In the past three months, five states have passed draconian legislation restricting women’s access to abortion, in some cases as early as six weeks into a pregnancy. Georgia, Ohio, Mississippi, Kentucky, and Alabama seem hellbent on denying women their constitutional right to do what they want with their own bodies.
In some states, lawmakers want to force women to have babies against their wills, even in cases of rape and incest. In others, they want to impose 99-year prison sentences on doctors who perform abortions. There’s even been rumblings of women who have abortions being charged with homicide and penalized with lengthy prison sentences or even capital punishment.
So why is Queerty, a “gay news” site, reporting about this? The answer is simple.
When it comes to having our civil liberties threatened and our private lives policed by nosy lawmakers who all tend to fall into the same general category (straight, white, cisgender, Christian-identifying males), we know a thing or two about how that feels and how damaging it can be. It’s part of what led to the Stonewall Riots 50 years ago, a fight that’s far from over, but has been greatly strengthened by allies (read: straight women) who may not be personally impacted by our struggles but who still understand the importance of strength in numbers.
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
And now, here are 15 tweets that perfectly illustrate how abortion laws and LGBTQ rights are intertwined…
I hope my fellow gay men see the fight to defend abortion rights as our fight, too. Because what they want to control is non-reproductive sex + people who do not follow prescribed gender roles. Ring a bell?
When women are vulnerable, we’re vulnerable. We are also under his eye.
— Michael Yarbrough (@mwyarbrough) May 16, 2019
These states that are making abortion illegal will probably take the next step of making same sex marriage illegal or being gay will be illegal.
— Louise Holliday (@lohody) May 22, 2019
Attacks on access to abortion are rooted in the desires of conservatives to deny people sexual agency. Gay men especially should understand that we have a self-interest in making sure all people have access to the means of providing for their own sexual health. https://t.co/cX8qguQiuQ
— Brian Gaither (@briangaither) May 15, 2019
when are we going to discuss that the same people wanting to ban abortions are the same people kicking their gay kids out of the house
— morgz (@morgancarpie) May 22, 2019
Conservatives: Abortion is wrong, there is always adoption!
Gay People: We would like to adopt
Conservatives: No— Madd Shadd (@ShaddTheSparrow) May 18, 2019
It occurs to me that so many gay men might be silent on the subject of abortion because they think it doesn’t effect them but guys these laws affect all humans and it is your MORAL RESPONSIBILITY to speak out and be an ally.
— Michael Ladewig (@michaelldwg) May 20, 2019
They came for abortion, but I didn’t speak out because I didn’t have a uterus.
Next they came for Muslims, but I wasn’t a Muslim.
Next they came for trans folks, but I wasn’t trans.
Finally they came for cis gay white men, because they NEVER STOP unless we make them stop now. https://t.co/pZzL4oy1SS
— Introvert Gay (@introvertgay) May 15, 2019
Conservatives are obsessed with two things: abortions and gay sex. Odd, since the best way to reduce abortions is to have gay sex.
— Andrea Junker (@Strandjunker) May 22, 2019
Fellow queer/gay/bi men I hope you’re joining the fight for abortion rights now because the court that will overturn Roe will not hesitate to overturn Lawrence, a 6/3 decision. Gay sex has only been nationally legal since 2003. We’ve been in Afghanistan longer than that!
— geoffrey millard (@GeoffMillard) May 18, 2019
Them: don’t kill babies. Abortion is murder
Also them: the death penalty for anyone who has an abortion, oh also let’s keep letting kids die in ice custody, oh yeah let’s also let thousands of kids keep getting abused in foster homes-also gay people can’t adopt now
— ?? sarah ?? (@sarahtonins) May 22, 2019
Amen to this. What’s happening with abortion rights in AL (and GA and OH) is horrifying. Gay men need to realize how deeply connected misogyny and homophobia are. (Need help with this? Read @c_j_pascoe.) Then they (we) need to speak out, raise hell, and donate $$$. https://t.co/1Ersoz3os6
— Harry Thomas (@HerrDoktorProf) May 16, 2019
We are losing our way. Were allowing our country to be ruled by men who think they’re holy warriors, put on this earth to kill sinners. First its outlawing abortion, then its outlawing gay marriage. Soon we’ll be executing people for practicing any religion besides Christianity.
