Anti-Choice Fuckery Roundup

If you're at all familiar with the politics surrounding reproductive rights in this country, you know that the anti-choice side is always up to some fuckery. Whether it's promoting deceptive crisis pregnancy centers or thinking up proposals for new hoops for women to jump through before they can have abortions, it's always something. But they've really stepped it up lately, to the point that it can feel like a challenge just to keep up with the all-out assault on women's health and rights. So we decided to do a link roundup to give you an overview of a lot of what's going on right now and what you can do about it.

HR3 - The No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act

A bill introduced by Republicans in the House that attempted to redefine and create hierarchies of rape and incest in order to further limit the small number of abortions that are funded by Medicaid. After a huge outcry, the House GOP agreed to alter the language of the bill to make it slightly less outrageous.

• The bill itself is available on Open Congress. Check the list of co-sponsors to see if your Rep is there.


• Amazing HR3 coverage and activism on Tiger Beatdown. Start here:

  • #DearJohn: For When Boehner Decides Your Rape Just Wasn’t Enough
  • #DearJohn: A Few Notes on Choosing Your Battles Poorly
  • The Meet the HR3 Ten Series
    
  • #DearJohn on Twitter
    

• The House GOP's Plan to Redefine Rape [Mother Jones]


• GOP loses 'forcible rape' language [Politico]


• Democratic Reps. Unimpressed With New House Abortion Bill [TPMDC]


• Choice Rankings [The American Prospect]

HR358 - The Protect Life Act

A bill introduced by House Republicans that would make it essentially impossible for women to get insurance coverage for abortion in new state health insurance exchanges. It also contains a "conscience" provision that would allow hospitals to refuse to perform abortions or provide referrals even in cases where the abortion is necessary to save a woman's life. Should be more accurately named the Women Are Expendable Act or Fetus? Yay! Women? Eh.

• The bill on Open Congress.


• New GOP Bill Would Allow Hospitals To Let Women Die Instead Of Having An Abortion [TPM DC]


• Protecting Life? New Bill Says Its OK to Let Women Die [RH Reality Check]


• "Protect Life Act" Wins Approval From House Committee [RH Reality Check]


• No Choice At All [The Daily]

House Votes to Defund Planned Parenthood, Title X

House Republicans are basically trying to strip all federal funding from any programs that have anything at all to do with abortion or contraception.

• House Votes to Defund Planned Parenthood, Title X [Big Think]


• Coordinated Anti-Choice Attacks on Planned Parenthood: FAQ [Planned Parenthood Action Center]


• Revealing Her Own Abortion, Rep. Speier Criticizes Conservatives For Failing To Empathize With Women [Think Progress]


• The Siege of Planned Parenthood [New York Times]


• Mike Pence’s war on Planned Parenthood [Politico]

Miscellaneous Fuckery

• Ohio Abortion Bill Poses Biggest Challenge to Roe v. Wade Yet [ABC News]


• South Dakota bill 'license to kill' abortion providers? [Washington Post]
  South Dakota Shelves Controversial 'Justifiable Homicide' Bill [TPMDC]


• Senate committee passes sonogram bill [KXAN - Austin, TX]


• Using force to get their way, in America [Maddow Blog]


• GA State Rep.: There’s No Such Thing as a Rape Victim [DLCC]


• GOP: Yes to Contraception for Wild Horses, No for Women [RH Reality Check]


• In First Month Of Legislative Session, GOP Lawmakers In Five States Seek To Eliminate, Criminalize Abortion [Think Progress]


• Wyoming sends abortion bill to farm committee ("I guess maybe some of these men think we are livestock!?") [Maddow Blog]
  

What You Can Do

• Contact your representatives in Congress and tell them that these anti-choice bills are unacceptable. Go here to find your rep and send and email, or call the Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask to be connected to your representative's office.


• Sign the I Stand With Planned Parenthood petition. You can also show them some love on Twitter using the #thanksPPFA hashtag.


• Participate in the Walk for Choice on Saturday, February 26th. Start with the Walk for Choice tumblr to find a walk near you. (New walks are being organized everyday.) We're going to try to attend Walk for Choice NYC.


• If you have a blog, join Fair and Feminist's I Stand with Planned Parenthood blog carnival.


• Donate to Planned Parenthood, NARAL Pro-Choice America, Emily's List, the National Network of Abortion Funds, or the local abortion fund or pro-choice politician of your choice.

I know that many of us get action alerts and donation requests from pro-choice groups all the time, and we also hear about anti-choice fuckery all the time. So it can be easy to develop outrage fatigue or think that this is just more of the same. It's not. If ever there was a time to push back hard and loud and clear, this is it. Anti-choice politicians and pundits need to hear from us and understand that we are paying attention and we are taking action and we are powerful and we are going to work together and support each other and vote their asses out of office because we are not going to put up with this fuckery anymore.

If anyone has any more good articles, blog posts, suggestions, or whatever else to offer, please leave them in the comments.