WOMEN'S FORUM Focus shifts from Bush

The president's name was barely mentioned.
YOUNGSTOWN -- It was billed as a forum about the Bush administration's treatment of women.
But the president's name was barely uttered during Monday's discussion in the Ohio Room of Kilcawley Center at Youngstown State University.
The forum, sponsored by the Student National Organization for Women, was titled "Bush's White House: The Current Administration's Treatment of Women."
While a few of Bush's policies were discussed, the panelists focused on health care benefits for domestic partners, emergency contraceptive, or so-called abortion pills, teaching abstinence to teenagers, and whether pharmacists have the right to refuse filing prescription drugs based on their religious beliefs.
Sitting at one table were three conservatives: Dr. Eric See, a YSU assistant professor of criminal justice; Tracey S. Winbush, the Mahoning County Republican Organization's headquarters coordinator during the 2004 campaign and former Youngstown school board member; and Jason Mays, a junior at YSU majoring in history.
At the other table were three with a more liberal viewpoint: Dr. Gabriel Palmer-Fernandez, a YSU professor of philosophy and religious studies; Debbie Kline, a field coordinator for Planned Parenthood of Ohio, and Brent Steiner, a senior at YSU majoring in philosophy and religious studies.
Marriage issues
In response to a question about universities providing health insurance to same-sex partners of their employees, Winbush said she and most Ohioans don't want tax dollars spent on that.
She pointed to the approval last November of Issue 1 that reiterated state law that the only marriage recognized in Ohio is between a man and a woman.
Palmer-Fernandez disagreed, saying that universities should provide the same benefits to same-sex couples as they do to married ones.
Those at the two tables also did not see eye to eye on a pharmacists' choice to not dispense pills based on their religious beliefs.
On top of that, the two sides couldn't agree what to call a pill that is designed to ensure a woman doesn't become pregnant after having sex.
The left-leaning side called it an "emergency contraception" pill that should be an over-the-counter drug while those on the right referred to it as an "abortion pill" that some women use as birth control.
"It's the pharmacist's job to fill prescriptions," Kline said "If you don't want to do that, then don't become a pharmacist."
See said pharmacists have the right to not dispense certain pills, but they should make it known that they won't fill some prescriptions.
Child care
The two sides found somewhat common ground when it came to a question about child care being more expensive now than before Bush took office.
See and Palmer-Fernandez said the cost of child care hasn't been a priority under any presidents' administration.
As for teaching only abstinence to teenagers, Steiner said to do so is "grossly inadequate." Kline said some teachers give teens sex misinformation "to instill fear" in them. Mays said the programs should also discuss the dangers of other forms of sex besides intercourse.