— wesley patterson (@wesleypatterso7) May 15, 2019
Alabama: Ban abortion’s. You can always give kid up for adoption.
Also Alabama: Lets ban gays from adopting.
— BillyHoward423 ???? (@BillyHoward423) May 20, 2019
white gay men on twitter love poppin off jokes on twitter about the new abortion laws but are MIA when we really need them to help us in the actual fight for reproductive justice :///
— em ? (@emilyeaguiar) May 13, 2019
conservatives: abortion is murder, just give the baby up for adoption
gay couples: can we adopt?
conservatives: pic.twitter.com/KPGMTtbKYS— phoebe ?? (@_phoebemarie_) May 17, 2019
Mikey E
Almost all of those tweets are incoherent or make fallacious arguments. The only one which comes close to a coherent argument as to why abortion rights are linked to LGB rights is the tweet by Geoffrey Millard, which notes the common legal basis for Roe and Lawrence v Texas. While it is untrue that overturning Roe inevitably means that Lawrence would be overturned, it would certainly make it more likely. Of course, none of this has anything to do with the relative merits of the pro-choice and pro-life positions.
radiooutmike
What are the merits of a pro-life position?
Please tell me.
The pro-choice position already encompasses the pro-life argument. You can choose to have a child if you want- that’s the pro-life part. Or you can choose terminate a pregnancy- that’s pro-choice. There are no black vans absconding with pregnant women to forcibly give them unwanted abortions.
A woman who is “pro-life” does not have her rights violated under Roe v. Wade presently. That would not change if it’s not overturned.
truthseeker
One could argue that pro-choice / abortions actually harm the LGBTQ community. I’m sure there are many gay parents who would love to adopt and want to adopt. Having an abortion because you simply don’t want your child, takes an opportunity away from loving parents to have a child that cannot conceive.
Secondly, imagine how many LGBTQ individuals have been aborted over the years. Obviously there isn’t data on those figures but we can assume it’s a lot if we go by ratios. Not to mention how many POC have been aborted over the years.
Abortions in instances of rape / incest are fine and make up less than 1% of abortions. The rest of them are simply because the parents don’t want responsibility to be a parent. Every clamoring that they are “pro choice” should also be “pro responsibility” and own up to their choices. If they choose not to take pre-cautions before, during, or after sex, they have to own up to the results of what could happen.
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
Ok great! Are you ready to sign a legally binding document and put approximately$300,000.00 in an escrow account to provide for a birth that occurs due to the outlawing of abortion??
All these busy bodies want to interfere with one of the most personal decisions a woman can make, yet will NEVER take responsibility for what happens next….
truthseeker
@PLAYS (not so)WELL WITH OTHERS
So I should financially pay for someone else’s poor decisions?
Clearly you didn’t read the third paragraph I wrote.
It says a lot about society when people say “it’s my right to murder my unborn baby” and then follow it up with “if you’re not going to let me murder my baby, then you should pay me to raise it”
Just more people who want to live in a world with zero responsibilities and zero consequences similar to the mindset of a child.
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
The commonality is quite simple…..
You don’t like abortion, don’t have one….
You don’t like Gay marriage, don’t marry a Gay person…
But mind you own fcuking business, you have no right to impose your views on me…
My RIGHTS Trump your BELIEFS…
(It’s awesome how “Trump”fits perfectly there ..)
truthseeker
@PLAYS (not so)WELL WITH OTHERS
You don’t like guns, don’t buy one…
…oh wait. You probably don’t apply your logic on that one
Celeste is here
Ya sure. You can own a gun. Well at least it would make sense to if people didn’t hurt each other with them. With gay marriage you won’t be hurt by them because they are married. However you can get shot with a gun.
DCFarmboy
I think flippant comments (“Hoes before embryos” for example) will backfire with moderates.