[personal profile] moominmuppet
The problem of making sex work a sexual offense. -- They explain much better than I would, because this one hits multiple rant points for me; sex work being illegal at all, sex work that is currently illegal being unreasonably punished, and sex offender status being used for anything consensual (this has screwed a lot of queerfolk, too).

MANSFIELD -- Authorities are considering assault charges against a pregnant 20-year-old who swallowed half a bottle of aspirin Thursday in an apparent attempt to kill her unborn child. -- I don't know what happened with this, or how far along the fetus was. I do know shit like this doesn't happen when women have better options. We're hearing more and more about dangerous and scary home abortion attempts these days. There are reasons for that, and they're not because women like poisoning and injuring themselves, and risking death.

Don't figure you're all set just because you plan to carry to term, though. Samantha Burton was in her 25th week of pregnancy in March 2009 when she started showing signs of miscarrying. Her doctor advised her to go on bed rest, possibly for as long as 15 weeks, but she told him that she had two toddlers to care for and a job to keep. She planned on getting a second opinion, but the doctor alerted the state, which then asked the Circuit Court of Leon County to step in.

She was ordered to stay in bed at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital and to undergo “any and all medical treatments” her doctor, acting in the interests of the fetus, decided were necessary. Burton asked to switch hospitals and the request was denied by the court, which said “such a change is not in the child’s best interest at this time.” After three days of hospitalization, she had to undergo an emergency C-section and the fetus was found dead.
-- right along the same lines as court-ordered c-sections and other medical interventions against a women's wishes (which have, in at least one case, killed the woman in question). *shudder* This stuff freaks the shit out of me, to be honest.


And on a different topic, I've been going back and forth about saying anything about Haiti. I can't imagine I wouldn't be preaching to the choir, and I don't think I have any additional directions for support that aren't already well-publicized. Still, I feel a general need to acknowledge how tragic and horrifying the whole situation is.

Date: 2010-01-20 07:41 am (UTC)
sylvanfae: Woman with closed eyes, aqua-tipped hair blowing out in front of her (Avatar)
From: [personal profile] sylvanfae
Jaw... gaping... on the floor...

No. Just NO!

I will encourage my daughters to get sterilized if this kind of shit is going to start going on. And then we're going to study safe home abortions, to help other women, if that's how it's gonna be.

Date: 2010-01-21 01:19 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] w0nko.livejournal.com
Good for you. If this is what is going to become common practice, I as a man will get fixed because I won't have on my conscience whether or not I somehow contributed to something like this taking place in the first place! So kudos to you sylvanfae and to anyone else who thinks that this is both a tragedy and an absolute total lack of consideration by the government for the rights of women over their sexual health.

Date: 2010-01-21 01:27 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] moominmuppet.livejournal.com
The 22nd is blog for choice day. Despite travel, I'm going to try to get something out, because I have some stuff I really need to say about bodily autonomy. The ability of the government to directly take over my body freaks the shit out of me, and this isn't an isolated case at all.

Date: 2010-01-21 01:39 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] w0nko.livejournal.com
it scares the shit out of me too and I'm a man so I can only imagine or try to imagine what it must be like for you!

Date: 2010-01-21 01:57 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] moominmuppet.livejournal.com
I'm glad you get it. It's amazing how many people don't.

Date: 2010-01-22 05:45 am (UTC)
sylvanfae: Animated, three red metallic hearts glimmering (Love)
From: [personal profile] sylvanfae
Good for you, too! And thanks. =)

Date: 2010-01-21 01:26 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] moominmuppet.livejournal.com
*nod* When things get bad, it's good to know there's stuff like JANE going on. I hope we don't ever have to go there, but if we do, best to be prepared and as safe as humanly possible under the circumstances.

And the rest... Well, the 22nd is blog for choice day. Despite travel, I'm going to try to get something out, because I have some stuff I really need to say about bodily autonomy.

Date: 2010-01-22 05:50 am (UTC)
sylvanfae: Woman with closed eyes, aqua-tipped hair blowing out in front of her (Default)
From: [personal profile] sylvanfae
I always post on Blog for Choice Day. This would be the tippy-top of my pet causes (was for awhile) if the planet and all life on it wasn't in immanent danger. My focus is now on climate change and restoring democracy (breaking the corporate powers). But choice and all the other freedoms/human rights is right under those.

Date: 2010-01-23 04:40 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] moominmuppet.livejournal.com
I hear ya! so frustrating trying to figure out which catastrophe to address first! I've gone round and round on that one, trying to figure out how to organize my life and priorities.

For me, I go with sexuality and reproductive health on the logic that there are more people willing to be associated with environmental issues than reproduction issues, so I see a greater need for me here at the moment. I still try to balance it out as much as I can, though, since reproductive rights don't help much once a species (homo sapiens) is extinct...

Date: 2010-01-24 10:13 pm (UTC)
sylvanfae: Woman with closed eyes, aqua-tipped hair blowing out in front of her (Default)
From: [personal profile] sylvanfae
Yeah, I hit up the repro actions when I can, it's still dear to my heart. Glad that activists are spread out taking care of all the business.

Date: 2010-01-25 09:42 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] moominmuppet.livejournal.com
*nod* Exactly...

Date: 2010-01-21 04:28 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] rhonan.livejournal.com
Shades of Atwood.

Date: 2010-01-21 06:13 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] moominmuppet.livejournal.com
Seriously. And seeing the movie when I was 16 certainly had a major influence on me, anyway. I'm really hypersensitive to attempts to "control" me in any way, and this is one of the deepest and most personal. The only worse thing than someone taking control of my body from me would be taking control of my mind, and thankfully that's harder to do, at least at this age. Stuff like this just gives me goosebumps; I don't care how rare the situation is, it's a horror-show.

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