Saying "vagina" aloud gets elected official banned from speaking on Michigan House floor

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Catchfire Catchfire's picture
Saying "vagina" aloud gets elected official banned from speaking on Michigan House floor

Female Legislator Who Dared Say ‘Vagina’ During Abortion Debate Banned From Speaking on House Floor

[quote]After offending Majority Floor Leader Jim Stamas by using the offensively medically accurate word "vagina" in an impassioned floor speech opposing Michigan's draconian new abortion law, State Representative Lisa Brown was banned indefinitely from speaking on the floor of the House of Representatives. Her colleague Barb Byrum, another passionate pro-choice elected official, was also served with an indefinite Shut The Fuck Up order from the the male-lead body. Apparently, during Michigan's War on Women, ladies aren't even allowed to serve in combat.

Byrum and Brown joined several of their female colleagues in voicing their vehement opposition to Michigan's anti-abortion bill, a steaming pile of misogyny that would criminalize all abortions after 20 weeks' gestation in all cases (so, if you had some terribly severe birth defects, too bad, sister — you carry that dead baby until that dead baby decides to be born) and contains no exceptions for the woman's health. It also straps abortion providing facilities with new burdens designed solely to make it a pain in the ass for them to operate.

As you might expect, debate's been heated. Hundreds of women have flooded the capitol to protest the bill's careless fast tracking, ham-fisted paternalism, and disingenuous concern mongering. Yesterday, before the bill was passed by the House, several female state representatives stood up to voice their opposition to the proposal. And two of them got a little too uppity for the male Speaker's taste. Want to get mad? Of course you do. Anger is the only way you know how to feel feelings anymore. Read on; it gets worse.[/quote]

 

Issues Pages: 
Mr.Tea

This is the kind of headline you expect to see in The Onion

kropotkin1951

Vagina. There I've said it. Go ahead and ban me. I gather that the Vagina Monologues was not a big hit with Michigan Republicans.

Just when I thought American politics could not get any more rotten to the core. To think that the exceptionalism of their great "democracy" is the excuse used for oppressing other nations around the globe. 

oldgoat

So as not to offend our more delicate members, I'm considering amending the thread title using the phrase "down there".

 

ETA: Oh yes, and of course I've banned kropotkin

 

Unionist

oldgoat wrote:

So as not to offend our more delicate members, ...

Speak for your own delicate member.

Mr.Tea

oldgoat wrote:

So as not to offend our more delicate members, I'm considering amending the thread title using the phrase "down there".

 

ETA: Oh yes, and of course I've banned kropotkin

 

There may be kids readind so maybe we could just say "hoo hoo" or "lady bits"

oldgoat

Yeah, this isn't sending the healthiest message.

kropotkin1951

Unionist wrote:

oldgoat wrote:

So as not to offend our more delicate members, ...

Speak for your own delicate member.

Come on guys this is a thread about women's parts not penis size. 

But seriously the only reason to joke about this news is to keep from crying. The thought that misogynists can be that blatant in the US in 2012 leaves one speechless.

onlinediscountanvils

Another [s] mod [/s]  Maude has already made these observations:

 

Quote:

Maude Lebowski: The word itself makes some men uncomfortable. Vagina. 

The Dude: Oh yeah? 

Maude Lebowski: Yes, they don't like hearing it and find it difficult to say whereas without batting an eye a man will refer to his dick or his rod or his Johnson.

 

Maysie Maysie's picture

Best line of this article:

Quote:

"'What she said was offensive," said Rep. Mike Callton, R-Nashville. 'It was so offensive, I don't even want to say it in front of women. I would not say that in mixed company.'

Bold added. Um does dude forget that we're, like, the proud owners of said va-jay-jays? Yes I said it.

Yeah, have to laugh or I'd cry. Or punch someone.

 

Jacob Two-Two

Can you believe women still vote for this party?

Michelle

It would be awesome if feminists gathered in front of the legislature and chanted "Vagina! Vagina! Vagina!" as the Representatives arrive at and leave the House.

Jacob Two-Two

That's an excellent idea! There should be a 24-hour vagina vigil outside. Force the cops to drag them away chanting "Vagina! Vagina!" That would make the news all right.

onlinediscountanvils

Michelle wrote:

It would be awesome if feminists gathered in front of the legislature and chanted "Vagina! Vagina! Vagina!" as the Representatives arrive at and leave the House.

 

I LOVE this idea! A very Pythonesque response to the [i]Legislators of MI[/i] who cannot abide [i]that[/i] word.

Maysie Maysie's picture

I'm going to assume that if "vagina" is offensive then "clitoris" is simply unheard of.

Oh wait......

Laughing

Unionist

Clitoris? Where's that?

 

Maysie Maysie's picture

It's a small town in Michigan. Most men have never heard of it. Those that have, find it difficult to get to.

Unionist

See... even on this specialized map, you won't find "clitoris". It's more difficult than I thought...

Lou Arab Lou Arab's picture

Maysie wrote:

Best line of this article:

Quote:

"'What she said was offensive," said Rep. Mike Callton, R-Nashville. 'It was so offensive, I don't even want to say it in front of women. I would not say that in mixed company.'

 

From Mayse's link:

Quote:

"Byrum, D-Onondaga, caused a disturbance on the House floor Wednesday when she wasn't allowed to introduce an amendment to the abortion regulations bill banning men from getting a vasectomy unless the sterilization procedure was necessary to save a man's life," the Detroit News reports.

 

autoworker autoworker's picture

I just heard, on a Detroit radio station, that "The Vagina Monologues" is to be staged on the steps of the Michigan Legislature.

Michelle

That is great!  I hope they do this monologue. (Probably not safe for work...)

kropotkin1951
josh

Quote:

A state lawmaker who says she was barred from speaking because Republicans objected to her saying "vagina" during debate over anti-abortion legislation performed "The Vagina Monologues" on the Statehouse steps - with help from the author.

Eve Ensler, whose groundbreaking play about women's sexuality still packs theaters 16 years after it debuted, oversaw Monday night's performance by Democratic state Rep. Lisa Brown, other lawmakers and several actresses in Michigan.

Capitol facilities director Steve Benkovsky estimated about 2,500 people watched the "Vaginas Take Back the Capitol!" event.

 

 

 

http://www.centralohio.com/usatoday/article/55684470?odyssey=mod%7Cnewsw...

macktheknife

What is going on with the "spread of red" in the U.S. Am I dreaming or were states like Michigan, Wisconsin, etc., considered "liberal" bastions at some point in the not too far past? I guess "the south shall rise again" wasn't a joke.

Even with someone considered to be a "socialist" as president this is occuring. The so-cons have decided to attack from the state level I guess. It seems like the situation has gone too far to ever be reversed.

josh

Quote:

Lucy: Here's to The Vagina Monologues.
Jeff: Hey, here's to the vagina

http://www.tvfanatic.com/quotes/shows/curb-your-enthusiasm/season-1/

Red Tory Tea Girl

kropotkin1951 wrote:

Come on guys this is a thread about women's parts not penis size. 

But seriously the only reason to joke about this news is to keep from crying. The thought that misogynists can be that blatant in the US in 2012 leaves one speechless.

This is all I'm going to say about trans erasure in this thread. Some women have penises. Get over it.

kropotkin1951

I obviously do not have the language skills to post on this board, sorry.

Lou Arab Lou Arab's picture