Human, but not really

Human, But Not Really
At one point, Andrea talks about the way the johns have prostitutes
dress and stand under the street lamps in a way that makes them look as
inhuman as possible. The idea is if you can convince yourself they are
fundamentally different from you, you have free reign to do whatever you
want to them, "human but not really." When I read this passage, a
shiver went down my spine as I realized this is precisely how I feel
women are treated in modern American society (I specify American because
in certain parts of the world, East Congo coming immediately to mind,
there is no attempt to disguise the stomach-churning abuses women are
routinely subjected to). Whenever I read a new piece of legislation
being proposed or enacted by the GOP, such as the transvaginal
ultrasound required as yet another hurdle faced by those seeking
abortions, at this point I just feel numb. How can you justify forcing
doctors to perform a patently unnecessary medical procedure involving
vaginally penetrating a woman against her will with an 8 to 10 inch wand
to show her that, my goodness, there's a fetus in your uterus! Not
only does this make it abundantly clear that legislators think women are
too stupid to know what a pregnancy is, but the law is state-sanctioned
rape of the patient and abuse of the doctor. Luckly, GOP Representative
Dana Loesch has an explanation: "Women already consented to be
penetrated once they got pregnant." I don't know about you, but I
for one am delighted to hear the rape culture narrative that only
virgins can be raped is alive and well in mainstream society!
Then, of course, we had the all-male congressional hearing where a
group of religious leaders complained about how providing comprehensive
health insurance to their female employees was a violation of their
religious freedom, going so far as to compare providing basic health
coverage to women to a kosher deli providing ham sandwiches. I found it
very interesting to note these religious leaders compared contraceptive
coverage, which Christopher Hitchens once noted is "the only known
cure for poverty," (referring only to its use to prevent unwanted or
dangerous pregnancies, although it is worth noting 58% of women using
hormonal contraception use it for at least one medical reason unrelated
to pregnancy prevention) to... a ham sandwich. One of the most important
milestones in civilization, once it empowers women... is about as
important as choosing one lunchmeat over another. Although I am aware
many religions around the world view women as second-class citizens, the
fact that these ideas are given consideration in law-making in the
United States in the year 2012 is absolutely terrifying.
November looms closer and we still have yet to hear President Obama
give a passing mention to the War on Women, not even on International
Women's Day or the anniversary of Roe v. Wade after a record number of
abortion restrictions were enacted in 2011. In 2008, he told a crowd at
a Planned Parenthood rally the very first thing he would do as president
is sign the Freedom of Choice Act... he never has, and when asked about
it simply replied it isn't a "top legislative priority." After he
was elected, he removed the section of his website pertaining to women's
reproductive rights. When Dr. George Tiller, one of the last late-term
abortion doctors in the country, was fatally shot in the eye at his
church, Obama said he was "shocked." Tiller's murder was not even
remotely shocking, not only because he had been shot twice before, but
because his murder was the inevitable result of a political climate rife
with dangerously dishonest rhetoric about abortion, its supporters, and
its opponents.
I frequently hear, "How could a feminist even CONSIDER not voting
Democrat?!" Here's the problem: Candidate A is sexist, and at worst
will not make things worse for women. Candidate B is sexist, and at best
will not make things worse for women. Women should vote for Candidate A.
I see why that makes sense. But at the same time, I have no desire to
support a candidate who uses my bodily autonomy as a political
bargaining chip. Democrats view women as "human, but not really" and
they know as long as the right is actively trying to undermine women
(whether by repealing laws protecting women from domestic violence and
sexual harrassment, enacting new ones declaring victims of gendered
crimes as "accusers" while victims of non-gendered crimes remain
"victims," playing into the demonstrably erroneous narrative that
women routinely lie about rape, despite the fact no more false rape
reports are filed than those for any other crime...) they can remain
silent and still receive our votes. Women are under the threat of losing
access to abortion if we believe so fully in our own equality and bodily
autonomy that we reject the Democratic candidate. This is ironic to the
point where it would be downright laughable if it weren't so
profoundly sad. Thus, a conundrum. The Democrats know we will keep
voting for them while they do nothing for us, because we have nowhere
else to go.
And they're right.