“If feminism is a movement to end sexist oppression, and depriving females of reproductive rights is a form of sexist oppression, then one cannot be anti-choice and be feminist. A woman can insist she would never choose to have an abortion while affirming her support of the right of women to choose and still be an advocate of feminist politics. She cannot be anti-abortion and an advocate of feminism.”
- bell hooks, Feminism is for everybody: passionate politics
I encountered a question a few weeks ago, and while I knew the answer myself, hearing the views of others is always interesting. After the Women's March on January 21st, there was an uproar from conservatives. While this didn't surprise me in the least, it's always entertaining to see how far they will go. The original claim was that the Women's March wouldn't allow "pro-life" women to participate. This was not true, the Women's March organizers simply removed "pro-life" groups as partners of the March, writing in a statement that "“we look forward to marching on behalf of individuals who share the view that women deserve the right to make their own reproductive decisions.” These women were still allowed to march, and other protesters were "respectful and kind", said one anti-choice marcher who participated.
On the Tuesday after the march, two young women I have class with were discussing the issue, one who I now know is avidly anti-choice. I said my piece, which they didn't agree with. But what struck me was the statement one of them made, "You can be pro-life and a feminist". It struck me because you can't.
The "pro-life" movement aims to outlaw abortion, most forcefully through the defunding of Planned Parenthood centers across the United States. From heckling women outside of clinic's that offer abortions, to spreading violent images of Photoshopped fetuses, pro-lifers do everything they can to scare women out of feeling safe enough to make their own reproductive choices. In August 2015, thousands participated in a protest outside Planned Parenthood centers around the nation. In a statement from Eric Ferrero, vice president of Planned Parenthood, he stated, “These rallies are meant to intimidate and harass our patients, who rely on our nonprofit health centers for basic, preventive health care.” This behavior is the exact opposite of what Feminism is. According to renowned feminist author and activist bell hooks in her book Feminism is for everybody: passionate politics, “Simply put, feminism is a movement to end sexism, sexist exploitation, and oppression." Not giving women autonomy over their own bodies is oppression. Defunding center Planned Parenthood centers, therefore eliminating critical family planning services, wellness checks, STD testing and cervical and breast cancer screenings for millions is oppression.
You cannot claim to be against the violent misogyny that Donald Trump ran his campaign on, while perpetuating that same violence. As stated by The Center of Reproductive Rights, "A woman’s reproductive rights are inextricably tied to her rights to be free of violence and free from discrimination." Feminism is not just for you. Feminism is not a salad bar. You can't only pick up what you like, and what suits your taste buds. If checking your privilege and problematic behavior always made you happy, don't you think we would have a lot less problems in the world?
So to put it simply, you can't be anti-choice and a feminist.
