Notes from Evil Bender

I’ve tried to think of something to say about why I’m for reproductive choice that hasn’t already been said better by any number of wonderful bloggers (a few exhibits: 1, 2, 3). I don’t think I can match their high standard, especially today as a new semester begins and I am short of time.

So I’ll keep this short. I’m male, and one reason I’m for reproductive justice because there are women in my life: friends, sisters, my wonderful girlfriend. They’re wonderful, brave, intelligent, beautiful people, and they live in a world that consistently attempts to dehumanize them. They’re told they’re only worthwhile for their wombs, that they’re dirty when they have sex and useless when they don’t reproduce.

One particularly horrific manifestation of this desire to punish women and control their bodies is the move to take away their reproductive choices. In the US, this tends to involve forcing them to give birth. In other places and at other times, it involves forcing them not to reproduce. But it’s all based on the same impulse: to make sure women can’t take ownership of their own bodies, because once they own their bodies, they’re just that much harder to control.

I support reproductive freedom because I love the women in my life, and because I’m sick to death of those who would demean, degrade and dehumanize them. I work to be conscious of the privilege that’s afforded me as a man, and the very least I can do is speak up when I see assaults on the rights of women. When they take away a woman’s bodily autonomy, they are doing their very best to make her less than human. That devastates women, devastates us all.

There have been times in my life that I was hesitant to raise my voice on those issues that touch others more directly than they touch me, but if I remain silent, I am part of the problem. So I will speak out; I will do my best to be an ally of women, and to support feminists.

And that’s one more reason why I’m proud to be a blogger for choice.