For a year I have had the honor of getting to know about a few of the 21 lives lost inside Robb Elementary & the families keeping their memories alive.
For 2 moms a year of grief has looked different & yet both say the same: They can’t move forward. They want their babies home.
I’m depressed as fuck. More than I’ve ever been in my life. I have anxiety, suffer from PTSD, & am battling an eating disorder. Guess how many fucking people I’ve shot & killed.
Zero.
Don’t blame mental illness. Blame toxic masculinity, white supremacy, & easy access to guns.
Today I interviewed a victim/survivor of Larry Nassar, who shocked me when she said I was the first and only reporter to ever do a trauma-informed interview with her.
Fellow reporters, this should be standard procedure by now.
Hey 60 minutes you spelled "RAPIST" wrong. Brock Turner isn't a "Stanford swimmer." He's a rapist. Chanel Miller wasn't the victim of a Stanford Swimmer. Chanel Miller was the victim of a rapist.
You fucking people should be ashamed.
She has been known to the world as “Emily Doe,” the sexual assault victim of Stanford swimmer Brock Turner. Now she’s revealing her name and face. Chanel Miller, here reading her victim impact statement, gives her first interview to "60 Minutes"
Again, because it unfortunately keeps happening, a reminder that it’s journalistic malpractice to call a 6-week abortion ban a “heartbeat bill” or claim these laws ban abortion after a “heartbeat” is detected.
An embryo at 6 weeks gestation does not have a heart.
The venn diagram of people protesting shelter in place orders because they don’t like “the government telling them what to do” and people who think the government should tell pregnant people who want abortions what to do with their bodies is one giant fucking circle.
From 1994-2016, anti-abortion advocates killed 11 abortion workers and attempted to kill 26. From 1977-2015, there were more than 7,200 reported acts of violence against abortion clinics — 42 bombings, 185 arson attacks & 1000s of death threats, bioterrorism threats & assaults.
#AmyCooper
lost her job & her dog.
Mr. Cooper could've lost his life. She knew it. She was going to use the cops to murder a Black man because she was annoyed.
If you're more upset about a white woman losing her dog & job over a Black man losing his life, fuck all the way off.
First Indigenous woman elected to Congress.
The first openly gay person elected governor.
The first Muslim woman elected to Congress.
The youngest woman ever elected to Congress.
The first openly lesbian woman elected mayor in FL
40% of black men in FL won the right to vote.
Hey dude bros in my mentions feeling targeted because they assume by “white supremacy” I just mean “white” and by “toxic masculinity” I just mean “all men”:
You’re telling on yourselves.
Stop. Calling. Them. Heartbeat. Bans.
An embryo at 6 weeks doesnt have a heart. What’s often described as a “heartbeat” is pulsating embryonic cardiac cells. This language, like the term “pro-life,” is picked specifically to circumvent science & medicine in favor of emotions.
Brett Kavanaugh's op-ed is written in the language of every abuser: lash out in anger, apologize for that anger, blame outside influences for that anger, promise that's not "who you are" and you'll be better about your anger.
Repeat.
John Mulaney isn't going to see your "jokes" about his addiction & treatment, but your friends who're silently struggling w/alcohol & substance abuse - especially at a time when rates are on the rise due to COVID-19 - most certainly will. And they think you're a fucking asshole.
The fact that
@SenGillibrand
and
@KamalaHarris
both dropped out of the race before the billionaire white guys who bought their way in and are funding their continued stay tells you every damn thing you need to know about our fucked up political system.
Check in w/your interviewee regularly incase they need a beat. Encourage them to look for signs of overwhelm/anxiety in their body. Remind them that they don't have to answer questions they don't want to. Let them know a pub date so they can prepare.
It all makes a difference.
My family invited Anthony Bourdain into our home every week. And every week he took us around the world, trying new foods and speaking to new people and discovering new cultures. His writing, humor, & candor always reminding me of home. I'm heartbroken. We are failing one another
And while it’s not meant to be the reason you interview w/ compassion, interviewees who feel safe and respected when speaking to you will be more open w/ you.
Being trauma-aware and informed literally makes you better at your job.
Be a human. Be thoughtful. Be kind. It helps.
It doesn’t matter if they’ve been interviewed two times or 1,000,000,000 times — there is no timeline to trauma, so treat every interview as if it’s their first & prob triggering. If possible, check in a day or so after the piece is published, just to see how they’re feeling.
What is inaccurately referred to as a “beating heart” are pulsating embryonic cardiac cells.
Journalists, our job is to report the facts, not parrot anti-abortion talking points and anti-science rhetoric.
We must do better.
3 million women nationwide report that their first "sexual experience" was rape. Three. Million. Women.
