by a board of senior Navy admirals.

In a slate of 22 nominees to be one-star generals, two of the seven blocked were women and two are Black men. Additionally three white men were blocked.

No female officers were included on the new one-star list, which was released publicly in late May, despite the fact that women make up about 21 percent of the active-duty Navy. of the active-duty Navy. The list appears to include only two nonwhite officers, even though sailors who identify as racial minorities make up about 38 percent of the active-duty Navy.

Mr. Hegseth’s removal of the officers from the one-star list is highly unusual, said the current and former defense officials. Hegseth’s actions are the latest in a series of firings and personnel interventions that seem to be driven by his anti-diversity politics rather than the performance of officers. 

Once Hegseth is gone, and people who deserve promotions are promoted, anyone who is claiming that women and Blacks are being promoted more than they should be better shut up.

What if all the women and Blacks decided to leave the military? Where would the military be and its sexist and racist leader?

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/01/us/politics/hegseth-navy-promotion-list.html

Arkansas Celebrates Its Commitment to the Religious and Sexual Orientation Hierarchies

Arkansas is trying to pretend that anyone but heterosexuals don't exist and keep the sexual orientation hierarchy alive and well.

Arkansas Republican Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders has proclaimed June 2026 as "Fidelity Month" as a backlash to Pride Month.  

The proclamation says Arkansas' commitment to spiritual and civic institutions is central to the state's identity and argues that "cultivating fidelity to God, family, community, and country contributes to human flourishing and supports a healthy, stable, well-organized society."

Of course the God they mention has the characteristics of the religious hierarchy they have created with their "God" on top, and the society they promote praises people they place on top of their hierarchy. 

No surprise coming from Republican Sanders. 

https://www.newsweek.com/arkansas-declares-june-fidelity-monthwhat-does-it-mean-12015517?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwY2xjawSK2hNleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETF0bjZpOGd3WXJqQndPN1RCc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHsYM57Kxyc9HAScFiEMH9Dii_mxZBhQsl-w8xYhLzi1KYqO4lZr2oSqg3h_a_aem_2WSxnR54yzKGORR9BClnHg#Echobox=1780308931

Paraguay's Vallejo to be Fined after Sexist Remark at French Open

Adolfo Daniel Vallejo of Paraguy said his French Open match, a loss to a home favorite teenager, should not have been umpired by a woman. 

He lost to France's Moise Kouame in the second round Thursday 6-3, 7-5, 3-6, 2-6, 7-6 (8) after 4 hours, 56 minutes.

Vallejo: "This sort of match needs to be umpired by a man. It's very difficult for a woman to do it. It has to be refereed by a man, because it's a very demanding crowd and you need a lot of strength to go against the crowd."

The French Tennis Federation and Roland Garros organizers released a statement Friday calling Vallejo's comments "unacceptable."

"The competence of an umpire is not determined by their gender, but by their professionalism and ability to officiate at the highest level," the organizers said.

https://www.espn.com/tennis/story/_/id/48908577/after-french-loss-vallejo-critiques-umpire-wanted-man-chair