Blatant misogyny. Dangerous abortion bans. No accountability for rapists. These are all things that the women of today face, spurred on by the hatred of Donald Trump.
The opinions stated in this article are those of the author alone and do not reflect the rest of the Roar or PFHS. Additionally, they do not represent Algonkian District school board member April Chandler or her position.
Shortly after the results of the election were announced, the phrase “Your body, my choice” skyrocketed in mentions on X (formerly Twitter), reaching a 4600% increase. This isn’t The Handmaid’s Tale, a 1985 dystopian novel about a Christian theocratic regime in the former United States arising out of a fertility crisis. This is real life.
“Your body, my choice, forever,” was coined, in a way, by White nationalist and Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes, who posted it on X.
This is absolutely sickening. It’s a blatant display of misogyny, and very simply, a hatred for women. It’s a twist on the phrase “my body, my choice,” which is often used by pro-choice advocates. The original phrase saw an increase in usage after the repeal of Roe v. Wade.
It was the Supreme Court that Donald Trump built which overturned Roe v. Wade, with Amy Coney Barrett, Neil Gorsuch, and Brett Kavanaugh all voting to do so in the historic 6-3 decision. Trump himself has praised this, stating “I was able to kill Roe v. Wade.”
However, abortion bans leave women without the rights to their bodies. They discourage family planning and force babies on those who are not physically or mentally ready, and cannot provide for them. They force babies on literal children, who are, in many cases, carrying the baby of their rapist – such as the 10-year old Ohio girl who came under fire for crossing state lines in order to receive an abortion.
Additionally, abortion bans have been linked to the preventable deaths of two women in Georgia. If faced with pregnancy complications, abortion can often be the safest route to save the life of the mother. Abortion bans also increase the amount of unsafe abortions undertaken, which also threaten the lives of women.
Those who defend their pro-life (or even pro-choice) beliefs with the Bible have no leg to stand on: the Bible says absolutely nothing about abortion. Melanie A. Howard, Associate Professor of Biblical and Theological Studies at Fresno Pacific University, asserts that “Christians on both sides of the partisan divide have appealed to any number of texts to assert that their particular brand of politics is biblically backed. However, if they claim the Bible specifically condemns or approves of abortion, they are skewing the textual evidence to fit their position.”
What happens with future abortion bans or protections is unsure.
However, we have elected someone into office who has no interest in protecting women, no matter what he tries to say about it. Someone who has been accused of rape, sexual assault, and sexual harassment by 25 different women since the 1970s is incapable of that.
Those who voted for Trump because he aligned with their interests should be ashamed to look their mothers, wives, and daughters in the eyes. It doesn’t matter your stance on abortion. It matters that he has been found guilty of rape. It matters that he is unabashedly anti-woman, which has been shown through both his actions and words.