Lisa Russ

Movement Strategy Center

Lisa works with the Strong Families Initiative as a Communications Strategist, which includes leading communications for multiple campaigns, editing the reproductive justice blog, and supporting racial justice leaders to find and use their voices as writers. Lisa lives, works and plays in Oakland with her husband and their two kids.

I Have Sex. And I Vote.

Lisa Russ

Lots of people take birth control pills because they are having sex and they don’t want to get pregnant. In fact, 86 percent of us take it at least in part because we want to be able to have sex and not get pregnant. Reproductive health, rights and justice advocates think it's a really good thing that women have autonomy over their bodies, their sexuality, and access to a full range of good choices about how to manage their fertility. 

Will Governor Brown Keep Pregnant and Laboring Women in Chains?

Lisa Russ

The bill to prevent the shackling of pregnant women in CA's prisons, is the California State Sheriff's Association's top priority for a veto. It means more for them to veto this bill than any other bill on the Governor's desk right now. Those who follow politics in Sacramento know this does not bode well.

War, Death and Mamas

Lisa Russ

Like most six-year-olds, little bits of information about the world leave my son asking, “Why? And why not??” I didn’t want to answer: "why are people celebrating the fact that this man is dead?"

Guns and Genitals: Sex-Ed Montana Style

Lisa Russ

Many of the same states that resist comprehensive sex ed also have loose laws for gun ownership.  Gun-rights advocates maintain that straight-forward education is the best way to keep kids safe. So why do we treat sex ed differently?