The National Organization for Women (NOW), the largest and oldest multi-issue feminist organization in the country, has been working for women's equality for more then 40 years through grassroots activism and organizing.

This year on June 20th 2009 at NOW's National Conference in Indianapolis, IN NOW members will elect a new team to lead the organization into the future.

Latifa, Sonia, Liz and Janice, all accomplished activists and leaders in NOW and the feminist movement, have declared their candidacy and seek your support to become that new leadership team.

With the recent dramatic change in the political and economic climate of the country, NOW faces unprecedented opportunity and new challenges The Time is NOW to strengthen our movement and our organization, bringing together more feminist voices than ever before to continue the fight for women's equality and justice through the next generation. The Time is NOW Team has the experience, energy and vision necessary to capitalize on the opportunities and meet the challenges we face.

Latifa Lyles, Candidate for President
Sonia Ossorio, Candidate for Vice President-Executive
Liz Gilchrist, Candidate for Vice President-Membership
Janice Rocco, Candidate for Vice President-Action

Check back often for updates, including our platform and vision for the future of NOW and how you can get involved and stay informed.

NOW is the Time Calls on the Obama Administration to repudiate the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA)

In a deeply upsetting decision, Justice Department officials are supporting the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) over the rights of lesbians and gays who have married to have their rights recognized. The Department of Justice filed a brief defending DOMA in Smelt v. United States, a lawsuit brought in federal court in California by a married same-sex couple asking the federal government to treat them equally with respect to federal protections and benefits. The Obama Administration is wrong to assert that DOMA ensures "federal neutrality"; instead, it puts the federal government on the wrong side of this important civil rights issue. The arguments made in the Justice Department's brief are offensive and should not stand as the federal government's position in this case. Every marriage recognized as legal by the states, whether between members of the same sex or opposite sex, should be entitled to equal protection of the law and equal access to all federal benefits available to married couples.

We call on the Obama Administration to change course. One of the most disturbing hallmarks of the Bush Administration was President George W. Bush's failure to admit when he was wrong and change administration policies. President Obama should acknowledge that this brief does not reflect his views and ask the Department of Justice to rescind its support of DOMA. At the same time, President Obama should call on the Congress to send him legislation to repeal DOMA. This and any other discrimination based upon sexual orientation must be prohibited by law.

NOW is the Time will work to repeal DOMA and Proposition 8 in California, and will make gaining equal marriage rights in the 44 states that do not currently permit same sex couples to marry a key priority of our administration.

Recent Media Coverage

For a further sampling of "NOW is the Time" candidates in the news, click here.

NOW seeks leader to boost ranks for Obama era

David Crary, Associated Press
Monday, June 15, 2009

Excerpt:

"The two have waged a polite campaign but are aware of the contrasts. Lyles would be NOW's youngest president ever; O'Neill one of the oldest at the start of a term.

Gandy, 55, speaks respectfully of O'Neill, but she has enthusiastically endorsed Lyles.

'It's hard to ignore the fact there's been a generational shift in the country, and an organization that doesn't recognize that is living in the past,' Gandy said. 'Latifa's youth is not a detriment, but an advantage. ... She'll take NOW to a different level.'

...

Both contenders expect the election to be close, and both are promoting themselves as best able to bolster NOW's membership.

'We are not the strongest grassroots movement we can be -- we both agree on that,' Lyles said. 'The question is how we deal with that.'

Noting that she contrasts with NOW's mostly white and over-40 membership, Lyles said she could help give NOW a new image of youth and diversity that would appeal to younger feminists and reinvigorate the broader movement.

'The profile of NOW is just as important as the work we do,' she said. 'There are a lot of antiquated notions about what feminism is.'"

Read more

Change feminists can believe in?

Judy Berman of Salon's Broadsheet
Monday, June 15, 2009

Excerpt:

"A young, black candidate who promises diversity and change faces off against an older, white candidate who, for many, represents preservation of the status quo. Sound familiar? Well, despite the obvious referent, it also describes the current campaign to replace Kim Gandy as president of the National Organization for Women (NOW). The group will elect a new leader at its national conference in Indianapolis, which begins Friday."

Read more

Sunday, May 31: Dr. George Tiller

Today, we shed tears and reach out for support from our sisters and brothers both inside and outside of NOW as we mourn the loss of Dr. George Tiller, the renowned doctor who provided abortions, women's advocate, and reproductive rights pioneer. Dr. Tiller, who ran a beseiged clinic in Wichita, Kansas, was shot and killed on his way into church this morning around 10 am.

Our hearts and prayers go out to his family and clinic staff, who supported him through previous assassination attempts and acts of vandalism at the clinic in recent months and years. We grieve for them, for all the women who will no longer have access to the important and necessary services Dr. Tiller provided, and for all of us.

He was truly a hero of the women's movement, and he will be missed. May his spirit always endure -- and may we all follow his example of fortitude, compassion, and bravery.

As we mourn the loss of Dr. Tiller, we also look to authorities in Kansas to take immediate action to arrest and bring to justice the person(s) responsible for this outrageous and callous act of murder.

Reaction to Prop 8 Decision

Latifa Lyles at the protest of the Prop 8 decision in Dupont Circle, D.C.

Statement issued by Janice Rocco, May 26 '09:

I just got home from the Prop 8 protest in Sacramento where thousands of us marched to gather outside the State Capitol for a rally.

This morning there were tears and justifiable anger as we learned of the decision just before our scheduled press conference. It was obviously a very difficult morning and we know there is a lot of work ahead of us. Strategies are being debated about when to go to the ballot to restore equal rights -- do we rush for the 2010 ballot or do we wait until 2012 when many think the chances of success are greater? There are a long list of factors being debated by a broad coalition and I'll keep you updated about where we're headed and how you can help.

By this evening, the mood had changed considerably. We all know that momentum is on our side and that the court's ruling won't deprive us of marriage equality for long. As I spoke at the rally outside the state capitol and delivered my final statement: "We will fight and fight and fight until we have permanently won our rights" -- I do think that most of the screaming and cheering people in the audience knew that this would be sooner rather than later.

Thanks to all of you who participated in rallies today and to the rest of you who were with us in spirit. We will sustain one another.