Meanwhile, Ben Shapiro believes they're all liars unless they can give a detailed description of their rapist's penis to, apparently, Ben Shapiro.
More than 3 million women nationwide reported that their first sexual experience was rape, according to a new study, which surveyed women aged 18 to 44.
A special “fuck you” to the mind-numbingly sycophantic morons who think “the media” is somehow reveling in the COVID-19 pandemic when so many of us have lost our jobs, are watching our friends, family members, & coworkers die, yet must remain “plugged in” to try & make a living.
1 year ago Jackie was celebrating her First Communion. At a family gathering her uncle taught her how to dance the 2-step.
She was shot & killed just 16 days later
I will always hold this family, who welcomed me into their home & shared w/me their Jackie stories, in my thoughts
One year ago today our princess celebrated her First Communion. She had trouble looking for the perfect dress, but she finally found it on Amazon. Little did we know this would be the dress she was buried in just a few weeks later. Pictures are all I have left 💔
#JackieCazares
The same men who were *certain* a woman president would start a nuclear war because *feelings* are now looking at Trump threatening nuclear war & saying "it'll never happen" so please for the love of fuck don't tell me sexism didn't play a part in the damn election OMG fuck you.
Hi hello as you discuss the untimely and tragic death of Mac Miller, friendly reminder that it's in no way, shape, or form Ariana Grande's doing. Do not blame someone for leaving a situation they knew was unhealthy and detrimental. She did nothing wrong. This is not her fault.
I'm sorry but "Jane Roe" getting paid to "change her mind on abortion" & serve as a tool for the anti-abortion movement is only surprising if you've never watched an anti-choicer picket a clinic, go to that clinic for an abortion then return to picket the very ppl who helped them
In 2020, reports of assault and battery against abortion providers increased 125% compared to 2019.
In 2019, two suspicious or hoax packages were sent to clinics that provide abortions. In 2020, clinics reported 27.
I have not been proud to be an American in what often feels like a very, very long time.
Today,
@AyannaPressley
,
@AOC
,
@IlhanMN
, &
@RashidaTlaib
made me proud to be an American. I am proud — so, so proud — and so thankful to share a country with these four incredible women.
The thing about the whole "if only cops knew what DV/toxic relationships looked like, then
#GabbyPepito
would still be alive" take is that 40% of police officer families experience DV. My dad was a cop. My family was one of those families.
They know *exactly* what it looks like.
Meghan McCain had a baby and now realizes that the US needs paid maternity leave, she explains on The View. She says personal experience helped open her eyes.
Yesterday the president RTed a tweet that read “Leave Democrat cities Let them rot” & we all collectively went 🤷🏽♀️ because he already left people living in blue cities & states to die of COVID & we’ve become so desensitized it’s just accepted as normal but it’s not omg it is not.
Hearing about Morgan Freeman and all I can think about is
@AsiaArgento
's searing words at Cannes:
"You know who you are. But most importantly, we know who you are. And we’re not going to allow you to get away with it any longer."
#MeToo
All my love, strength, & solidarity to people who’ve been made to re-live, re-tell, and re-visit their miscarriages, ectopic pregnancies, stillbirths, and other pregnancy & infant losses as a result of anti-abortion laws championed by forced-birth advocates & politicians.
Friendly reminder: there’s no such thing as a “late term” abortion. Reporters, news anchors and anyone else in the media — it’s our job to report the truth, not regurgitate anti-abortion talking points and pseudo-science. If you cannot report accurately do not “report” at all.
I have a folder labeled "New York Times Rejections" and it's filled with rejection emails I've received. There are 25 emails currently sitting in that folder.
Yesterday I signed a freelance contract with The New York Times.
#ShareYourRejections
For
@TODAYshow
@TODAY_Parents
I spoke to
@0liviajulianna
, the 19-yr-old activist who was body-shamed by 40-yr-old Matt Gaetz, on how she used a negative to raise over $168K for abortion funds.
"Don't mess w/women from Texas & don't mess /Gen Z," she said.
For
@TODAYshow
, I wrote about the sweet notes
@JohnFetterman
’s kids left him as he continues treatment for depression & how
@giselefetterman
’s openness & honesty during this time is starting a conversation about how families handle a parent's depression.
Listening to my son's 1st grade teacher talk about the inauguration and after asking why today is special, a little girl says, "Because we're getting our first woman vice president" and now is when I start crying.
Today won't automatically fix anything, but today is a good day.
Death threats to abortion providers tripled after Trump was elected.
Antisemitic incidents increased nearly 60% from 2016 to 2017.
Number of Anti-Muslim groups tripled after Trump launched his POTUS campaign.
Trump, the GOP, & their supporters are absolutely to blame. Period.
