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Girls Just Wanna Have Fundamental Rights!
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inductee Cyndi Lauper has invited the League to partner with her on her upcoming "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" farewell tour! The Milwaukee performance is August 3rd at American Family Field. Six LWVMC volunteers will be at a table to invite people to register to vote, take information about Vote411 (Cyndi's a fan,) donate money to the Milwaukee League and become League members.
| | |  | Milwaukee Election Commission Upcoming Community Listening Sessions
The Milwaukee Election Commission (MEC) wants to hear from voters at their Community Listening Sessions:
Saturday, July 26, 8 am at 2944 N. 9th St.
MEC wants to hear about City of Milwaukee residents' voting experiences to learn what is going well and what could be improved. Their mission is to ensure that all elections are secure, fair, transparent, and accessible in order to instill voter confidence in the democratic process. Join them for one of the listening sessions and share your feedback, thoughts and ideas about the election process. Feel free to share the flyer with friends and family members! Registration is encouraged.
The League of Women Voters of Milwaukee County is an official supporter of this event. | Mass Incarceration Committee Meets Aug. 4th
LWVMC's new advocacy committee, led by Emily Sterk, invites interested members to discuss advocacy for confronting mass incarceration. The committee's next monthly meeting is via Zoom on August 4th at 4:00 p.m. | |
Good Trouble Lived On!
July 17, 2025 |  | |
League members and supporters in Waukesha
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League members at multiple sites across Milwaukee and Waukesha Counties honored John Lewis on the anniversary of his death by protesting the Trump administration’s attacks on our civil and human rights.
"When you see something that is not right, not fair, not just, you have to speak up.”
-Congressman John Lewis |  | | Climate Action Update
Meet the Climate Action Group at Estabrook Park
July 26, 10 AM - Noon at the Beer Garden
Scratchy Eyes? Trouble Breathing? Follow your air quality at Air Quality Index
Then do something to combat unhealthy air … join the Climate Action Group on July 26, 10-noon, Beer Garden at Estabrook Park; poor weather: Bay Shore Lutheran Church, 1200 E. Hampton in Whitefish Bay. Meet informally with members and friends to share your thoughts on climate, review of this past year’s CAG events and actions, and offer your thoughts for future climate-related League events in 2025-26. The impact of the changes at the federal level makes the work of our LWVMC Climate Action Group more important than ever. Connect with like-minded members and friends to brainstorm ways we can work together on the local level to create the healthy climate and environment we want for current and future generations.
Sign up now for your County Supervisor’s email updates to stay current with County efforts to address climate change. Sign up at https://findyourcountysupervisor.com/?utm_source=www.findyourcountysupervisor.com (When you enter your address, use N, S, E, W for cardinal directions.)
What YOU CAN DO:
Take care of yourself when air quality is bad. Stay inside, close windows, make sure your air filter is working. If you go outside, wear an N95 mask.
Reduce the AI Drain on the electric grid! When you search online, enter -AI, that’s minus AI, before you click. “Voila!” You will not drain the grid and get an AI summary, an amalgam, an average, of all that is out there on the internet. Instead you get a list of options from which YOU CHOOSE.
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Q. *How many who become transgender regret their decision?
A. Research suggests that comprehensive psychological counseling before starting treatment, along with family support, reduce chances for regret and detransitioning. Guidelines call for thorough psychological assessments to confirm gender dysphoria — distress over gender identity that doesn’t match a person’s assigned sex — before starting any treatment.
Research and reports from individual doctors and clinics suggest that detransitioning is rare. In an analysis of 27 studies involving 8,000 patients an overall regret rate of about 1% was found, with confidence interval under 2%. "The few studies that exist have too many limitations or weaknesses to draw firm conclusions," said Dr. Michael Irwig, director of transgender medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. "My own personal experience is that it is quite uncommon," Irwig said. "I've taken care of over 350 gender-diverse patients and probably fewer than five have told me they decided to detransition or changed their minds."
Sources: How common is transgender treatment regret,detransitioning? AP News; Bustos, V.P., et al Regret after Gender-affirming Surgery: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.
*While this answer reflects current evidence from reputable sources, it may not capture all study designs or experiences. It is provided to shed light on misinformation about LGBTQ+ issues. The League of Women Voters of Milwaukee County supports fact-based dialogue that respects individual dignity and promotes informed understanding.
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LWVWI, together with local leagues, is hosting a 60th Anniversary celebration commemorating the passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act and we hope you can join us!
This will be a powerful community gathering to honor landmark civil rights legislation and mobilize against decades of attacks on voting rights, with a call to restore and protect them through the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.
