Resources
When women vote we change the world!

All Things Political

In 1776, former U. S. President John Adams wrote that “men must fight the despotism of the petticoat.” Surely he never anticipated that he would live long enough to see the successful passage of the Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States.

“The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.

Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.”

Check out this timeline of Women’s Suffrage in the United States.

Women just like us fought for decades to win the right to have our voices heard in the political process. In honoring our birthright, we must educate ourselves on the pressing issues facing women today and involve ourselves in appropriate and timely citizen participation. To facilitate this process, Palm Springs Now provides the following list of resources.

The Palm Springs Area Chapter of the National Organization is not affiliated with the individuals, organizations, or institutes listed here. The owners of each website are solely responsible for their content. We provide the following contact information and web resources for your reference only.

National Organizations of interest

	National Women’s Political Caucus - a multicultural, intergenerational, and multi-issue grassroots organization dedicated to increasing women’s participation in the political process and creating a true women’s political power base to achieve equality for all women.
	League of Women Voters - a nonpartisan political organization, encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy.
	American Association of University Women - advancing equity for women and girls through advocacy, education and research. Visit this link to check out their Two-Minute Activist campaign, where you can MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD IN CONGRESS! First, take one minute to read about the latest issue in Congress. Then, take one more minute to personalize a message and e-mail it to your member of Congress.
	Equality California - Founded in 1998, EQCA celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2008, commemorating a decade of building a state of equality in California. In the past 10 years, Equality California has strategically moved California from a state with extremely limited legal protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) individuals to a state with some of the most comprehensive civil rights protections in the nation.
	CARE International - a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty. We place special focus on working alongside poor women because, equipped with the proper resources, women have the power to help whole families and entire communities escape poverty. Women are at the heart of CARE’s community-based efforts to improve basic education, prevent the spread of HIV, increase access to clean water and sanitation, expand economic opportunity and protect natural resources. CARE also delivers emergency aid to survivors of war and natural disasters, and helps people rebuild their lives.
	NARAL Pro-Choice America - For more than 30 years, NARAL Pro-Choice America has been the nation’s leading advocate for privacy and a woman’s right to choose. With the far right in control of the White House and many state legislatures, our work has never been more important.
	Institute for Women’s Policy Research - conducts rigorous research and disseminates its findings to address the needs of women, promote public dialogue, and strengthen families, communities, and societies.

Local Organizations of interest

	Desert Women for Equality - The mission of DWE is to improve the health and welfare of lesbians and all women in the Coachella Valley through education and philanthropic activities. Not only does the organization sponsor FREE monthly mammogram clinics, they also have an annual scholarship fund to support the educational advancement of women in the Coachella Valley.
	Desert Pride Center - The mission of the Desert Pride Community Center is to empower the LGBT community to celebrate the full beauty of their lives by providing services, education and cultural events which serve to enrich, inspire and enlighten the hearts of our diverse community. We advocate for social justice & equality for all regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. With a focus on the needs of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, the Desert Pride Community Center, also known as, “a place to call home”, addresses the necessity to create a healthy & vibrant environment which allows LGBT people to represent themselves in an affirmative atmosphere.
	L-Spot - The L Spot is here to provide women living in and visiting our area an easy way to connect, find out what’s happening, and support lesbian friendly businesses and services. Our “Living” section has information on events, groups, clubs, the arts, health & fitness, politics and more. Our Banner Advertisers and Directory members are all “L” friendly. If it is of interest to lesbians in Palm Springs and the desert cities, you can find it here!

Hate Crimes

• Information For Survivors - The Anti-Violence Program.
• State Hate Crimes Laws - Includes an interactive map documenting state hate crime statutes.
• UC Davis Stop Hate Crimes! - Hosted by Dr.Herek, this site contains a number of links to other web pages devoted to ending bias-related crimes.
• Families United Against Hate - Providing support, guidance and assistance to individuals, families and communities dealing with incidents based on bias; and to the people, organizations and agencies who serve and support them.

PO Box 407, Palm Springs, CA 92263  Phone:(760) 320-6355 Email: mail@psnow.org