I almost forgot to put in a plug for the National Back Up your Birth Control with Emergency Contraception Day of Action today. They're focusing this year on the "dual labeling" issue - teens have to get a prescription for EC while adults don't, even though there's no evidence that shows that it can hurt teenagers.
I thought I'd take the time to write out a few reasons why EC availability is an LGBT-issue, even though there is little chance of pregnancy during same-sex loving.
- The B-folk are the most obvious reason - the bisexual members of our community still need access to contraception!
- Lesbian women are victims of rape, too, and don't need that victimization compounded by not having access to EC.
- The separation of reproduction from sex only helps chip away at procreative-centrism. And isn't the whole "procreation is the entire reason for marriage" thing used both against queer people and against contraception?
- LGBT rights are all about people being able to choose their own sexual futures and having the autonomy to choose what happens with one's body.
- America's uneasiness with teen sexuality (in politics, not Hollywood) that perpetuates myths that EC is harmful to teens is the same uneasiness that causes things like the closing down of GSA's.
Can you think of any more?
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2 Comments
« Guest post by Anita Brown | Home | The story that never dies »
First let me say THANK YOU for bringing news of BUYBC Day to Bilerico, and that your reasons 1-5 are brilliant. Next let me add a few more reasons the LGBT community needs to pay attention to EC availability:
6. The anti-birth control mentality is part of the larger, Puritannical anti-sex mentality still so prevalent in American politics. Until we have consensus that human sexuality is HUMAN, that sexuality means many things to many people, and that sexuality is part of a healthy life, we're constantly going to be threatened by the Anti-Sex Brigade.
7. The Anti-Sex Brigade, as we know, have a lot of money and a lot of elected officials in their pockets. These elected officials are introducing both anti-LGBT legislation and anti-women's health legislation. The LGBT community and the reproductive rights community need to work together to kick these particular officials back over the wall that separates church and state.
PS to those readers in particular who care most about reasons 1 & 2: Planned Parenthood will offer a Free EC Day on Tuesday, April 3. PP health centers in Bloomington, Evansville, Ft. Wayne, Lafayette, Madison, Mishawaka, Muncie, Terre Haute and Valparaiso will be offering doses of EC free of charge. www.ppin.org/locations
Jen Jorczak | March 22, 2007 9:42 AM
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I was thinking that as I wrote this - am I stepping on our in-house Planned Parenthood-er with this post? Haw haw.
It's great to have you aboard, Jen!
Alex Blaze | March 22, 2007 1:10 PM
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