Posts Categorized: Uncategorized
Pro-Choice v. Pro-Abortion: Why Language Matters
CW: abortion I’m not pro-insulin, but I support a diabetic’s right to choose insulin. Does that statement strike you as odd? It likely does; insulin isn’t a choice, and diabetics do not have the luxury of choosing whether to utilize treatment methods. This analogy also works with visually impaired individuals who wear glasses or contacts, disabled individuals who use mobility devices, or mentally ill individuals who take psychiatric medicine. We understand the lack of choice in almost every healthcare measure but one: abortion. The argument between the labels of pro-choice and pro-abortion may seem like semantics. Does it really matter what label you identify with as long as you support equitable abortion access? To me, it does. The language we use informs how we perceive and think about the issue… Read more »
Who’s Right Is It Anyway?: My Thoughts on Abortion Access and a world beyond Roe V. Wade
As I sat and reflected on Roe V. Wade, on what happened to be the 48th anniversary of the landmark United States Supreme Court case, I realized that I am overcome with a sense of incompleteness. I thought of how legality renders itself useless when access is not at the forefront of abortion care as well. Over the years, I have grown a massive disdain for the reproductive rights movement in the US for this specific reason. Aside from being primarily lead by and centering cisgender, heterosexual, middle-class white women (as if that’s not the sole deal breaker), there has been very minimal effort and progress in addressing all of the barriers to seeking an abortion. The distinctions couldn’t have made themselves more apparent as I scrolled down all of… Read more »
Fighting for Liberation in the Midst of Oppression
I have been told that just because I don’t see results immediately doesn’t mean I should be quick to give up; that the results will come someday, and when that day comes, I will be thankful for my perseverance. I’ve held this belief with me in most things I do, and I’ve found it to be somewhat favorable in terms of my career, relationships, and self. Of course, I know when I’m at my limit and when it’s time for me to let go; but for the most part, this saying has helped me push through some of my darkest hours and allows me to maintain a glimpse of hope. With this being said, it is becoming increasingly harder to maintain this hope as it pertains to activism and the… Read more »
Saddest Season: Rom-Coms and the Reframing of Toxic Relationships
After the year we just experienced, I have been looking forward to Christmas for months. Looking for a boost in holiday-themed serotonin I sat down and watched the newest addition to the Christmas collection Happiest Season. The story, a semi-autobiography written by director Clea Duval, revolves around lesbian couple Harper and Abby going home to meet Harper’s parents as a way to cure Abby’s general distaste for the holiday. It’s later revealed that despite the invitation, Harper hasn’t come out to her conservative parents, and asks her girlfriend to pretend to be her straight roommate. After chaotic family moments and relationship tension, Harper finally comes out to her parents and the family embraces the couple on Christmas morning. Rom-coms have always been a source of enjoyment for decades with almost… Read more »
#GirlsSupportingGirls Does Nothing for Black, Indigenous, Women of Color
In this new age of feminism, I am consistently introduced to new buzzwords and “movements” that give the illusion of productivity and combating issues in our community; but in reality, do nothing to exonerate existing systems of oppression, nor prioritizes the voices of those who are repeatedly silenced. This is how I feel about the “girls supporting girls” movement. At first, I genuinely thought it was cute; seeing women hyping each other up on social media and in real life was a refreshing contrast to the previous upholding of patriarchal values that continued to keep us in competition for the male gaze. But of course, like always, white women (all offense intended). The movement quickly took a turn for the worst as genuine moments for critique and self-reevaluation became self-victimization… Read more »
American Individualism Will be The Detriment of Us All
Speaking from an American’s point of view, I think most of us can agree that 2020 has been a complete shit show. To try and even articulate the amount of BS that has occurred in this country, let alone across the globe, would require a mountain of words that I don’t have the energy to process at the moment. Like many others, I am drained out and need a serious break that I doubt any of us will be seeing anytime soon, which only adds to the frustration and exhaustion. However, as my mom has always told me: everything does come with its lesson, and in the year 2020, I’ve realized just how individualistic the American culture/society is. Now, I’m not just waking up with this astute observation; deep down,… Read more »
The Buttigieg Dilemma – The Persistence of Sexism in Politics
Pete Buttigieg made headlines for the first time since his pre-Super Tuesday campaign suspension in early October when he defended late-term abortions on a Fox News town hall. When discussing the issue with host Chris Wallace, he fought back against the assertion that third trimester abortions were commonplace, arguing that the people seeking them are often faced with devastating circumstances and shouldn’t be further burdened with bureaucracy when facing with an already difficult decision. Liberals on social media shared the remarks far and wide, praising the former mayor for standing up for reproductive rights and for giving an eloquent argument Wallace’s bad faith “facts.” As a reproductive justice activist myself, I see no opposition to anything the Mayor said in his statement. Anti-choice advocates consistently use late-term abortion as a… Read more »
Black Women & Birth Control: A Complicated History
Tolerance is NOT Acceptance, Yes You Are Still Homo/Transphobic
I had a discussion with a family member of mine about a week ago, where we discussed queer identities and the journey towards acceptance of LGBTQ+ individuals in our global society. We went back and forth for what seemed like hours when, in reality, it was only about 20 minutes. At first, the conversation was fine, and we seemed to be on the same page for most of it. However, it wasn’t until they repeated a sentence I’ve heard way too many times in my 21 years of life, a sentence that infuriates me to my core: “I don’t have to support the LGBTQ+ community in order to accept them.” From there, the conversation went downhill, and as our voices continued to increase in volume, I decided to hang up… Read more »
What Controls Birth Control?: A Brief Context on the Centrality of Black Reproductive Freedom to Collective Liberation
By: Victor Ultra Omni White feminist’s often center birth control in a larger conversation of choice— a decision that creates a silence around the coercive roots of its creation. While undeniably a cornerstone to gender equity, a means of limiting unintended pregnancy, and mitigating health concerns like migraines or severe menstrual cramps, birth control also has troubling entanglements with white supremacy as its procurement relied on Black and brown flesh as its testing site. Now lauded as “the Pill,” birth control originally referred to an intricate system and plan for controlling births among populations considered “degenerate.” This larger apparatus of social control included the prescription of daily tablets, but also involved forced sterilizations and coerced experimentation which disproportionately affected Black people, a disparity that continues today. Any analysis on the… Read more »
