We Must Protect Women's Right to Choose

With the recent decision by a heavily partisan Supreme Court to abolish Roe Vs. Wade, there’s a lot of emotions stirring around in the USA. While it’s unsurprising that a Rightwing-loaded court would go out of its way to suspend the bodily autonomy for half the nation, it’s still disgusting to see civil rights being stripped away 50 years after they were granted. And to see the theocrats pushing a religious-based perspective on the nation, while espousing the Constitution as the all-mighty law of the land (which is supposed to establish freedom of Religion), it’s no doubt that we’re in for some dark days ahead.

Being a male-identified feminist, it’s increasingly important to speak out and show support towards the women in our lives. We must not only continue to recognize the injustice of banning abortions (or at least suspending a federal mandate allowing for said procedure), but we must also use any privilege we have to stand up for the rights of women.

It’s infuriating that a clump of cells is now granted more
rights than a woman has over her own body and choices.

In thinking about the idea of bodily autonomy, it comes down to the phrase, “My body, my choice.” Why does a group of 9 judges get to dictate what a woman does to her body? And the irony is, too many people that oppose a woman’s right to choose, have also been vehemently against the use of masks to prevent Covid-19. In the minds of these hypocrites, it’s okay for them to refuse procedures that could prevent further endangering their community, which is what masks are meant to do. While at the same time, these people think women are not to be entrusted with the choice of whether or not to pursue their pregnancy. I guess, “My body, my choice” only applies to these people when it’s convenient.

And it’s not that ending Roe Vs. Wade will put an end to abortion. There have always been ways for women to terminate a pregnancy, it’s just that Roe Vs. Wade provided safe, and medically sound options for that choice. Now that states have been granted the right to dictate for their citizens what they decide is “morally acceptable,” they’ve erased the ability for safe medical choices. Women will still have abortions, but sadly many more will lose their lives as a result of the risky procedures they’ll procure. The return of coathangers in dark and dirty alleyways is upon us. This is especially true for BIPOC women and others without the financial means to go on “camping trips.” Others will face the threat of incarceration due to laws in far too many states that criminalize a woman’s right to choose. The red states hate women so much, some have laws criminalizing miscarriages. The injustice is maddening!

And let’s not forget the class relevance of this SCOTUS decision. There are politicians that froth at the mouth with the thought of the “common people” engaging in their own bodily autonomy, i.e., seeking out an abortion. But these same politicians – ahem, people with wealth – can afford to find the necessary safe medical procedures in case their loved ones should ever need an abortion. Check out this list of Republicans whose stance on abortion is basically: “It’s OK for me; evil for thee.” So, it’s okay for those that can afford to get an abortion to get one, but not okay for everyone else? This country is being led by a bunch of hypocritical scoundrels disguised as holier-than-thou apostles.

The timing of this is far too questionable. The lack of available formula in a country that believes itself the be-all-end-all of greatness is a slap in the face to the mothers unable to breastfeed. Forcing women to carry to term a pregnancy they may not want, while at the same time there’s excruciatingly high prices on everything (from food, to gas, to property), how are people supposed to afford raising a family in this economy? The jobs that are available pay barely enough to survive, and definitely not enough to thrive or plan for a better future for these kids. The foster care system is overfull of children living in unsafe conditions, and there’s an abundance of children in the adoption industry just waiting for their forever family. All the while, the anti-choice mobs endlessly shout about adopting these unwanted kids, yet rarely do. It’s all a show to seem morally superior.

This makes me think that those running the country -the oligarchs and corporate masterminds puppeteering these politicians– have an ulterior motive. They see a future in which people skip procreation to seek out their own happiness, who can recognize their worth and organize for a more equitable future. When it comes to women applying these principles to their lives, those in the Patriarchy see a grim future ahead. Women being free to forgo families, seek out careers, engage in a fulfilling life free from men (possibly even engaging in same sex relationships… oh my!); these things constitute a threat to the recognized order of our backwards culture.

