Be very aware... abortion rights and trans rights are closely intertwined. It's about bodily autonomy. It's about whether you, as a person, get a say in what happens to your body, or whether a bunch of old white men get to use their religion card on you.
Trans Rights are Human Rights
Women's Rights are Human Rights
Bodily Autonomy For Everyone
Mitchell (#Trump’s atty) is perhaps best known as one of the architects of a novel #Texas#law that empowers private citizens (#vigilantes), rather than state officials, to enforce #abortion restrictions, by suing individuals who help #women obtain abortions after about 6 weeks into pregnancy. The law was specifically designed to evade pre-enforcement challenges in federal court (IOW to #EvadeTheLaw).
At the end of the month, we're hosting feminist historian Angela Hume to discuss her recent book "Deep Care: The Radical Activists Who Provided Abortions, Defied the Law, and Fought to Keep Clinics Open" (AK Press). In a virtual conversation with Shout Your Abortion co-founder Amelia Bonow, Angela will share the critical, under-recognized story of the radical edge of the abortion movement and the lessons it offers for our post-Roe moment.
I assume you are arguing that abortion is not about a woman’s body, but rather, it is about the “life” of the fetus.
OK.
I present to you a different scenario:
Say you have a brother. You are estranged at birth and you never meet him or talk to him.
One day, your brother, a person you never met, but share some DNA with, came to you and told you his kidney is failing and you are a match. He asked if you could donate a kidney to him.
Without your kidney, your brother will die.
But kidney transplant carries a lot of risk for the donor. The procedure itself is risky. You will suffer many complications even if the surgery is successful. You’ll never fully recover. You’ll always feel tired and your own kidney function will suffer.
Do you think this procedure is about YOUR body or is it about your brother’s life? Do you think it is YOUR choice to donate the kidney, or your brother is entitled to your organs simply because you share some DNA?
More importantly, do you think the state has the right to force you to donate your organ to save a life?
It’s a life! It’s your family, your blood!
If you think the state should not make laws that regulate your body even if your organ can save a life, you understand why the state should not make laws that regulate women’s bodies, even if you think a fetus is a person.
Every time someone says "I'm not going to vote," or "I'm voting third-party," they're saying "I don't care if pregnant women are denied medical care. I don't care if they're forced to suffer, bleeding and in pain, for 19 hours. I don't care if they're forced to miscarry alone on a toilet, and then they get ARRESTED AND PROSECUTED. I don't give a shit."
They are saying that to you, and you should respond accordingly.
So, I had to talk about #Sparta! A warrior society focused on war, women had more rights than their #Athenian counterparts -- and were encouraged to be physically fit and prepared to fight to defend their homeland.
Sparta
Unlike their Greek counterparts, the women of Sparta had a lot more freedom and status. They were educated, since they would be in charge of keeping the homeland running smoothly while the men were at war – but they were also strong and able to defend themselves and their homeland.
Spartan men and women lived in separate quarters – even while married. Married couples would leave their respective quarters to procreate, and Spartan wives were required to have short hair and sometimes wore men’s clothing.
Amongst married couples, the Spartans were relatively #polyamorous, and women were not punished for infidelity.
Unlike ancient Greek texts, Roman medical literature is full of methods for both preventing pregnancy, and dealing with unwanted pregnancies.
A popular contraceptive method involved inserting “vaginal suppositories” (Lefkowitz, 253), or “a lock of fine wool into the orifice of the uterus” (Lefkowitz, 253).
The #WhiteHouse on Mon is announcing new steps intended to ensure #access to contraception, #AbortionMedication & emergency #abortions at #hospitals. It represents President Biden’s latest bid to contrast himself w/ #Republican challengers who support strict abortion limits & arrives on the anniversary of #SCOTUS ruling that guaranteed #AbortionRights for nearly 50 yrs.
The effort to expand #access to #contraception involves several measures. Federal agencies are issuing guidance that would make no-cost #contraceptives more available under the #AffordableCareAct & take similar actions to expand contraception access for federal employees. HHS Secy Xavier Becerra also plans to send a letter to #health#insurers instructing them of their obligation to provide no-cost contraceptives, acc/to a memo the #Biden WH sent to reporters Sun.
In a world where #abortion and #abortionrights are under attack, these cards provide a new line of defense against #patriarchy and those who seek control over women's bodies.