The Republican assault on women’s humanity follows a very predictable strategy: overwhelm people with bad news, slowly demoralize them, and steadily wear them down. Over time, moves that once seemed unthinkable—putting children in cages, for example—begin to seem normal. And with so many atrocities on so many fronts, it becomes impossible to remain outraged about them all while also remaining a functional human.
This allows conservative politicians to ram through legislation that once would have garnered national protests, but which goes unnoticed due to distraction and demoralization. Suddenly pushing for the death penalty for women who seek abortions seems like just one more political position instead of the atrocity it is.
Here’s the news in the war on women that you might have missed this month.
Ohio Bill Could Kill Women for Seeking Abortions
Ohio Republicans are considering a bill that would completely ban abortion, with no exceptions for rape, incest, or the life of the woman. HB 565 authorizes penalties for Ohio abortion clinics, doctors who provide abortions, and women who seek them.
Under the proposed law, abortion could be punished as murder, allowing the state to execute or imprison for life women who have abortions. Women’s health advocates have cautioned that the bill is broad enough to also criminalize in vitro fertilization and “suspicious” miscarriages. In 2017, a so-called “heartbeat bill” that would ban abortion after 5-6 weeks passed the Ohio House.
Women Are Being Incarcerated for Self-Induced Abortions
A number of websites now offer DIY medication abortions. Research shows that this approach to abortion is safe, affordable, and could even lower the rate at which women seek late-term abortions. Yet at least 20 people have been arrested or investigated for self-induced abortion since 1973. One, Purvi Patel, served three years of a 20-year feticide sentence before the Indiana Court of Appeals overturned her conviction. The Self-Induced Abortion Legal Help Team now offers a hotline and legal help to prevent other people from meeting the same fate. Get help, learn more, or donate here.
Crisis Pregnancy Centers in North Carolina Use Federal Money to Preach About Jesus
Crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs) are religious centers that promise women free pregnancy tests, crisis pregnancy counseling, and other services. Women instead get anti-abortion fear tactics, and sometimes threats. Some use the data women reveal to them to stalk, harass, and intimidate women. Few offer any real services either to women who choose abortion or to those who keep the baby. And many receive federal funding. This money is often taken directly from services for poor women and children.
Now, crisis pregnancy centers in North Carolina have upped the ante. A new video shows the centers preaching about religion and Jesus to women seeking abortions. Appallingly, the videos also dismiss the stress and depression many women experience during an unwanted pregnancy as the result of “our pesky fluctuating abortions.” Those silly women and their crazy hormones! The state of North Carolina directly funds these centers, and the harmful videos they show, with taxpayer money.
Federal Judge Blocks Mississippi Abortion Ban
A federal judge has blocked the Mississippi Gestational Act. The law, which was enacted in March, banned almost all abortions after 15 weeks. A temporary order blocked the law in March, but the new order makes the order permanent. The ruling will also prevent a similar law in Louisiana from going into effect.