Since so many legislators, both state and national, are beholden to the religious right for support contraceptive inequity has languished in the background as a dirty little secret not known to most legislators but supported by all of Pat Robertson s buddies. When the inequity is pointed out, most mainstream Americans want it stopped. A national survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that 75 percent of those surveyed favored legislation requiring insurers to provide coverage for the full range of contraceptives. There are many, of which I am one, who feel insurance companies would actually gain in savings because good birth control availability would mean fewer unwanted pregnancies and therefore less outlay of funds by insurance companies. But even if insurance does have to cost more, Americans are willing to pay more for contraceptive equity.
Men tend to shy away from the issue.
Additionally, most of the men in the religious right are totally hostile to contraceptive equity. And for those of you with access to the web, here are four excellent web sites that will help you find the banners and issues and facts in this battle against inequity. Evan Mahaney is a member of the ACLU of North Carolina board of directors. Please contact the Webmaster of this site. ACLU business should be directed to the ACLU-NC .