A woman's choice, not mine
Aaron Wentz
Issue date: 11/10/09 Section: Opinion
An incident two weeks has me thinking about what it means, politically, to be a pro-feminist man. I say pro-feminist and not feminist for one simple reason: I'm not a woman. I can't claim ownership or identity with a movement of which I cannot, by definition, lay claim to.
I think this is the crux of a troubling incident I was a part of (in one way or another) two weeks ago. This incident involved a pro-reproductive rights protest in the Merrifield/Chester Fritz/Centennial Dr. quad. The protest was an attempt to counter the anti-choice "graveyard" on Wednesday, Oct 28 (in the interest of not giving the opposition more of a voice, I won't try to articulate their position).
A male comrade (of mine) was approached by another man, who began interrogating my comrade as to what his position was related to abortion. My comrade gently explained that (bad paraphrase) women ought to be able to make decisions about their own bodies. The insurgent began to lay out a counterargument, at which point I shamelessly interrupted, "Are you a woman?"
The insurgent glared at me and continued his point, to which I again shamelessly interrupted, "Are you a woman?" To which he replied, "No, are you?" "No," I said, "I'm not, so it's not my body, therefore I don't get a say in what happens to women's bodies. I believe everyone ought to be autonomous, so I'm in favor of autonomy where it concerns women's bodies. It's their body, it ought to be their choice."
The insurgent replied that (bad paraphrase) women have a choice, they can choose whether or not they have "safe" sex (as though everyone (both partners) who has sex which results in pregnancy had sex with the intention of initiating a pregnancy, or that birth control is 100 percent effective, etc.). I replied, "No, you have a choice, that if you get someone pregnant, you can walk away. A woman doesn't have that choice." I then informed the insurgent that I had to go to class (regrettably) and disrespectfully walked through the mock-graveyard.
I think this is the crux of a troubling incident I was a part of (in one way or another) two weeks ago. This incident involved a pro-reproductive rights protest in the Merrifield/Chester Fritz/Centennial Dr. quad. The protest was an attempt to counter the anti-choice "graveyard" on Wednesday, Oct 28 (in the interest of not giving the opposition more of a voice, I won't try to articulate their position).
A male comrade (of mine) was approached by another man, who began interrogating my comrade as to what his position was related to abortion. My comrade gently explained that (bad paraphrase) women ought to be able to make decisions about their own bodies. The insurgent began to lay out a counterargument, at which point I shamelessly interrupted, "Are you a woman?"
The insurgent glared at me and continued his point, to which I again shamelessly interrupted, "Are you a woman?" To which he replied, "No, are you?" "No," I said, "I'm not, so it's not my body, therefore I don't get a say in what happens to women's bodies. I believe everyone ought to be autonomous, so I'm in favor of autonomy where it concerns women's bodies. It's their body, it ought to be their choice."
The insurgent replied that (bad paraphrase) women have a choice, they can choose whether or not they have "safe" sex (as though everyone (both partners) who has sex which results in pregnancy had sex with the intention of initiating a pregnancy, or that birth control is 100 percent effective, etc.). I replied, "No, you have a choice, that if you get someone pregnant, you can walk away. A woman doesn't have that choice." I then informed the insurgent that I had to go to class (regrettably) and disrespectfully walked through the mock-graveyard.
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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