Jul 12, 2022·edited Jul 12, 2022Liked by Virginia Sole-Smith
Yes. All of this. Thank you for articulating all of these connections! Sorry you got weird reader feedback about not wanting this kind of "content." For what it's worth, this is exactly why I love & trust your work, because it's grounded in larger body autonomy/liberation movements. This is where the conversations need to go in order to meet the moment.
Thank you so much for articulating this so beautifully and broadly. Personally I do not see a conflict between acknowledging that anti-choice activists want to control women (both the women they see as deserving of what they think of as paternalistic protection and the people who don’t meet their definition of worthy women who they want to demean out of existence) and acknowledging that not all pregnant people are women (and that 60% of people seeking abortions are already parents). All humans deserve bodily autonomy simply by virtue of our humanity, full stop. And if mothering - motherhood - caregiving - parenting is such a beautiful blessing and important job, why wouldn’t you want to make it accessible to as many people as possible?
Jul 12, 2022·edited Jul 12, 2022Liked by Virginia Sole-Smith
Thank you for writing about these issues and specifically addressing that infuriating article. The very idea that evolving language is the problem is absurd!
Also, one of the reasons that we are in the current situation with regards to our collective loss of rights is that too many of us listened for too long when people said "please don't talk about that." I am 53 and my beliefs have been consistent, but I have spent far too long bowing to the pressure to "not talk" about issues that made people feel squeamish or uncomfortable. That restraint hasn't led to a reward. I also really liked the interview with Angela Garbes and am enjoying her excellent book. There is so much for me to learn and I hope that my education and awareness continue to expand. Feeling uncomfortable and having to ask myself what harmful or exclusionary aspects of cis white feminism in which I have participated is a small price to pay for learning. Feeling uncomfortable isn't fatal.
Also, the idea that what we feed our children isn't political is ludicrous- witness the current formula shortage, and the new recommendations about breastfeeding for 2 years, alongside our failure to support parents on a societal level. There is a better article in the NYT by Jessica Grose who talks about this. Everything that we have access to (or don't) is the result of a policy. Keep up the good work!
I'm sorry I said I go elsewhere for my political content — I wasn't thinking in an intersectional way, and this is a great wake-up call and why I love this newsletter. I've been trying to explain some of these complexities to my mom (specifically around trans rights) and this framing is so vital. Thank you for doing this work.
I love this essay so much. A few years ago, I submitted a sabbatical research proposal to explore how bodily autonomy is the basis for all civil rights movements* and could be a basis for coalition and activism. While it's pretty easy to establish this philosophically, as you’ve done here, I found it much harder to develop it as organizing strategy. Partly because the phrase/concept «bodily autonomy» was so academic — I guess I was a few years ahead of my time.
Great article! Thank you so much for using your platform to be political, and thank you for encouraging your readers to work to dismantle all forms of oppression.
I personally wouldn’t want you to change a thing about the content of this newsletter. I need more conversation and connection. Thank you for the work you do.
Honestly, I wrote that I didn't want a lot of political content in this space--and I didn't want disconnected content. This is connected content that is political. I pretty much didn't want politics to be sought out as another topic. Everything is political, and I appreciate today's content.
I can't remember exactly how I answered, but I am guessing (hoping) that I answered something about how I consume a lot of political content from other sources AND I appreciate you exposing the political within the topics you discuss.
okay, yes, I love all of this *and* I can't wait to hear your thoughts on the ending. (I loved it! I felt so genuinely sad approaching the end, and then the end redeemed it in a way that felt right but not overly sunny.)
Yes. All of this. Thank you for articulating all of these connections! Sorry you got weird reader feedback about not wanting this kind of "content." For what it's worth, this is exactly why I love & trust your work, because it's grounded in larger body autonomy/liberation movements. This is where the conversations need to go in order to meet the moment.
Thank you so much for articulating this so beautifully and broadly. Personally I do not see a conflict between acknowledging that anti-choice activists want to control women (both the women they see as deserving of what they think of as paternalistic protection and the people who don’t meet their definition of worthy women who they want to demean out of existence) and acknowledging that not all pregnant people are women (and that 60% of people seeking abortions are already parents). All humans deserve bodily autonomy simply by virtue of our humanity, full stop. And if mothering - motherhood - caregiving - parenting is such a beautiful blessing and important job, why wouldn’t you want to make it accessible to as many people as possible?
Thank you for writing about these issues and specifically addressing that infuriating article. The very idea that evolving language is the problem is absurd!
Also, one of the reasons that we are in the current situation with regards to our collective loss of rights is that too many of us listened for too long when people said "please don't talk about that." I am 53 and my beliefs have been consistent, but I have spent far too long bowing to the pressure to "not talk" about issues that made people feel squeamish or uncomfortable. That restraint hasn't led to a reward. I also really liked the interview with Angela Garbes and am enjoying her excellent book. There is so much for me to learn and I hope that my education and awareness continue to expand. Feeling uncomfortable and having to ask myself what harmful or exclusionary aspects of cis white feminism in which I have participated is a small price to pay for learning. Feeling uncomfortable isn't fatal.
Also, the idea that what we feed our children isn't political is ludicrous- witness the current formula shortage, and the new recommendations about breastfeeding for 2 years, alongside our failure to support parents on a societal level. There is a better article in the NYT by Jessica Grose who talks about this. Everything that we have access to (or don't) is the result of a policy. Keep up the good work!
This is probably one of your most important posts. It is all human rights.
I'm sorry I said I go elsewhere for my political content — I wasn't thinking in an intersectional way, and this is a great wake-up call and why I love this newsletter. I've been trying to explain some of these complexities to my mom (specifically around trans rights) and this framing is so vital. Thank you for doing this work.
Thank you Virginia. You’re absolutely right and you’ve changed my mind. I didn’t see the connection until today.
I love this essay so much. A few years ago, I submitted a sabbatical research proposal to explore how bodily autonomy is the basis for all civil rights movements* and could be a basis for coalition and activism. While it's pretty easy to establish this philosophically, as you’ve done here, I found it much harder to develop it as organizing strategy. Partly because the phrase/concept «bodily autonomy» was so academic — I guess I was a few years ahead of my time.
*Including disability justice.
Great article! Thank you so much for using your platform to be political, and thank you for encouraging your readers to work to dismantle all forms of oppression.
I personally wouldn’t want you to change a thing about the content of this newsletter. I need more conversation and connection. Thank you for the work you do.
I’m glad you are talking about abortion rights here!
What about Essential Labor for the next book club pick?
Honestly, I wrote that I didn't want a lot of political content in this space--and I didn't want disconnected content. This is connected content that is political. I pretty much didn't want politics to be sought out as another topic. Everything is political, and I appreciate today's content.
This fired me up AND made me feel hopeful.
I can't remember exactly how I answered, but I am guessing (hoping) that I answered something about how I consume a lot of political content from other sources AND I appreciate you exposing the political within the topics you discuss.
okay, yes, I love all of this *and* I can't wait to hear your thoughts on the ending. (I loved it! I felt so genuinely sad approaching the end, and then the end redeemed it in a way that felt right but not overly sunny.)