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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Rape victims could be denied abortions if someone decides insufficient "force" was used against them (US)

37 replies

ElephantsAndMiasmas · 02/02/2011 15:33

Link here.

"Under this new bill, the only rape survivors who would be able to receive funding would be those who were able to prove that their rapes involved ?force.? If your rapist drugged you, intoxicated you, or raped you while you were unconscious, you don?t get coverage. If your rapist used coercion, you don?t get coverage. If this is a case of statutory rape ? that is, if you are a thirteen-year-old child, raped by someone outside of your family ? you don?t get coverage. If you?re an incest survivor over the age of eighteen ? if, say, years of abuse only culminated in a pregnancy after your nineteenth birthday ? you just don?t get coverage. And if you live in a state that doesn?t distinguish ?forcible rape? from ?rape,? you might not qualify, meaning that no matter what the circumstances of your assault were, well, sorry: You might not get coverage."

I know there's probably not a lot we can do about it, given that it's in another country (althoug please tell me if you think we can). But I just wanted to post out of outrage, and because it is often laughed off when I say things about how women's current rights can easily be eroded and removed. This is an example of how that happens.

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swallowedAfly · 07/02/2011 19:17

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GrimmaTheNome · 07/02/2011 19:10

Shameful.

Brazil could offer some ethical advice maybe to those in the thrall of religious dogma?

dadaz · 07/02/2011 19:00

Men shouldn't interfere with the rights of a Woman to abort.

Neither should religious freaky extremists.

swallowedAfly · 07/02/2011 15:53

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SuchProspects · 07/02/2011 15:50

According to CRR new language has been added to this bill allowing hospitals to impose their religious beliefs and refuse to provide emergency abortion care even when necessary to save a woman's life.

It's being debated in committee this week.

BeerTricksPotter · 02/02/2011 16:15

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Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ElephantsAndMiasmas · 02/02/2011 16:09

In fact I remember that subject being discussed at my uni, and all the people who were "for" lowering the limit (or even worse measures) were right-wing men of exactly the type who are now running the country (in fact, probably will be doing it themselves in a few years)

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ElephantsAndMiasmas · 02/02/2011 16:08

Don't count on it, Hopelessly. This sort of thing could happen here. Perhaps not so easily, but remember when the Tories tried to lower the upper-limit for abortions to 20 weeks? They've obviously got an agenda on limiting access as well.

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Hopelesslydisorganised · 02/02/2011 16:05

Only in America......

ElephantsAndMiasmas · 02/02/2011 16:02

thanks for the link SP, just popping out but will check it out when I get back. :(

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BlingLoving · 02/02/2011 16:00

Oh that's horrible.

SuchProspects · 02/02/2011 15:56

The Center for Reproductive Rights sees it as even more vile, their analysis is that it effectively bans private insurance coverage too (see this brief press release).

I haven't read much about the law. CRR are campaigning on the issue so non-US citizens could donate to them (or a number of other good US orgs) if they wanted to help.