Kaitlin Moroney Column Submissions

1/20/2015 The Argonaut – Women fight for women

http://www.uiargonaut.com/2014/03/27/women-fight-for-women/ 1/4

Submitted by Kaitlin Moroney on 03.27.2014 – 9:56 pm

Home » Opinion

Women fight for womenOn Tuesday, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the case Hobby Lobby

brought against the government, in regard to the contraceptive mandate outlined in the Affordable Care Act. This case, more than any other in recenthistory, highlights the extreme importance of having a diversity of voices on the Supreme Court — especially the voices of women.

David and Barbara Green, the owners of Hobby Lobby — a craft store retail chain — are religiously opposed to four kinds of birth control, out of the20 that the FDA has currently approved. Ella (sometimes referred to as the “week after pill”), Plan B (the “morning after pill”) and both types ofintrauterine devices are what the Greens object to, on the premise that these forms of birth control may prevent implantation of a fertilized egg andthus, be the catalyst for early abortions.

I won’t get into the fact pregnancy does not begin (medically speaking) until after implantation, or the lack of science to back up the claims these birthcontrols prevent implantation — but let it be known their very premise is flawed.

The Greens stated that providing these forms of birth control through their insurance plans to their employees violates their religious convictions.

This issue is one that directly affects every woman in America and their right to universal access to contraceptives — which the ACA guarantees.While Hobby Lobby is bringing this case in regard to their own company, the Supreme Court ruling could affect the ability of other companies todecide to not provide these four (or all) forms of birth control to their female employees.

During the oral arguments, it became glaringly obvious where each of the justices stood, with Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Justice Elena Kagan andJustice Ruth Bader Ginsburg adamantly skeptical of Hobby Lobby’s claims. Twenty-eight of the first 32 questions to the Greens’ lawyer PaulClement came almost rapid-fire from these women.

Those in support of Hobby Lobby may pull the ad hominem classic, “Well of course they are against Hobby Lobby, they’re women!” Yes. They arewomen — three women seated on the bench in the highest court in the land who represent the voices of 50.8 percent of the population.

More than half of the people in United States of America are women, according to the 2012 U.S. Census. The first female justice was not appointeduntil 1981.

It wasn’t until 2010 that Elena Kagan became the fourth woman on the bench in history — and for the first time, part of a supreme court with threefemale justices at one time.

In a country where sexism still exists at a systemic level, where women make less than men in the same positions, where women’s reproductivefreedoms are a constant battle and where women hold less than 20 percent of congressional seats — it remains of the upmost importance for womento be represented in the Supreme Court.

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It takes a woman to fully understand what other women face in our country, and it takes women to advocate for the rest of us. While individual men

stand out throughout history as being champions for women’s rights, as a group, men are historically pretty bad at understanding — much less

advocating — for women through legislation and court decisions.

The majority opinion on this Supreme Court case may not turn out the way we might hope. But it is encouraging to see that one-third of the voices on

the bench are speaking for the rights of half the country. I hope we continue to see diversity on the Supreme Court — more women, people of color

and members of the LGBTQA community.

Until there is equity in leadership, there can’t be equity in our society.

Kaitlin Moroney can be reached at [email protected]

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1/20/2015 The Argonaut – What’s wrong about ‘being fat?’

http://www.uiargonaut.com/2014/02/27/whats-wrong-about-being-fat/ 1/4


Home » Opinion

What’s wrong about ‘being fat?’Let’s just stop with the fat jokes and fat shaming already. This past week was the 27th

annual National Eating Disorder Awareness Week, and while not everyone struggles with an eating disorder and not all of us know of someone whodoes … we can all take steps to stop contributing to a culture that helps create these struggles for so many women and men.

Around 70 million people worldwide are affected by eating disorders. Of those, over one-third — 24 million — reside in the U.S., according to theRenfrew Center Foundation for Eating Disorders. That says something about our social environment.

In writing this, I couldn’t even find a word to use that doesn’t have negative connotations associated with it. “Obese,” is a cold, medical word thattakes away the humanity of real people. “Overweight” assumes there is a standard normal weight, and anything outside that is unacceptable. “Plussize” again assumes a standard size. “Fat,” while being reclaimed by many individuals in the fat activist movement, is so often used as a derogatoryput-down. In an effort to be sensitive to all my potential readers, I’m electing to use the phrase person of size.

