Todd Akin, the Republican nominee for Senate in Missouri seems wicked hella smart having talked to “doctors” who let him know the real truth – that if a rape is “legitimate” the female body will get all fancy and will “shut that whole thing down.” Now it would be lovely if your body would just reject the sperm of a rapist, but that’s sadly not based in anything medical whatsoever.
Then he goes on to say if “maybe that didn’t work, or something” the woman should still not be allowed to have an abortion, because the rapist should be punished, not the child.
Medical nonsense aside, is this man serious? Does he get to decide what a “legitimate” rape is?!
It’s actually kind of chilling.
I’m sure if he had the biological ability to have a child and got raped, he’d totally keep that baby, if his body magically decided that rape was legit, of course.
Kathleen Sebelius, the Health and Human Services Secretary, and I haven’t always been on the best of terms. I was appalled when she overode the FDA recommendations on Emergency Contraception. I’m pretty sure a Health and Human Services secretary had never publicly overruled what the FDA suggested, and this was just bollocks. It’s great that EC is available now in the pharmacy without a prescription (what a hassle it was back when we needed to go to Planned Parenthood to get one. Lord am I glad I will never have to go that again. UGH). But given the fact that EC was found no more harmful than something like acetaminophen, and that can be found right next to the cough drops and bandaids, why can’t the EC be right there next to them!?! Bring on the access!
Anyway, I digress. Today is the day Kathleen Sebelius and I get to be on good terms. She gets to let us all know that something kick ass happened in the world of birth control. No more co-pays for birth control! Thanks, Obama! Of course it’s not all magic and sunshine (only private plans are effected, it may take a while to kick in, it won’t work if you are on medicaid, if you work for a religious organization you are still fucked – not in the good way, etc.) But it still is a great day in terms of moving towards something good. Progress is progress!
But you’ve just gotta love this photo of Kathleen Sebelius with her poster “Simply Being a Woman is No Longer a Preexisting Condition.”
photo taken from npr.org
That’s just the sort of talk that makes me feel okay about the world for a minute.
Because seriously not having babies is a key aspect to being able to enjoy sex to the fullest.
And access to birth control is crucial to not having babies. Didn’t Dan Savage once say the worst STD is an unplanned pregnancy? Did I imagine that?
Anyway, go forth and do it and get all not knocked up. Hurrah!
I was glad to see this video this morning – a happy little PSA about not abusing the ladies in your life.
Of course it’s sad we need to be reminded, but it’s also important that politics tackles these matters on every level. The sad truth is that we need these PSA’s. Silence about abuse is the worst weapon.
I just finished reading Sister of Silence, a brutal memoir about a young girl who marries her rapist when she gets pregnant at a young age. The thing that really struck me about the book is how she didn’t even realize she was in an abusive situation until she heard someone else tell her story and think to herself “that’s just what happened to me.”
Speaking up, telling your story, Take Back the Night, PSA’s about violence against women – these can be the moments when women realize that their situation is not okay and try to get out of it.
But it’s even extra awesome that this little video is all men and they are talking to men. I am so fucking done telling women not to get abused. Time to tell men not to abuse them.
The general lack of use of the word vagina always blows my mind. People. It’s a body part. For realsies. You are going to discuss and debate abortions on the floor of congress and not say the word vagina?
When I was a day care teacher it always took me by surprise how much penis is said when compared to how little vagina is said. All the kids learn the word penis. Boys have a penis. Dads have a penis. Look at that kids penis. I have a penis. I am learning to pee with my penis. The parents say penis. The teachers say penis. Everyone is talking lots about penises. Especially when toilet training. Girls have not a penis. It’s like why are we indoctrinating them to think this way. So early! When we could be really impacting them, so young. Boys have a penis. Girls do not have a penis. This is NOT how we should be presenting it to kids.
Back to the point. SAY VAGINA. Say it in abortion debates. Say it to kids learning about their bodies. Say it on the steps of the fucking capital. Yeeeeah!
Planned Parenthood rarely endorses a candidate, but they just endorsed Obama today.
With all the nonsense we have been up against in the past few months fighting to support very basic things like birth control, the idea of a Romney presidency is terrifying for sure.
Whether or not you feel jazzed about politics, think Obama has been a let down, or don’t think your vote matters, I personally think it’s important to consider the alternative. These are the moments where it actually matters who the president is. No need to go back into the dark ages on birth control, abortion, and access to basic women’s health care.
Okay. So, Why did it take this long for Jerry Sandusky’s Second Mile charity to be shut down? He has been accused of finding kids to abuse via this very charity. How hard is it to shut that shit down, oh, I don’t know, immediately!?
I mean. This was November. And there were 40 counts of sex abuse against young boys. 40. 40! The entire situation is so abhorrent and appalling. There is no excuse for grown ass men to be covering up for this fucking behavior. We simply have to make this shit beyond unacceptable.
Rightfully, it’s apparently closing since people won’t give them donations any more. So at least the people have a generally better conscience than we may have thought.
I am cynical enough that I wasn’t surprised by the news that North Carolina voted for an amendment to their state constitution to ban same sex marriage. As if their law banning it wasn’t enough. Better make it double secret safe.
If you have to defend it that hard, when do you come to the realization that obviously your opinions are getting a little silly and outdated.
30 states in the nation are so afraid that they gays might ruin the sanctity of their god fearing marriages that they won’t allow consenting adults to do what they damn please.
One day we’ll get it right, but until then, le sigh…
