Queen Bey once said, “Get off my ovaries,” in response to a question about her pregnancy with Time. The Texas native is like most women when we are asked anything about our bodies. More now than ever, that is our response. In Beyonce’s home state, there is an abortion ban that is changing the scope of how women are able to have control over their bodies. While there are so many things going on around us, this one hits home.
The Texas abortion law bans abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. For some women, they don’t know if they’re pregnant at this time. As soon as a heartbeat is detected, the pregnancy is not allowed to be terminated. Pregnancies brought about by incest or rape are not allowed to be terminated either.
The law is extremely strict, resulting in fines for those attempting to get abortions or aid people attempting to get them. According to The New York Times, the law even permits private citizens to sue “…doctors, staff members at clinics, counselors, people who help to pay for the procedure, and even an Uber driver taking the patient to an abortion clinic…(Liptak, Goodman, Tavernise).” The Lawsuit can result in a $10,000 fine plus attorney’s fees. This law seeks to strip women away from their reproductive rights, going against everything that Roe V. Wade stands for. Women should be able to decide if they would like to bear a child or not.
There are a plethora of reasons women may need an abortion, and this law completely disregards those reasons. Pregnancy complications, rape, incest, financial instability and others are all reasons that women may need abortions. Some women might not want to have children in general, and thats also valid. Who is to say one reason is better than another or to say that any reason is not a good one? Pro-life politics are an obstruction of women’s civil liberties.
Is life what legislatures are attempting to protect, or is power what they’re after? The desire to tell women what to do with their bodies is disgusting, and we will not stand for it.
This law has many Texans wondering what’s next. Women everywhere are wondering what they can do to protect our rights. This law has been one that has been in discussion for some time, and it is preposterous. This is not the beginning nor end of women having to fight for their liberties. This definitely will not go down without a fight.
Women are asking to have the same grace as men when it comes to the way that they reproduce. Most importantly, we want the choice to do what we want with our bodies. Like Beyonce said, get off her ovaries. Moreover, GET OFF ALL OF OUR OVARIES!