PRESS RELEASE: NOW’s incoming President Terry O’Neill
June 21, 2009
by The New Agenda
|For Immediate Release
June 21, 2009
The New Agenda Congratulates Terry O’Neill, incoming President of the National Organization for Women
The New Agenda, a national organization dedicated to improving the lives of women and girls, congratulates Terry O’Neill and her slate as they prepare to take office at the National Organization for Women. Also on O’Neill’s slate are Bonnie Grabenhofer of IL, taking on the position of executive vice president; Erin Matson of MN, serving as action vice president; and Allendra Letsome of MD, incoming membership vice president.
The New Agenda’s President Amy Siskind said: “The New Agenda looks forward to working with Terry and her team. The New Agenda views the National Organization for Women as an important ally in our efforts to eradicate sexism, reduce violence against women and girls, and improve our country for the next generation.”
Siskind added: “Terry has spent a lifetime devoted to causes related to improving lives of women. Terry’s victory further signifies that the Next Wave of “feminism” is now underway and our country is ready to embrace a new way forward. This is an exciting time for our country.”
The New Agenda also recognizes and thanks outgoing NOW President Kim Gandy for her years of service to the women of this country.

I am told this is good news.
But I will wait to see if this new team is ready to defend ALL women, before I commit and join.
SYD
What was Terry’s position on attacks on Palin , on HRC? OR Is she more of what we have come to expect from NOW?
I hear she is more about in your face politics, rather than kissing the democratic party’s ass! That can only be good news.
Congratulations, Terry!
Just read this at conservatives for palin, dont know its accuracy but here it is:
Palin Supporters Swing NOW election:
“The Sarah Palin supporters swung this election. The election was certainly close enough – less than 10 votes separated the two slates. Then again, if Latifa’s supporters had been able to bring just a handful of additional supporters, we’d have an entirely different picture to discuss. The Palin people out organized us, plain and simple.”
http://www.vivalafeminista.com.....-2009.html
Bruce,
I think to be accurate the swings were Hillary Clinton supporters who then switched over to the McCain ticket because he had selected a woman as his running mate.
Thanks Amy for the insight, I assume then that TNA supported the new prez?
ALL women need to be defended not just liberals. I will consider joining if they defend Palin in the future. I will be watching.
It sounds like good news, but if you read the comments after the blogs you will note that the debate continues about whether pro-life women are actually women. It is so ridiculous. I do not understand this fixation on abortion. The most important issue to women, in my opinion, is economic equality. You have that and the rest just flows from it, at least in this country. So, once again, in my most humble opinion, electing a woman president will do more for women than anything else.
As far as I have listened to and talked to Terri O’Neill, the new slate of NOW governance will change NOW politics significantly. First, they believe that only grassroots actions and not alliance with one of the parties will further our cause. Second, a shift on the agenda is clearly coming with domestic violence and violence against women together with a final push for inclusion of women in the constitution /ERA will go to the center of NOW actions. The traditional position on abortion will unlikely change, because this was the central object for the past decades. (‘only women can decide about their bodies” ). but it will not be the top agenda in he future of NOW. I think the abortion issue is one of the main differences between TNA and NOW under the new leadership.
I also think that the abortion issue has been hold against us from the far right and left. abortion rights support the permanent availability of female bodies. there is no excuse for saying no. abortion rights are used to unlink sexuality with having children.
with Hillary I am for a strong reduction of abortions by other means than judiciary. NOW has a small taskforce on sexualization of girls. that is where I see a start to break he myth that women and girls at all times are interested in sex, and every other interest would pale. that is the world of advertisement. and there is a strong group on the internet fighting for a “commercial free childhood”. a great site.
If only the push for permanent readyness for sex could be halted, people and children were allowed to experience a variety of exciting endeavours and children could develop their true potentials. Then, sexuality would stay within the lives of young adults and the current set of contraceptive measures without the need for abortions would amply suffice. I understand that reproductive rights were center stage in the past when women were kept out of public life by having families with numerous children and no birth control. But now, the exploitation of female bodies is the center attack on womens rights, and not the absence of birth control.
Thanks marille. We are hopeful that with we will be able to find some areas of overlap and work with NOW going forward. Thank you for your insights.
[...] The New Agenda: The New Agenda Congratulates Terry O’Neill, incoming President of the National Organization for Wo… [...]
I am happy Terry is elected because I heard her on a radio show say she wants to invite prolife women into NOW. I support stickng up for Palin but I don’t get the Pummer group because Hillary asked my mom, a high dollar donor to support Obama personally. I think that group is off base. Don’t confuse those who are prolife with the Pummers or whatever they call themselves.
[...] their mothers, grandmothers, etc., and they know that. Quite simply, their current struggles and concerns, whatever they may be, need to be examined in light of their inherited reality, not dismissed as [...]
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