Why Are Women Angry? Because 'They Still Have to Protest This Shit' [View all]

[niyad]

(an excellent read)


Why Are Women Angry? Because 'They Still Have to Protest This Shit'

Answering the clichèd question, 'Why are Feminists so angry?'


On January 28, Jessica Valenti delivered a keynote address about anger, activism and reproductive rights to the staff and supporters of Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast, in Houston.

Transcript:

I’m honored to be in a room with such incredible activists and supporters of the wonderful work PP Gulf Coast does—so thank you for having me here. Given that there’s news on women’s reproductive rights every day (most often none of it good), when I was thinking about what to say today, I had a hard time narrowing it down.

It’s really difficult to articulate the nuance and the complexity of issues like activism, women, politics, bodily integrity. Then I was reminded of this protest sign that I saw a picture of, and I wanted to share it with you because I think it perfectly captures the sentiment of this particular moment in the fight for reproductive rights:

There’s something about it—it’s simple, it speaks to all generations. And this is actually a picture from a demonstration in Virginia when the state was trying to mandate transvaginal ultrasounds for women seeking abortions—a mandate I know you all know very well because Texas was also on its way to passing one when this protest occurred.

So I wanted to show you this picture because its funny, but I also wanted to share it because there’s a story behind it.



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http://www.commondreams.org/views/2013/01/31/why-are-women-angry-because-they-still-have-protest-shit