Lysistrata Award to Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib

Today’s Lysistrata award goes to Michigan State Representative Rashida Tlaib (D).  Yesterday, she said

"I ask women to boycott men
until they stop moving this through the House."

On top of her proposed boycott, Tlaib attempted to amend part of Michigan’s new anti-contraception legislation (House Bill 57-11) so that it also applied to vasectomies.

Honorable mention to two more Representatives

• Lisa Brown, who described her religious objection to preserving the life of a fetus over that of the mother, and who was censured for using the word “vagina”  on the floor
• Barb Byrum, who wasn’t allowed to speak at all, reminding me of what happens when we fail to observe parliamentary procedure, for example at the 1969 UMWA convention

Learn more at Rachel Maddow's blog.

I’ll send all three of them “I support affordable contraception--and I vote” t-shirts as soon as I have some more printed up.

Secret butchery behind the temple

To me, this excerpt from a memoir by an Englishman who grew up in Kashmir at the turn of the twentieth century raises more questions than it answers. 

He describes the Hindu "pilgrimages to the caves of AMARNATH, the reputed source of the Holy Ganga, the great Ganges river."

A merry side-light to this pilgrimage was the traffic in temple dancing-girls or prostitutes, whom the richer pilgrims were wont to hire as their companions for the duration of the pilgrimage.  To them would occasionally be born a child; and, to hush up scandal, the temple-priests would have the unwanted little creatures despatched in a secret butchery behind the temple....(T)o the honour of Amer Singh and his brother alike, be it said, means were found—in the teeth of opposition by the all-powerful priesthood—to put an end to this iniquitous butchery.

Let's assume that these "dancing-girls" were Devadasis, possibly Dalits, who'd been dedicated to the temple.  They were rented as sex workers to wealthy pilgrims.  Let's say that they were far from home, that they may not have wanted their baby daughters to grow up to be devadasis or their baby sons to inherit nothing.  Instead of selling their children, or leaving them as foundlings, they practiced infanticide. 

What happened to the babies once the Maharajah prevailed and the priests stopped killing them?  Were the mothers forced to keep them, or were they adopted out?  Did anyone benefit besides the Europeans who apparently weren't offended by prostitution, but who objected to killing the "unwanted little creatures"?

Did anyone want them?  If they had, no one would've killed them in the first place. 

Wouldn't the prostitutes have been grateful for safe and affordable contraception that would at least have spared them unwanted pregnancies?

The biggest question it raises is "How could anyone call this a merry sidelight?"

Unwanted Infants Die

As for women pregnant with an unwanted infant, a study at the University of South Carolina indicated that they “had a greater than twofold risk of delivering a child who died within the first 28 days of life.”  The study was not comprehensive, but one of the epidemiologist concluded, “Being unwanted puts children at increased risk of a range of adverse health outcomes, including child abuse and delayed cognitive and social-emotional development.”   

Nancy Friday wrote that in Our Looks, Our Lives in 1999.  Do I need to add anything?

Genetically Inferior Children

A road trip kept me away from the internet for a few days, but I did take a picture to share with you while I was in Charlottesville, VA: a historical marker commemorating Carrie Buck and the Buck v Bell Supreme Court decision on sterilizing "genetically inferior" people.

Unlike Charlottesville's many other historical markers, this one is camouflaged under the trees at the bus stop just north of 8th St. NW on Preston Avenue.  Feel free to reproduce the picture and spread the word. 

In case you can't read it, it reads

BUCK v BELL

In 1924, Virginia, like a majority of states then, enacted eugenic sterilization laws.  Virginia's law allowed state institutions to operate on individuals to prevent the conception of what were believed to be "genetically inferior" children.  Charlottesville native Carrie Buck (1906-1983), involuntarily committed to a state facility near Lynchburg, was chosen as the first person to be sterilized under the new law.  The US Supreme Court in Buck v. Bell on 2 May, 1927, affirmed the Virginia law.  After Buck more than 8,000 other Virginians were sterilized before the most relevant parts of the act were repealed in 1974.  Later evidence eventually showed that Buck and many others had no "hereditary defects."  She is buried south of here.

During the trip I fell even farther behind on my weekly Economist, but I still think this article might interest you:

It's not news now that young women favor Obama by 20 points (58% to 38%). The Scarcer Sex also points out that, as I said, women vote in larger numbers than men.  Get out there and vote, young women!  Better yet, run for office.

