AH! I get it now! Sorry to have been so dense before, your explanation makes perfect sense, thanks for taking the time to type it all out!!

I'm still confused. She didn't say white women. Or any other qualifier besides women. Period.

That's pretty interesting, and frustrating I'll certainly give you that. I might be cautious about being so certain about the surroundings of her payment and leave, unless you are actually 100% certain-like, is that a company-wide policy? It's a pretty weird sounding policy, and seems ripe for a lawsuit or something.…

So wait, because I'm not gay I can't stand up for gay rights? I know I'm not her and don't have a stage nearly as large as the Oscars, but why should we be upset about anyone speaking up for equal pay for women?

Do you know all of the details of your coworker's leave? She was paid out specifically for maternity leave? Or she used vacation leave for her time away?

How were you discriminated against? I'm not trying to argue with you, I am genuinely curious.

Is it wrong that I fully expect my best friend who happens to be gay to be as supportive of and vocal about my rights as a female as I have been for his rights as a gay person? He and I have discussed it and he even agrees-how could he NOT stand with me when I continue to stand with him?

Oh my goodness. Twins! Congratulations and best of luck!! I never really "got" the maternity leave thing until I had a baby. Like...it just does a full on number to you! I spent many hours reading about what other nations do for their leave, and it's pretty disgusting. It also speaks volumes about how we treat our…

Sorry I was mostly being a little sassy with Madeleine saying "please hold your horses"

e'rybody up in hurr tonight so damn impatient and bossy!

Haha right, me too!! I mean I get TWO whole weeks of vacation a year, so I'd absolutely take six. But BUT I would definitely NOT have another baby for twelve weeks "off." HA no way jose. I'll stick with my two weeks of paid vacay, no additional children, and fight the good fight to help others have rights that enable…

Thanks bluesbelle! It's not like women have babies every year, or ever at all (like you said). It is a MASSIVE change for mother and father. I had two weeks. TWO! Before I started working part time from home. My husband had more paternity leave than I had maternity leave-riddle me that! Anyways, thanks for fighting…

Dearest shoegal, if you ever choose to have a baby I hope that within 4 weeks you're physically ready to return to work. It sounds like that's not your path, and to each their own, I'm not saying that that is wrong AT ALL. If you had seen me or any number of my friends at 4 weeks postpartum you would have said "pink…

Thank you for saying this in such a more succinct way than I was able to.

Do you truly think companies should give every single employee 12 weeks of paid leave per year?

The same body parts? That is your argument? Yes, a hysterectomy is also a big change, involves down time, adjustment, etc. And, just like MOST vacation leave policies in America, you can use your vacation time for a hysterectomy and for having a child. Most companies don't actually pay maternity leave. The FMLA…

Maternity leave is not the same thing as a vacation. It is not a "perk" so to speak, rather a time to recover from a major physical ordeal. I didn't really get what that meant until I had a child (which I swear I'm not saying in a 'look at me, i'm so special' way because really, i don't think having a child is that…

It is? Whoa looks like who-uh to me.

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I was hesitant to like this because you had at that point 69 stars. But the grinding > sexual innuendo I guess. Thanks for sharing all my favs