Our Reproductive Rights

“Untitled (Your Body is a Battleground),” Barbara Kruger

To be honest, I’m not even sure how to formulate comprehensive thoughts—much less show up for work meetings as if all was well, and that the first Monday of May was just Met Gala Monday—because my heart is heavy and I’m not sure if I want to cry or scream myself awake from what can’t possibly be our reality. The irony of this leaked draft opinion surfacing amidst a red carpet extravaganza (where “Gilded Age” was the theme, for that matter) isn’t lost on me, but I’d be lying if I said that this parallel bothered me. It doesn’t: the show will always go on as it always has. Excess and frivolity have always been celebrated in the face of humanitarian crises. Do I still consume it? I almost can’t help it; I’d be lying if I said otherwise. Humans contain multitudes! used to work as justification.

But it’s becoming harder to swallow day after day.

Last night, POLITICO released the initial draft of the majority opinion written by (Republican-appointed) Justice Samuel Alito, where the Supreme Court voted to strike down the Roe v. Wade decision. I’ve always expected the worst but I’m shocked, still, even when I know I shouldn’t be: I’ve had the privilege of being shielded from these very real, nightmarish fights all over the U.S. because my parents chose to put down roots in a blue state decades ago. (Also important to mention: my parents have also been open about sex education, I have access to birth control, etc. etc. etc.) The guilt alone is enough to send me into a spiral—I should’ve spent less and donated more to abortion funds; I should’ve educated myself on this war against women more seriously—but there isn’t even time to wallow in self-loathing or pity. Alito is claiming that the right to abortion isn’t enumerated in the Constitution—i.e., explicitly stated—and therefore invented… and because it is not a part of our “national history or traditions,” each state has the power to regulate abortion. Thirteen states have already passed “trigger laws,” meaning if the landmark 1973 decision is in fact overturned, the abortion ban would be automatically instated.

The dogged obsession with this literal interpretation of a biased, outdated document comes as no surprise, yet even now—after a night of obsessive research—I’m at a loss for words. It’s rich coming from a nation that prides itself in being free. (Free comes with stipulations, of course, and immediately excludes anyone who isn’t a white, cishet man.) This is an egregious violation of reproductive rights and religious freedom and poses more than just a threat to women’s existence. Not to mention: this push for forced birth in a nation that considers itself so superior but has the highest maternal mortality rate among developed countries, offers no paid maternity leave or childcare help, and is notorious for its exclusionary (and outright) inaccessible mental healthcare reveals a motive that is clearly not about the preservation of fetal life.

There’s a dark underbelly, too: Jane Elliot has been talking about it for decades and it’s important to note how dangerous the language in this draft is. Race and class are factored in as well. Poor and BIPOC women are directly harmed by this; rich women will still get their (safe) abortions. And reproductive rights aren’t the only ones at risk: LGBTQ+ rights just might be, too (re: “None of these rights has any claim to being deeply rooted in history,” Alito writes.)

It’s sickening.

I’ll leave you with this compilation of abortion funds to donate to, now. This is also a good resource. Rage donate. We must.

.   .   .

xx