We live in a society where being thin has privilege associated with it. People who fall outside of the normal weight range are seen as inherently lazy,unhealthy, dirty and gross. Where studies — according to a review of the scientific literature published in the journal Obesity Research — showemployers being less likely to hire a person of size than a thin person — even with identical qualifications. Studies that show people of size arereluctant to seek health care for fear of being scolded or humiliated.

There is media all around us that praise thin people and degrade people of size. We see this everyday in virtually all forms of media, with thin-framedpeople being represented as the norm.

It’s no wonder that so many young women — and a vast number of young men, too — struggle with body image. And while eating disorders are acomplicated interconnection of emotional, psychological and bodily struggles, I think given the high numbers of young people in our country —especially in comparison to other countries — our culture is a significant factor.

And while it’s handy to blame this nebulous society and culture for our problems, we need to realize our society is us. Our social attitudes are ours.And until we change ourselves, we cannot change our culture.

So for today and every day, stop shaming people for their size. Don’t make fat jokes. Don’t make skinny jokes. Don’t assume a person of size is lazy,unhealthy or lacking in self-discipline. Begin to examine your own prejudices and presumptions when it comes to the standardized ideal of beautyand appropriateness. Recognize the privileges being skinny affords people.

Those 24 million people struggling with eating disorders? We are part of the problem. Every single one of us. And we will continue to be theproblem until we start becoming the solution.


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1/20/2015 The Argonaut – ‘Rec’ing a good time — SRC should be family-friendly, identify their rules clearly

http://www.uiargonaut.com/2014/01/30/recing-a-good-time-src-should-be-family-friendly-identify-their-rules-clearly/ 1/4


Home » Featured Sidebar, News

‘Rec’ing a good time — SRC should be family-friendly, identify their rules clearly

This last weekend, my toddler got us kicked out of the Student Recreation Center.

And there isn’t even an exciting story to show for it. I was at the SRC with a group of friends, where we were meeting for some games in the Multi-Activity Court. Because I am a parent who not only doesn’t get to see her child very often, because of my full-time work and school schedule, myhusband also needs a break once in awhile. And since I was going with a group of friends to an enclosed area where I could have close supervision… I decided to take my 2-year-old daughter with me.

We played games for about an hour and a half before an SRC employee told me my daughter could not be out on the court where we were allplaying. A reasonable request, so I thought we’d sit on the benches outside of the court.

I was then informed that apparently, that was not allowed either, and I was essentially asked to leave the facility altogether. Given that my group offriends didn’t want to break up, they left with me.

It’s the anti-climatic story of how a toddler got a group of grown college students kicked out of the SRC. As a parent, this is really annoying.

I can understand not wanting children to play on elliptical machines and underneath the climbing wall. But I am a responsible adult, who was keepinga close eye on my child, as we played in the MAC.

I can see the SRC not wanting small children on the court. I get it, it’s a liability. But to kick us out entirely? To tell us we weren’t allowed there atall, despite the fact I was willing to move off-court and sit on the sidelines? I found it utterly ridiculous we were asked to leave.

Not all University of Idaho students are childless, and those of us who aren’t, would like an equal opportunity to enjoy some of the amenities I payfor with my student dollars. I wanted to spend some time with my daughter and my friends. Apparently, the SRC isn’t the place to do it.

For the most part, I’m a rule follower. Which is why I searched around for any signs or postings stating children were not allowed. I even lookedonline to see if there was anything about bringing children. If the warning against bringing your toddler is there … I never saw it. So either they don’texist or the SRC does a really horrible job of making thisrule known.

My husband attends WSU, where they have family hours every day — 9 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. on Saturdays. Children are welcome, provided an adultaccompanies them. It would be nice if UI had a similar policy to accommodate the many students who are also parents at this school.

As a student, I’d like the option to hang out with friends and be able to bring my daughter. I love UI, and I love our SRC. Unfortunately, they don’tlove kids, which makes it more difficult for me to use their amenities.


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Kaitlin Moroney Column Submissions