The Fake News is doing everything in their power to blame Republicans, Conservatives and me for the division and hatred that has been going on for so long in our Country. Actually, it is their Fake & Dishonest reporting which is causing problems far greater than they understand!
Friendly reminder that it’s journalistic malpractice to use the term “pro-life” when describing those who are anti-abortion as it is a misnomer, obvious propaganda, and the antithesis of everything pro-government mandated forced birth advocates and zealots stand for.
Make no mistake, there is no "best time" to force people to go hungry, but taking away food stamps from 700,000 people right before the holidays is a special kind of cruelty the Trump administration has perfected.
BREAKING: Trump admin. has formalized work requirements for recipients of food stamps, a move that will cause nearly 700,000 people to lose access to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
We're going to examine how key media players (many of whom can't get preg & or have an abortion) normalized pro-forced birth marketing tactics by blindly adopting erroneous terms, right?
"Heartbeat bill." "Partial birth abortion." "Late term abortion."
These. Do. Not. Exist.
the thing about Olivia Wilde and Harry Styles dating is that OMG STOP HAVING WEDDINGS AND ATTENDING WEDDINGS WTF PEOPLE ARE DYING HEALTH CARE WORKERS ARE OVERWHELMED HOSPITALS ARE AT CAPACITY SERIOUSLY STOP HAVING AND GOING TO WEDDINGS WHAT IN THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH ALL OF YOU.
Black women didn’t “save us.” They saved themselves, their families & communities & futures, & in doing so happened to save the rest of us. The ongoing “hero praise” from non-Black ppl does nothing when we do little else to eradicate the battles Black women face in the 1st place.
Friendly reminder that it is *super* easy to explain abortion to kids. My 7 year old knew what it was, & that his mom had one, when he was 4. "Mom was pregnant when she didn't want to be & a doctor helped her. Then she was pregnant when she wanted to be & had me."
That simple.
TX families are receiving DNA & fingerprint kits to help identify their kid in the event of an "emergency." For
@TODAYshow
@TODAY_Parents
I spoke to TX parents who say after Uvalde the kits send the wrong message. "It makes me physically sick" a mom said.
RBG was owed her final wish.
Pregnant people are owed full bodily autonomy.
LGBTQ+ people are owed discrimination protections.
People are owed the right to access health care.
And every single one of these GOP motherfuckers are owed a goddamn pink slip.
#VoteThemOut
Can't stop thinking about that Meghan Markle video & the look in her eyes & how, while her circumstances are very diff, many new moms have that same look — exhaustion, struggle & disbelief that even though they're no longer pregnant someone still bothers to ask how they're doing.
Today is Amerie Garza’s birthday. She should be 11, but she was killed in the Uvalde shooting.
I spoke to Amerie’s mom
@kim_amerie
about the first Mother’s Day since the shooting, the last gift her daughter gave her & how she still cares for her baby girl
No Dobbs today. But this dissent from Sotomayor on Carson v Makin is chilling.
"What a difference 5 years makes. In 2017, I feared that the Court was 'lead[ing] us…to a place where separation of church and state is a constitutional slogan, not a constitutional commitment.'”
Imagine placing any expectations on the women gymnastics team after what Larry Nassar, USA Gymnastics & the FBI did. Imagine asking literally anything from those girls and young women.
We're lucky they even competed. Full stop. LUCKY. Because we certainly didn't deserve it.
They're making fun of Greta like they did David like they did Emma like they did Mari like they did Gavin so can we just collectively agree that the ppl obsessed w/ fetuses hate it when those fetuses become people who demand equality & safety & justice & a future for the planet.
Dear cisgender men: please fight for the right to safe, legal, affordable abortion care as if you were the ones who could experience an unplanned pregnancy. Thanks.
#RoevWade
#7in10ForRoe
#Roe45
We need a “come to Jesus” moment on how abortion is discussed in the media because when you report on it instead of pontificate on it it’s clear that abortion is:
A parenting issue
An economic issue
A family values issue
A “kitchen table” issue
A health care issue
A voting issue
Fox News covered (read: attacked) my latest piece for Marie Claire about abortion depictions onscreen & why we need to see more parents having abortions & let me make a few things very clear:
1) I don’t regret shit. My abortion was easily one of the best decisions I’ve ever made
Please please please don't praise Mitch McConnell for having the "courage" to admit that molesting a child is wrong. Let's raise the bar of basic human decency a little higher, people.
BREAKING: Senate leader Mitch McConnell says he believes women who have accused Roy Moore of inappropriate sexual contact, says Moore "should step aside."
As GOP members of the House tried & failed to elect a House speaker,
@RepJimmyGomez
was busy keeping his 4-month-old fed, dry & happy. When Rep Gomez voted for
@RepJeffries
he was babywearing his boy.
