Photos Courtesy of Alissa Fleck

A number of groups and individuals met today in Foley Square to rally in support of SCOTUS upholding the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Health Care for All New York organized a “Rally to Respond” to the ruling, which was quickly retitled a “Rally to Celebrate,” announced Director Mark Hannay to the crowd. Hannay was among several speakers—doctors, advocates and elected officials—addressing the jubilant crowd of community supporters at the evening rally.

(by Alissa Fleck)

Hannay called the ruling a “milestone step forward in the history of justice,” pointing to the Declaration of Independence’s insistence on the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Hannay said these rights cannot be met without affordable, accessible healthcare for all.

Hannay added SCOTUS making healthcare a right for all means America is finally moving toward other industrialized nations, though he said we are only “9/10ths of the way down the field” and must continue to politically support those who uphold affordable healthcare.

Other speakers laid out the main points of what the ruling would mean for Americans, and New Yorkers in particular, including a breakdown of what could be expected by 2014. State Assemblyman Richard Gottfried explained the ACA would help make health funding available for working families, encourage providers to communicate with one another and ensure senior citizens can afford necessary drugs among numerous other modifications. Preventive care will become more widely accessible, particularly pertinent to many women’s health issues.

Georgetown law student and women’s rights advocate Sandra Fluke took the stand to applaud the efforts of Americans who worked to support the SCOTUS decision as well as to remind crowd members the fight is not over.

“I don’t want to see ideologically-driven legislators work to repeal this decision so they can say they fought Obamacare,” said Fluke. “We want the implementation of the whole Affordable Health Care Act and we want it now.”

All the speakers agreed this decision, while important, is foundational and there are still hurdles from here, including building on decisions made in Washington to make laws in New York “even better” and make health care “a right, not a privilege.”

Speaker Quinn called what happened in Washington an “incredibly American act” and said the days of no options for many sick people and “whether you could get treatment [meaning] how big your paycheck was” are coming to an end.

“All have the right to get well, be well and stay well,” said Quinn. “Let’s make it even better.”

By Rachel Khona

When most people get engaged, it’s met with rounds of congratulatory remarks, hugs, and champagne. However when pro-birth control activist Sandra Fluke announced her engagement to longtime boyfriend Adam Mutterperl, conservative Fox News (shocker!) pundit Monica Crowley made like a 16-year-old and took to her Twitter account to react the news “To a man?” she tweeted. Clearly any female who supports a feminist agenda and doesn’t have long shiny tresses—befitting a Pantene commercial—must clearly be a lesbian.

Fluke took the news in stride demonstrating the same level of class she displayed when she was verbally attacked by Rush Limbaugh for being a slut. (Note to Rush: a woman in a monogamous relationship is the opposite of a slut. Though calling someone is slut is effed up regardless.) On The Ed Show, Fluke stated that she thought Crowley’s comments were homophobic and that Crowley should issue an apology to the LGBT community. Though I respect her opinion, I couldn’t help but think Fluke was missing the more obvious jab. In suggesting that Fluke is a lesbian, not only is Crowley mocking women who stand up for women’s rights, she is making a subtle dig at Fluke’s appearance. With her long blond hair and perfectly made up face, Crowley is your typical glamazon. If this was Mad Men, She is Joan and Fluke is Peggy. Minus the goodwill.

But this isn’t just an issue of a conservative going after a liberal. Infamous sex blogger Lena Chen remarked, “When people saw what I looked like, they were surprised. Like I wasn’t attractive enough to be having sex or talking about sex.”

Sandra Fluke

Apparently she didn’t get the memo that only supermodels and Hollywood starlets have sex. But more importantly why are women categorized as sluts or lesbians because of their political stances or points of view? The interesting thing about female degradation is that women take an equal part in putting down other women. Whether it’s to feel superior or because they themselves are scared to rock the boat, it only serves to do a disservice to womankind. Don’t agree with a woman’s opinion? Call her a lesbo! A dyke! That’s the way to engage in political discourse!

I’m not sure what possessed Crowley to suggest Fluke is a lesbian. Perhaps she wants to seem cool in the boys club. Or perhaps she’s intimidated of a woman who has no fear of standing up for herself. Either way, all she did was show her ass, so to speak. And her ass is seriously not cute.