The Alabama Supreme Court has ruled that frozen embryos are “children.” The case involved a clinic being sued for “wrongful death” after accidentally destroying embryos belonging to three families.
Because of this ruling, at least one fertility clinic in Alabama has paused IVF services, and others will certainly follow suit if the ruling stands. At first glance, this may seem at odds with the forced-birth obsession on the right. But it isn’t just about making more babies: it’s about control. And not coincidentally, single women and same-sex couples use IVF.
The absurdities of the latest decision have been deservedly mocked. Are we now going to start child support at conception? Are embryos conceived in the USA thereby citizens? If an embryo’s been frozen for 18 years, can it vote? But of course consistency has never counted for much with the far-right crowd.
The common factor in the right’s policing of wombs is taking control from women and giving it to a theocratic right-wing government. They came for abortion, now they’re coming for IVF, and they’re chomping at the bit to come after contraception.
As always, this diary is a group effort. Thanks to elenacarlena, Angmar, ramara, mettle fatigue, and the WOW crew for links and discussion.
Reproductive rights:
Despite a referendum resoundingly supporting abortion rights in Kansas, Republicans there are trying to slip through a “fetal personhood” bill.
Oklahoma Republican introduces bill to ban emergency contraception. This bill also creates a state database of women who’ve had abortions (in a state where the only legal reason for abortion is saving the woman’s life), and could potentially force doctors to do caesareans in cases where an abortion would be safer.
A data broker allegedly tracked people visiting Planned Parenthood in 48 states, then sold the data to an anti-choice organization.
Via Jessica Valenti: West Virginia Republicans are pushing a bill requiring doctors to lie to women with nonviable pregnancies and direct them to anti-abortion groups. Tennessee is the latest state trying to enact a travel ban to keep teens from getting abortions out of state (even though a similar law in Idaho was found unconstitutional). Missouri Republicans are trying to change the rules for ballot initiatives — because every time voters get a direct say in it, reproductive rights win. And pregnant women living in anti-choice states have a 75% greater chance of being killed by domestic violence.
Anti-abortion “counseling” services raked in $1.4 billion in 2022, more than a quarter of it in government funds.
Some states have enacted shield laws protecting providers of medication abortion by telemedicine from prosecution in other states.
Parliament to vote on decriminalizing abortion past 24 weeks in England & Wales.
New right-wing conspiracy theory: babies are getting abortions!
Violence:
The rise of femicide in Africa.
Kelly Wilkinson went from one police station to another, trying to get help with protection from her estranged husband. Police dismissed her fears and accused her of “cop shopping.” Her husband killed her under stomach-churning circumstances, with her children nearby.
Israeli report finds evidence of ‘systematic’ rape and abuse during 7 October attack (Warning: contains graphic descriptions). Meanwhile, UN experts demand investigation of IDF abuse of women and girls in Gaza. Once again, women on every side are in the crosshairs.
Death and rape threats, bricks through windows: MPs must be able to serve without living in fear.
Sexual assault claim against Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler dismissed due to statue of limitations.
5 years after Pope's abuse summit, victims still traumatized by the very system to address their claims.
FCC chairwoman proposes new “missing and endangered persons” alert code.
Indigenous teenagers report higher rates of dating violence than other groups.
Yulia Navalnaya vows to continue her late husband Alexei Navalny’s work for a free Russia.
Cliff Mitchell was recruited to the London Metropolitan Police despite allegations that he raped a child. This week he was convicted of 13 counts of raping a woman and child, as well as kidnapping.
Workplace Issues:
Starting February 27th, Australians will learn the gender pay gap in companies with 100 or more employees.
British employers must make “reasonable adjustments” for women going through menopause.
Pro golfer films mansplainer who can’t stop telling her how to do her job.
Media:
An interesting look in the Atlantic about the role of First Lady and how modern First Ladies have dealt with it.
The Personal Is Political:
Arwa Madhari: ‘Self-empowerment and lots of spending’: our frustrating slide into Stanley cup feminism.
Amanda Marcotte interviews Lyz Lenz on women opting out of marriage.
A neuroscientist critiques the search for a “male” or “female” brain and the agenda that’s often behind it.
There seems to be an implacable need, even in today’s world, to find a nice set of biologically programmed, sex-specific differences in the brain, and agree that these must be the basis of any female-male differences in behaviour, or temperament, or ability and achievement.
From Glamour: The women promoting ‘anti-feminism’ on TikTok are not just wrong; they're hypocrites:
Now? Well, now women are promoting handing over all their financial independence to their husbands or relying entirely on their husbands’ jobs for their lifestyle and security on TikTok – as if it’s Hashtag Rebellious. It’s not. Financial abuse is incredibly common, with 1 in 6 women being controlled by a current or former partner using money, and women in unhealthy or toxic relationships struggling to leave when financially dependent on their partner. If they do ask for a divorce – of which they are much more likely to than men – they lose out financially. In heterosexual marriages, women tend to earn much less than their husbands, and are much more likely to have given up work or reduced their hours to care for children. One in four women financially struggle post-divorce.
Greece legalizes same-sex marriage.