Diana Wynn, LWV president, is the keynote speaker.
Register here
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Milwaukee Coalition Gathers to Celebrate Historic Legislation & Call to Protect Voting Rights
On Wednesday, August 6, a coalition of 11 Milwaukee organizations, facilitated by LWVMC, will gather 9:00 – 10:00 a.m. at Ezekiel Gillespie Park, 2478 N. 14th St., to commemorate the 60th Anniversary of the Voting Rights Act (VRA). This landmark legislation was designed to eliminate discriminatory practices that historically denied African Americans and other marginalized groups their right to vote.
Mayor Cavalier Johnson will read a proclamation recognizing the historic significance of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. Clayborn Benson, of the Wisconsin Black Historical Society and Museum, will share remarks about Ezekiel Gillespie, the first African American to fight for voting rights in Wisconsin in 1866. The event will also acknowledge the 50th Anniversary of Section 203 of the VRA amendments, enacted in 1975 to ensure language-minority citizens could fully participate in the electoral process.
A series of video interviews with Milwaukee residents, sharing why voting matters to them, are posted on social media platforms (#VRA60). The video series also features special messages from actress Kerry Washington and former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder.
The public is encouraged to visit the League’s website for more information on the Voting Rights Act: https://lwvmilwaukee.org/ and to visit the Mitchell Street Library, currently showcasing an array of books on voting rights for patrons of all ages in July.
|  | Make an ongoing investment to defend democracy
With the daily undemocratic actions happening in Washington, we take defending democracy seriously. You may have already joined actions as part of the Unite and Rise 8.5 campaign from LWV US.
Want to do more? Looking to make a significant impact over time? Consider setting up a recurring monthly donation. Giving monthly allowing you to plan for a scheduled and meaningful contribution and allows the League to better plan to meet expenses. You can contribute as little as $10 a month or more, as your budget allows.
To sign up, go to the League website at www.lwvmilwaukee.org and sign-in as a member. Click on the donate button and you will see six opportunities to give with the top left being “recurring donations.” Click on “Schedule donation” in the recurring donations button. Then follow the prompts. You will need a credit card.
Your generosity will help us educate the voting public about the issues in Washington affecting democracy and what we can do to address them. Thank you.
|  | Friday, July 25th | 10:00 a.m.
East Side Library, 2320 N. Cramer St., Milwaukee
Book discussion of “Demystifying Disability” by Emily Ladau. Whether you read the book or not, our discussions are always interesting, and everyone has something to learn and contribute on this important topic. Join us!
There is parking behind the library through the archway. |  |
“Belonging, Bridging and Beloved Community” is part of MICAH’s (Milwaukee Innercity Congregations Aligned for Hope) We All Belong Campaign – to protect democracy, reject white Christian nationalism, and build Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Beloved Community.
Dr. John Powell is an internationally recognized expert in the areas of civil rights, civil liberties, structural racism, housing, poverty, and democracy. He is the Director of the Othering & Belonging Institute at the University of California, Berkeley. (for more info see belonging.berkeley.edu/john-powell)
To register for this event, use the QR code on the flyer or go to the MICAH webpage micahmke.org/event/belonging-bridging-and-beloved-community/.
“Belonging” general admission tickets are $30 including lunch or to further help cover costs consider “Bridging” sponsorship tickets for $100 which includes lunch and recognition in the program.
|  | | The “Big Beautiful Bill” contained monies to hire 10,000 more ICE agents and to expand the number of beds by 80,000 for detention facilities in order to reach a deportation/removal goal of a million people per year. This is especially concerning as many immigrants are not being accorded their constitutional right to due process.
How can you help?
Become a community defense network verifier! Verifiers are people who respond to ICE alerts by quickly traveling to the reported locations to confirm or deny ICE activity. NOTE: The role requires reliable transportation and some daytime flexibility.
Trainings are being held at the Voces Milwaukee office (733 W. Mitchell St) every first and third Saturday of the month from 1-3pm.
Please sign up in advance at: ICE Verifier Training Form
Only one training is required.
Upcoming dates: Saturday, July 19th; Saturday, August 2nd; Saturday, August 16th; Saturday, September 6th; Saturday, September 20th.
Questions? Contact Donna Spars, d.spars@lwvmilwaukee.org |  | Support Local Democracy. Support Your League.
Your support is critical to help our nonpartisan grassroots organization reach voters play a critical role in democracy. It would not be possible to empower voters and defend democracy without your support.
Thank you! LWVMC
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