Instead, we must force people to continue pumping out a never-ending hoard of children to be the low-wage laborers for the 0.1% of the world. Without a complacent quantity of undereducated, scared citizens to slave for their corporate overlords, how ever will this economy continue to exploit and generate massive wealth inequality? It’s definitely harder to convince people to complacently accept injustice when we’re well-organized, pissed off about the state of the world, and ready and able to make choices for how we use our bodies. So instead, conservatives are dead-set on imposing their religious beliefs and restrictions on the masses.

The cheerleaders for the 1% have truly outdone themselves in the past decade. These misogynistic masses come crawling out with their holy books, judgement, and vitriol against any improvement to the lives of women. These women-haters would rather rely on the antiquated past, where women lacked rights, a voice, and a choice. These are the laugh-reacting, anti-feminist incels that actively promote violence against women, while highlighting all the great strengths of men. Basement dwellers like these can only imagine a world where their superiority continues unchecked and unregulated.

If we truly cared about the lives of unborn fetuses, and sought to protect them, we would do our darndest to protect the women whose bodies they’re inhabiting. We would provide comprehensive healthcare to the nation, ensure a fair wage and accessible housing, guarantee paid maternity and paternity leave, and enable access to superior medical services such as contraception and other family planning. Instead, we criminalize women for choosing what to do with their bodies.

“Without this protection in place, many states are outlawing abortion. That means we need to be prepared to see women incarcerated for their family planning decisions. These arrests and punishments have already been happening for quite some time, and the floodgates could open now that new laws with severe penalties are being considered.”1

Women who are raped will now face the choice of whether to keep their rapist’s baby, or potentially seek out services that lead to imprisonment. Women that are impregnated from incest will be forced to endure the pain of their experience and lose their right to choose. Doctors that could have provided sound and safe medical procedures will now abandon their practices, for fear of criminalization or worse. An entire generation of girls will be prohibited from establishing boundaries for how they use their body. Instead, SCOTUS gets to decide what’s best for them.

When self-professed “pro-life” people think it’s okay to end the life of a doctor that provides abortions, do they really care about life? These same fundamentalists feel no shame in protesting outside fertility clinics, where women are making the ultimate decision of whether or not to keep their child. There have been countless murders, bombings, and death threats over the years to abortion providers (see the list of past attacks on abortion providers). And yet, these people consider themselves to be pro-life. If anything, they need to be referred to as “pro-forced birth,” because there’s nothing pro-life about ripping away a woman’s bodily autonomy.

Lastly, let’s talk about the men, because it takes two to tango. Women are not just magically inseminated (unlike the story of Jesus, who was more likely the result of a Roman soldier raping Mary). Why is it that we have innumerable laws outlining what women can do with their own bodies, while men are given a free pass to impregnate countless women while ignoring their social contract to support that woman and child? How many men out there skirt responsibility for parenthood, while also blaming women for being “sluts?” Of course, we know it’s due to patriarchy, and the fact that this country actively hates women! But if more men out there were to truly care about the women in their lives, they’d push just as hard against the lawmakers for their role in the baby-making.

It's time that women do all they can in their power to reclaim autonomy. Whether this means refusing sex to men for the foreseeable future, or creating an underground network of safe and accessible providers; something must be done. It’s encouraging to go on social media and see so many friends offering to “take anyone camping,” code for providing transportation and confidence for those in need of abortion services, but this shouldn’t be necessary to do in the year 2022. My how we’ve gone backwards in this country!

Whatever choices people are forced to make, it’s up to them to decide what’s right for them. With that said, we must continue to promote sound reasoning in this day and age, and not get caught up in the moralistic grandstanding of the Boomer generation (forcing their laws upon the rest of us). We must continue to build community with each other, so we know who in our circle is safe to entrust with our secrets. We must not allow ourselves to be demoralized or disheartened to this tragic injustice, but to allow our rage to push us in a positive direction.

As a man with no uterus, I have no say in the decisions women should make. The least I can do is to be an ally and use my voice to challenge the status quo. And if it comes down to a sexless future, I’d be more than happy to recuse myself from sexual gratification until a time where women are just as equal as men to choose how to use their body. And forever I will resist the idea that a group of 9 judges can dictate what we can or cannot do with our bodies. Abortion is a human right, and we will fight to keep it so!