Because Virginia hates you, and wants to have complete control of you, your body, and your reproductive health and choices. This is just quick hit because I am so angry I can barely form words. The Virginia House passed two extreme anti-choice laws: the Personhood bill introduced by Delegate Bob Marshall (so sorry if you use birth control like 99% of women, because in Virginia it could be criminalized pretty soon), and a law requiring women have transvaginal ultrasounds before abortion (just emphasizing that these ultrasounds are mandatory meaning that the state is requiring women be penetrated with a probe regardless of consent prior to an abortion). It’s also important to note that regardless of how conservative a states is, voters DO NOT WANT a Personhood law on the books. Mississippi voters resoundingly voted one down last fall because of how extremely anti-choice it is. In case this utter bullshit isn’t enough, by the way, Delegate Todd Gilbert of Woodstock called abortion “a matter of convenience” while supporting the ultrasounds bill. To which I can only say, go fuck yourself. Anyone who would ever consider abortion to be a matter of convenience (which is simply untrue, especially given how fucking difficult it is to obtain an abortion at all) deserves no say in any discussion of reproductive rights because they clearly lack any fundamental understanding of the issue at hand. I cannot fathom the extent of ignorance and misogynist hate someone must have to say something so fucking stupid.
Oh, and I would just like to note that not just women seek abortions, men and nonbinary individuals also need abortions too. So what I mean to say is if you’re in the category of a person who might ever need an abortion, you should move.
ShoutOut! James Madison University 
This is fucking preposterous. Is there anything Virginia citizens can do to stop these from becoming law?
LikeLike
Of course, it depends on whether or not they pass the state Senate (if they do, fucking McDonnell will sign them in to law). But there’s the potential for a state ballot referendum if Virginia citizens got enough signatures that could overturn it. It just depends on whether or not VA citizens would a) be willing to get them on the ballot and b) whether or not VA citizens are reasonable enough to vote against Personhood and the ultrasounds.
In other news, I’m moving to Copenhagen and you’re welcome to join me.
LikeLike
This… is just unbelievable. This is… I don’t even know. How the hell did they manage to pass something like this? And abortion as “a matter of convenience”? I am literally just sputtering in anger right now. If they pass this into law, I plan on moving straight back to NY. And why is the transvaginal ultrasound even necessary? This is ridiculous and preposterous.
LikeLike
I share this outrage, but really… If Virginia voters didn’t see this coming when they elected so many Repulicans and “Tea Party” folks to positions of power during the mid-terms, then shame on you. Eric Cantor and your governor alone qualify you as a seriously backwards state. That said, I hope there are more women like this author who band together, wake up, and put and end to this medieval treatment of women.
And next time you vote, keep in mind which party is truly misogynistic and lies about “small government,” while literally crawling up your vagina in a medically unnecessary procedure without your consent — just to intimidate you and put you back in your place…
LikeLike
To be fair, I think it’s quite possible most Virginia voters didn’t think it would be this bad. I’m a cynical person who believes that Republicans will do the worst things possible, and I didn’t see this coming. I knew Personhood would be on the table, but transvaginal ultrasounds? Really? I don’t think it’s entirely fair to call shame on all Virginia voters who probably didn’t think their elected representatives would be supporting and legalizing what amounts to state-sanctioned sexual assault.
And I think that some of the most conservative women wouldn’t be comfortable with that either. Just like Mississippi voters said no to Personhood because of how extreme it is, and that it goes as far as to ban birth control, I think that given that 99% of women (and 98% of Catholic women) have used contraceptives before, party lines are slightly more blurred on this. That being said, I agree that we really need to understand which political parties and political figures are on our sides (meaning that some conservative women may also think Personhood goes too far, but that doesn’t matter because of the men in the political party). Obviously, this time, Democras are definitely on women’s side, and overall this fight is being fought along party lines. But that’s not how it always happens, and, as a woman, I have to be skeptical of Democrats too, despite the fact that I always vote Democrat (but you can’t forget things like the anti-choice Stupak-Pitts Amendment either, Stupak is a Democrat).
LikeLike
Wow. Um, this is ridiculous. How in the heck will this hold up in courts? I can’t seriously imagine that this will stick. If so, can I tag along to Copenhagen?
LikeLike