Misogyny has reached fever pitch in politics

Wow, it's been a long time! I've been quite busy with school and involvement in my first ever Vagina Monologues production. What a great show and diverse group of women (and men!) The current political climate has also kept me very busy, to say the least. I've been following the articles and updates on RHRealityCheck. You know, I read somewhere that the current House has tried to pass 300 or so anti-choice bills this year. Bunch of religious extremists-- rich white men and rich post-menopausal women who never knew what it was like to be poor/disadvantaged and scared of getting pregnant.

The American people were told that what really mattered was "creating jobs!" But, no, all that really matters to the misogynist anti-choicer is making sure that the American woman is reduced to the status of breeding cattle. Let's look at a summary, just off the top of my head...

Ultrasound requirements introduced in many states (assuming that women are naive children who do not understand what an embryo/fetus looks like. also, it's already protocol in most doctor's offices to conduct an ultrasound before an abortion. determining how far along a woman is in her pregnancy determines the type of abortion procedure. I'm guessing that ultrasound laws would essentially force women to "look" at the ultrasound, sign a paper saying they saw it, and/or have a prepared script read to them by the doctor. Either all of that, or it's just political grandstanding from Republicans trying to "look tough" to their voting base!)

HR3 "No Taxpayer Funding For Abortion Act" (there already isn't any taxpayer funding...) was introduced and originally tried to redefine "rape." (AKA rape victims don't deserve abortion unless they've been "forcibly" or "violently raped." AKA poor women don't deserve abortion because it's only for rich white women.)

There is a "movement" in the House to try and defund Planned Parenthood and destroy Title X funding (Only 3% of Planned Parenthood's services include abortion. The rest is contraception, cervical cancer screenings, prenatal care, STD screening, and breast exams. Title X funding specifically includes funding for family planning services and aid for single mothers and their children. Anyone against any of these services is not pro-life.)

An embryo and fetus were scheduled to "testify" in front of a committee in Ohio concerning the "Heartbeat" bill (the ultimate in absurd political grandstanding. what a bunch of morons trying to put on a theater piece for political purposes. not to mention the objectifcation of women. p.s. the heart is not the seat of sentience.)

The racist anti-choice campagin against Black women continues (anti-choicers think that Black women are moral children & should be punished for "failing" to use contraception by forcing them to give birth and by telling them that they are propogating a genocidal conspiracy against their own race)

Georgia rep. Bobby Franklin wants to push legislation that will criminalize miscarriage (lots of talk about mailing him some used pads and tampons from suspiciously early/late periods... you never know, there could be a dead zygote in there! Your toilet is now a crime scene, ladies, and your uterus is a murderer.)

"Protect Life Act" introduced to allow doctors to let women die in order to save a fetus (this is the obvious conclusion of the anti-choice thinking that women are nothing but vessels/objects/incubators who are MEANT to bear children. the life of the vessel is disposable if it is carrying a "Real Person" within.)

Bill introduced in South Dakota that would allow justifiable homicide of abortion doctors or anyone seeking to help a woman have an abortion (I'm not fucking joking or exaggerating. the language specifically states that any force used against someone who intends to "harm" a fetus is "justifiable" violence. Pro-LIFErs are full of shit.)

South Dakota bill introduced that would force abortion-seeking women into non-medical facilities (Crisis Pregnancy Centers) for proselytization/shaming (this is a blatant violation of church/state separation, HIPAA, and civil liberties and is unlikely to pass.)

Are any of these likely to pass? It's hard to tell. There are a lot of foaming misogynist lunatics out there trying to throw all women under the bus, but I guarantee that there will be a substantial backlash if this nonsense keeps up. The recent country-wide Walk for Choice events are just the start of what I see as an increasingly vocal, angry, and mobile pro-choice population. I expect to eventually see a pro-choice equivalent backlash of the Wisconsin union mobilization type.

The good news is that the Pew Research center has found that there is an increase in public support for legal abortion, at 54% this year.

That's all I have for now, but I have a list of great topics to write about... so I will be back sooner rather than later.