More than 10 years ago, Rosemary Dempsey's ability to be a good mother was confirmed when her former husband challenged for custody of their two children on the basis of her sexual orientation, but lost the case.

Now Dempsey, vice president for Action of the National Organization for Women, has proved to be much more than a mother.

"I've done a lot in my life. I went to law school, started a feminist law firm and worked in the criminal justice system," said Dempsey, who practiced law in New Jersey for 12 years and also served as the NOW New Jersey president.

"I found NOW in 1970 and have been involved ever since. It came along at a time in my life when I had little children, and I needed to connect with some meaningful movement."

The 46-year-old Connecticut native points to the '60s as the start of her interest in the women's movement.

"It was simply a frontier that affected me and affected women in general," she said.

But to Dempsey, being involved in many political offices is much more than just being a member.

"I see it as part of a national movement for social and institutional change," she said. "All our gains are at risk. We have to protect our quality of life and reproductive freedoms."

She notes that although her goals change daily, her primary objective is to protect women's reproductive rights that she says are slowly but surely being taken away.

"They are taking away a very primary civil right, and this is the major reason for the march in Washington," Dempsey added, referring to the "We Won't Go Back!" March for Women's Lives, scheduled for April 5 in Washington, D.C. "Generally, I am an optimistic person and I believe things will get better."

Deborah Golden, Penn State Pro-Choice co-director, said it was just by chance that Dempsey decided to speak here.

"Pennsylvania is a scary state as far as women's issues go," Golden said. "She got in contact with us to see if it was OK if she would come and speak at Penn State."

Dempsey also lectured at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh Sunday night and plans to visit Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia and Haverford College in Haverford later in the week.

Spare time is not something that Dempsey has much of, but she does enjoy going back to her home in Florida.

"Being action vice president is a full-time job, so I have to live in Washington, but my family is in Florida," she said. "While I am there I still have work to do, but I do like to write, especially our stories, run fast and read."

By "family," Dempsey is referring to her mother, who has Alzheimer's disease, and her 22-year-old son. She also has a 21-year-old daughter who attends college in New Jersey.

Dempsey and her companion Kim Costanza own a restaurant, bar and guest house in Florida. She commented that starting a business is harder for women because of the harassment women face.