A woman's choice, not mine
Aaron Wentz
Issue date: 11/10/09 Section: Opinion
A few points for consideration: this protest was not organized by me, it was organized by women. I was lending support, since that is all I can do, in good conscience. Being a pro-feminist man means that since I am in favor of women's autonomy, empowerment, and freedom, the best thing I can do is to get out of the way while women create those realities for themselves. They don't need my help to do it.
When, with their consent, I can participate in events and actions which show solidarity with their struggle to overcome oppression (because, I would echo feminism in general here, all women are oppressed). I will participate only on the condition that I understand the privilege I have as a man (economically, culturally, physically (in terms of feeling safe virtually everywhere I go, for example)) and seek to undermine that privilege by way of how I conduct myself around women and how I can be effective in showing solidarity with feminist struggle. The reason for this is simple: when I enter into solidarity actions that are concerned with feminist issues (i.e., reproductive rights) without this awareness, I ignore the privilege (privilege in the political sense, i.e., unearned advantage) I have as man.
For example, no matter what the outcome of the issue of abortion laws in this country, as a man, I will never get pregnant. So I, by definition, cannot know what it's like to be faced with a decision about whether or not to continue a pregnancy. Even if I get someone pregnant, I won't be the one making that decision (at least not with the laws the way they are now), so I can't know what that experience is like and thus, I have the privilege of not having abortion laws perhaps determine the outcome of my life.
I mean this both in terms of the life change that is involved with having a child (because choosing to continue a pregnancy is also a reproductive choice) as well as the potentially life or death choice to have an illegal, unsafe abortion (which would begin to happen more and more frequently in this country if abortion were to become illegal again, as it was before Roe v. Wade).
When, with their consent, I can participate in events and actions which show solidarity with their struggle to overcome oppression (because, I would echo feminism in general here, all women are oppressed). I will participate only on the condition that I understand the privilege I have as a man (economically, culturally, physically (in terms of feeling safe virtually everywhere I go, for example)) and seek to undermine that privilege by way of how I conduct myself around women and how I can be effective in showing solidarity with feminist struggle. The reason for this is simple: when I enter into solidarity actions that are concerned with feminist issues (i.e., reproductive rights) without this awareness, I ignore the privilege (privilege in the political sense, i.e., unearned advantage) I have as man.
For example, no matter what the outcome of the issue of abortion laws in this country, as a man, I will never get pregnant. So I, by definition, cannot know what it's like to be faced with a decision about whether or not to continue a pregnancy. Even if I get someone pregnant, I won't be the one making that decision (at least not with the laws the way they are now), so I can't know what that experience is like and thus, I have the privilege of not having abortion laws perhaps determine the outcome of my life.
I mean this both in terms of the life change that is involved with having a child (because choosing to continue a pregnancy is also a reproductive choice) as well as the potentially life or death choice to have an illegal, unsafe abortion (which would begin to happen more and more frequently in this country if abortion were to become illegal again, as it was before Roe v. Wade).
Viewing Comments 1 - 3 of 4
Shayla
posted 11/11/09 @ 10:04 AM CST
Aaron, thanks for your voice and your support. It IS pretty amazing how many of the kinds of people who lurk outside abortion clinics to scream at patients are men, did you ever notice? It's always nice to hear from people who don't think that their external genitalia give them the right to control other peoples' lives. (Continued…)
sevenboarder
KeithS
posted 11/11/09 @ 11:33 AM CST
Does the right to be a women ever outweigh the right to exist? I mean, if it's possible for you to take yourself out of the picture...
Jake
posted 11/11/09 @ 1:18 PM CST
Well the drunk driver did not intend to kill anyone, but they have to take on the burden of responsibility when they do. It is scum bags like you who hit parked cars and then just drive away because you didn't mean to do it. (Continued…)
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