Adoption is a reproductive choice

When economically-strapped families abandoned their babies as foundlings, at least they had a choice. 

When women stopped giving birth at home, they moved into a system that made their choices for them.  A recent yahoo! news story describes how women around the world, still bleary from industrial-strength anesthetics, unwittingly signed over their illegitimate babies for adoption as late as 1987. 

In Spain, an 80-year-old nun, Sister Maria Gómez, became the first person accused of baby snatching in a scandal over the trafficking of 1,500 newborns in Spanish hospitals over four decades until the 1980s.

Did adoptive parents choose babies with health problems?  

Until midcentury, eugenics proponents did their best to forestall this issue.

After then, the answer depended on the adoptive family.

(A)t midcentury, when social workers were still reluctant to place less-than-perfect children, many ordinary families expressed both willingness and desire to raise many different kinds of children as their own….Well-educated adopters were particularly interested in identifying children who could take advantage of a college education.

How many of these babies were from out-groups such as Native Americans?  And where did those children go? 

Eighty-five percent of the Native children removed from their families from 1941 to 1967 were placed innon-Indian homes or institutions, said the Association on American IndianAffairs report. The aim, said White Hawk, was assimilation and extinction of the tribes as entities, as their younger generations were removed, year after year... 

Did biological parents choose to extinguish their own culture?

Kudos to the families who adopted special-needs children.  Even the families who adopted Native children may have thought they were doing good.  Still, the decision about whether to put the children into the system at all belonged to the parents, especially mothers, and the news story makes it clear that those women were deprived of their choice.

I hope we can all agree that adoption is loving response to an unintended pregnancy, and yet the choice to put the baby up for adoption belongs strictly to the biological mother.

Knit a Uterus Now

Don't feel comfortable asking your man to show his support for reproductive rights?  Knit?

Here's a daffy new way to express your support for affordable and accessible contraception: 

Knit a uterus and send it to your elected representative.  governmentfreevjj.com plans to send these knitted uteruses to male representatives.  Their message is "Dear Men in Congress: If we knit you a uterus, will you stay out of ours?  Hands off my uterus! Here’s one of your own!"

To my mind, the message should also include those two important words:

I vote.

Also, female politicians also vote against reproductive choice, for example, Florida Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Texas Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison. They may need their own knitted uteruses.

Not sure who voted how?  NARAL has a handy interactive map showing how congresspeople voted on choice issues in 2011.  prochoiceamerica.org/government-and-you/us-government

You can find instructions for your own textile art here.   Even if you don't know the difference between a knit and a purl, let your elected representatives know how you feel about reproductive choice.

How Much Does a Eugenically-desirable Baby Cost?

Effing cheapskates!

Serious Applicants Only Please! Nice couple is looking for a young woman for egg donation. Must be between the ages of 18-25 and Caucasian, with family heritage from Europe, UK or Scandinavia preferred. Height 5.0' -- 5.10'. Healthy individual, smoke & drug free with healthy BMI. College education or attending college preferred. You must be willing and able to travel to Naperville and Downtown Chicago on multiple occasions. Please be prepared to provide one or more photographs with your application. A childhood photo would be appreciated as part of your application or selection process.

We are not an agency. We are working with a reputable fertility specialist, Dr. *** ****. Your health and confidentiality will be respected. If you are willing to help us, please go to Dr. **** donor website at www.****.com to complete your application, use Reference Code: HealthyBaby22012. Donor Compensation is up to $5,000 and will be given to the donor when the egg retrieval has been completed. Applicants will be expected to attend all scheduled appointments. We are looking for an immediate commitment and desire to begin the process within the next 1-3 weeks. This is a very personal and emotional decision for us and we appreciate your consideration and generosity.

Do not contact poster. Contact DR. ***** directly. Anonymous donors only. Only applicants posting directly with Dr. **** will be considered. Thank you in advance!

    Location: Naperville / Chicagoland

    Compensation: Up to $5K 30-60 days

$5000?  Who do they think they are?  Who’d sell eggs to them when the agency below offers “Compensation: First time donors receive $7,000+; Repeat donors receive up to $10,000”

Creating Pathways to Parenthood

Maybe not now, but someday you may hope to have a family of your own.  Imagine you couldn’t.  These are the people we help, and maybe so can you.