“I think it does send a powerful message,” he told me.
Ppl who say they "don't believe in abortion" have abortions. Conservatives, Republicans, ppl who spend their time & energy fighting to strip away the right to abortion, are having abortions. This is not shocking. This is the anti-abortion movement in nutshell: shameless hypocrisy
Dear
#SCOTUS
,
Fetal tissue is not a person.
Fetal tissue is not a person.
Fetal tissue is not a person.
Fetal tissue is not a person.
Fetal tissue is not a person.
But I am. And I matter more than fetal tissue.
Signed,
People who have miscarriages & abortions.
My phone is blowing up with non-stop emails from
@emilyslist
, sending congratulatory email after congratulatory email because candidate after candidate is winning tonight.
Women are “electable.” Women are winning. Women will keep winning.
Elect women.
#ElectionNight
Forever 10-year-old Uziyah wanted to be a police officer, Cross shared.
"It’s sickening, that it’s those same officers — in the same profession that he wanted to do — that ultimately failed him," Cross said.
An act of domestic violence occurs every 15 secs in the US. Four women die every day as a result. 1 in 4 women & 1 in 9 men will experience intimate partner violence. For DV victims,
#shelteringinplace
could be deadly. My latest for
@zoramag
:
I love this & am also incensed that it’s revolutionary in 2021.
You’re postpartum whether you had a live birth or not. You need time to heal whether your baby is alive or not. And the often traumatic experience of pregnancy and infant loss requires more, not less, paid time off.
New Zealand just approved a new measure allowing for paid leave after miscarriage. The legislation is believed to be among the first in the world, applying to couples who lose a baby at any point.
Friendly reminder: you don’t have to be a member of “the troops” to experience PTSD triggers due to fireworks. As someone w/PTSD due to years of child abuse I can tell you this fucking holiday sucks for me too
You don’t have to go overseas to get PTSD. Usually the war is at home
My abortion story is in this AMICUS brief. I am proud — PROUD — to share my story w/ SCOTUS & say unequivocally that w/out my abortion & the caring, capable health care workers who provided it I would not be the mom I am today. I owe my life & my family to abortion providers.
Elizabeth Warren of the House of Massachusetts, first of her name, the unburnt, Queen of debates and the eater of men, Khaleesi of the great Democratic party, Breaker of Billionaires, and mother of plans.
#DemDebate
#LouisCK
's statement: "These stories are true."
Victims gain nothing from coming forward, except the hope that the cycle of abuse will end. It doesn't bring us fame. Or money. It doesn't negate what happened. Doesn't stop PTSD. Doesn't erase depression.
Believe women.
.
@repjimmygomez
said the kids in attendance, including his son, brought joy & reprieve to House members. At one point
@AOC
insisted Rep Gomez “give me that baby” because he’s “the most gorgeous baby.”
He said the kids also reminded Reps why they’re there.
Stop saying “heartbeat bill” without putting quotations around it or “so-called” in front of it. What’s called a “heartbeat” at 6 weeks gestation is NOT the beat of a fully-formed heart. It’s an involuntary reflux contraction of cardiac cells. There is no heart.
Remember when people were super pissed that Love Actually portrayed the president of the United States as a misogynistic sexual harasser as if our country was incapable of even theoretically voting a serial abuser into office?
Oh, those were the days.
"If life imitates art, & vice versa, then they're indicative of the fights women across the country are still facing -- an extension of the foxholes women have been sequestered in for decades."
My latest for
@CNN
about Swift, Bieber, & the battles ahead.
The bar for men is so damn low it's revolting. Kavanaugh hired women clerks! He coached girls' basketball! He has daughters! He has a wife! OMG he has a mom!
It. Doesn't. Mean. A. Damn. When. You. Keep. Women. From. Making. Their. Own. Medical. Decisions.
#SCOTUS
#StopKavanaugh
Don't say you'll move to Canada.
Don't say overturning Roe v Wade is a forgone conclusion.
Don't act like abortion isn't already essentially illegal for many ppl in this country.
Donate to
@PPact
&
@AbortionFunds
.
VOTE
Call reps & demand they vote down any anti-abortion nominee.
Another mom, who moved to TX from Ireland where "gun violence is negligible & sending children to school wasn't a daily terror" says "elected officials, both national & Texan, have given up."
As this week begins and the nation prepares to observe the first anniversary of the deadly Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde, TX, I’m thinking of the families & sweet babies I’ve grown to know and hold dear over the course of a horrendous, grief-stricken year.
ICYMI, I spoke to a TX mom who was denied maternity leave after having a stillborn baby. An anti-abortion law forced her to pay for funeral home services. It took a month for her to get her baby's ashes — before she was initially told to return to work.