TONIGHT - Jax NOW Virtual Candidate Forum

Don't miss out on this opportunity to hear directly from the candidates recommended and endorsed by Jax NOW PAC. Join us via Zoom for a virtual Meet & Greet tonight, Tuesday, August 4 from 7:00 pm. You will have a chance to learn more about each of the candidates, to hear them explain why they're running for office and their priorities if elected, and to see why Jax NOW PAC is excited to support them.

This is an amazing line-up of candidates from around Northeast Florida. Attendees confirmed to date include Donna Westrich (Duval School Board, Dist. 2), Art Stresing (FL House, Dist. 18), Benjamin Sandlin (FL House, Dist. 12), Suzanna Pavelle (FL House, Dist. 19), L.J. Holloway (US House, Dist. 4), Rachel Grage (US House, Dist. 5), Moné Holder (Jax City Council, At-Large, Gp. 1), Rhodesia Butler (Duval School Board, Dist. 4), Jason Bellamy-Fults (FL Senate, Dist. 6), Jillian Tozer (St. Johns School Board, Dist. 4), Chadd Charland (FL House, District 15), Rhian Tutson (FL House, District 14), and Eric Yonce (U.S. House, District 6).

To join this informative virtual session, please RSVP to jaxnowchapter@gmail.com for the Zoom link. You'll have the opportunity to submit questions for candidates during the event. Please email us with any questions. We look forward to a great discussion with the candidates to inform our votes.

TWO WEEKS TO GO - YOUR VOTE MATTERS!


We are two weeks out from the August 18 elections, where Floridians will select which candidates will represent their parties in the November general election, and everyone (including independent voters) can vote for non-partisan races like judges and School Board seats as well as the special election for the Jacksonville City Council At-Large Group 1 seat. Please help spread the word about the importance of August elections and keep these key dates to keep in mind:

• Thursday, August 6 - Deadline to request a Vote-by-Mail ballot
• Friday, August 7 to Sunday, August 16 - Early voting in Duval County (10 am - 6 pm at any of 24 early voting sites) NB: You can also drop off your Vote-by-Mail ballot at a secure drop box at any of these polling locations until the end of early voting. If you choose not to use your mail-in ballot, you can vote in person. 
• Tuesday, August 18 - Primary Election Day (7 am - 7 pm at your precinct)

For more information on the election, visit the Supervisor of Elections website for your county: 
DUVAL l ST. JOHNS l CLAY l NASSAU l FLAGLER l PUTNAM l BAKER


Need information on the August election and candidates on the ballot? Check out Jax NOW PAC's endorsements and recommendations below and on our website, as well as the Blue Voter Guide, and Vote 411 from the League of Women Voters.

Jax NOW PAC Recommendations:
Jax NOW PAC proudly recommends Angie Nixon for U.S. Senate. For the U.S. House we recommend Gay Valimont (District 1), Brice Barnes (District 2), L.J. Holloway (District 4), Rachel Grage (District 5), and Eric Yonce (District 6).

Jax NOW PAC Endorsements:
Florida Senate: Jason Bellamy-Fults for the Florida Senate (District 6)

Florida House: Benjamin Sandlin (District 12), Leslie Jean-Bart (District 13), Rhian Tutson (District 14), Chadd Charland (District 15), Jacob Guerrero (District 17), Art Stresing (District 18), and Suzanna Pavelle (District 19)

Jacksonville City Council: Moné Holder, At-Large, Group 1

Duval County Judge: Matthew Lufrano for Group 1, and Melina Buncome for Group 13

Duval County School Board: Donna Westrich (District 2), Rhodesia Butler (District 4), and Dr. Tammyette Thomas (District 6)

St. Johns County School Board: Jillian Tozer (District 4)

Please visit candidates' websites (names linked above) to learn more about them and their platforms. If you would like to help support these amazing candidates, please consider contributing to the Jax NOW Political Action Committee (PAC). You can find more information here.

The Attacks on Women's Sports

Thanks to Title IX, the 1972 federal civil rights law that prohibits sex discrimination in schools, girls and women have enjoyed 50+ years of increasing athletic opportunities and scholarships, and improved facilities. We have had to continuously fight for these rights. Remember the US Women's National Soccer Team's fight for pay equity? And the horrible disparities between the NCAA March Madness facilities for the men and the women? But since Title IX was passed, high school female sports participation has grown by over 1,000% and college participation by over 600%.

Female athletes are out there killing it in pretty much every sport they compete in, but apparently their improved performances, and the growth in supporters, visibility, salaries and sponsorships (despite persistent inequalities), has really triggered a lot of fragile MAGA men and their hateful ilk.

It's true that "Everyone is watching women's sports," and it's great to celebrate big wins like the meteoric rise in WNBA viewership, the success of female Olympians, and last weekend's professional U.S. women's baseball game, to name just a few. But unfortunately, with an administration that prides itself on misogyny, racism, and hateful anti-LGBTQ policies, women's sports are now being attacked on numerous fronts.

In a significant blow to gender equality, the US Supreme Court ruled in June to allow states to ban trans athletes from participating in girls' sports. While the decision does not impose a nationwide ban on trans athletes, it does preserve laws passed in 27 states (including FL) by GOP politicians and anti-trans activists who argued that transgender women threaten safety and fairness in women’s athletics.

Less than a week after that ruling, the Heritage Foundation (which has been claiming for years that it wants to "protect women's sports") published a report calling for exempting sports from Title IX. The paper, written by Christian nationalist Scott Yenor, calls for expanding men's sports offerings while replacing competitive women's sports offerings with “cheerleading, dance, yoga, hiking clubs, recreational intramurals, and other athletic opportunities more aligned with average female interests and tendencies.” He claims high-intensity exercise increases infertility among women. 🤬🤬🤬

Sadly, the demonization of trans female athletes (really anyone who the haters deem "not feminine enough" - lots of racism at play here too) is now becoming a conversation about ways for male-dominated organizations to "prove" that athletes are female. This is particularly horrifying as MAGA and the Christian nationalists are seriously over-indexing for sexual assault, often of children. This video by @jcubedhax does a great job of explaining the dangers of the SRY gene test that has now been adopted by the International Olympic Committee for gender testing. Not only does the scientist who discovered the SRY gene 35 years ago say it's a bad idea, it's also extremely expensive.

Sadly, MAGA trolls like Riley Gaines and her new partner-in-hate, Sophie Cunningham, were showing off their ignorance and bigotry at the recent WNBA match-up between the Minnesota Lynx and the Indiana Fever, where anti-trans demonstrators organized by XX-XY Athletics 👎🏽 were in attendance. Lots of love and respect to Minnesota Lynx Head Coach, Cheryl Reeve, who wore a 'Trans Kids Matter' shirt at the game. Thanks also to Indiana Fever Head Coach, Stephanie White, who said, when asked about trans women in sports, "I don't ever believe that exclusion is the answer." 🏳️‍⚧️

Please continue to do your part to fight for Title IX and equality for ALL, to boycott groups and companies that discriminate (great Throws Like a Girl Substack on XX-XY Athletics and the Business of Hate), and to support girls' and women's sports (read The IX Sports, support Women's Sports Foundation). Let's plan for a future of continued excellence and inclusion! 🩷