Become an egg donor: Help a Family & Earn Up to $10,000!

Highlights

Bring the joy of a child to a family

Earn $5,000 - $10,000

Leading compensation in the field

All expenses paid

Continue school or work uninterrupted

Caring support from our dedicated team

Industry-leading nationwide program

Experience what it’s like to help someone who wants more than anything to have a child:

Click here to submit an application today!

Requirements

Female between the ages of 21 to 29

Within normal weight range

Healthy, with a healthy family history

Non-smoker and no drug use

Some college education required or Trade/Vocational schooling

Must have entirely reliable transportation

Got eggs?  Can’t carry them to term?  Call in a gestational surrogate.

Become a Gestational Surrogate with one of the top agencies in the world and earn up to $40,000 and possibly $80,000 if you are a Surrogate twice.

Apply online at www.*******.com. Or call **** **** at our corporate office in downtown Chicago in the Hancock Building at 312-***-**** to talk with an experienced Surrogate who will serve as your liaison for the surrogacy process.

DETAILS

* Earn between $25,000-$40,000 per surrogate journey depending on experience

* Receive a $750 signing bonus after acceptance and match

* All expenses for surrogacy are covered

* Additional $250 monthly allowance

* Extra money for maternity clothes ($1000)

* Bi-monthly calls with your case manager and surrogate support groups

QUALIFICATIONS FOR SURROGACY

* Loved being pregnant and delivered easily on time

* A healthy weight required by clinics

* Don't smoke or take prescription drugs

* Age is 19-42 years old

* Have no criminal history or drug problem

* Can financially support yourself without surrogacy

CLICK HERE TO APPLY TODAY!

Learn more about us by visiting our corporate website or join our 3,600 fans on Facebook.

We are the #1 Surrogate Agency on Facebook and one of the top agencies in the world as shown by our very large and growing fan base of over 3,600 fans (more than double any other agency). When it comes to the delicate process of surrogacy and to ensure you will be well taken care of and paid on time and as planned, you want to be sure to work with one of the most financially stable, well known and respected agencies in the world.

Got the eggs but somebody’s shooting blanks, or there’s no man around?  Buy the sperm.

NY Sperm Donors Wanted/Make Money/Give the Gift of Family/New York, NY

**** ****, one of the world's leading reproductive tissue banks, is seeking healthy, highly educated men with a desire to help others. We are conveniently located on Lexington Avenue one block from Grand Central Station in Midtown Manhattan.

Apply online at: ****.com

~ Earn up to $14,500+ annually

~ Receive upwards of $2,000 in FREE genetic and health screenings

~ Help others

~ Minimal time commitment (less than 5 hours per month once qualified)

By being a sperm donor, you can supplement your income while giving others the chance to experience the joy of starting a family of their own.

Apply ONLY if you meet the following:

Basic Requirements

    Must be between 19 and 38

    Must be attending a four-year University OR hold a Bachelor's Degree

    Must be able to commit to our program for at least a year

    Must reside close enough to our facility to visit 2-3 times a week

Apply Online at: ****.com

You must pass the online screening before visiting our facility!

We are constantly recruiting males from all ethnicities, religions, and races.

No Clomid?  No needles?  No labor and delivery?  $14,000 a year for a checkup and a bunch of girlie magazines?  Young men, there are worse ways to pay for college.

Normally I include URLs so you can check my sources.  In this case I don’t want to send any traffic to these ads, though you can easily find them.    

If you find them on Craigslist, please flag them.  Flagging means that you request Craigslist to take down the ad.  If any one ad receives enough flags, Craigslist takes it down automatically. 

Even if you think that selling or renting out your body parts looks like a great deal, as someone who is at that moment using Craigslist you’re obliged to flag ads that violate Craigslist’s terms of use.  The terms forbid the sale of “blood, bodily fluids or body parts” but the site doesn’t maintain employees to enforce the terms.  It relies on users to do that. 

To flag any ad on Craigslist, open the ad.  Look for the box in the upper right corner that says

please flag with care: [?]

miscategorized

prohibited

spam/overpost

best of craigslist

Left-click on “prohibited.” That's all there is to it.

I kinda wish I could've made this kind of money when I was in the "right" age group.  I'm not entirely against this traffic, but I marvel to see how much people will pay for a "perfect" baby when so many children with issues are available for adoption right now.