There are no surprises here:
In the waning hours of 2016, U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor unleashed a bizarre ruling that fundamentally alters the balance between medical treatment and religious freedom in the United States. O’Connor’s decision blocked a critical regulation enacted pursuant to the Affordable Care Act, which forbade doctors from discriminating against transgender patients or women who’ve previously had abortions. Most disturbingly, O’Connor found that such a nondiscrimination rule violated the “religious freedom” of doctors and insurance companies that consider gender transition and abortion to be “evil.” The ruling marks an extreme extension of the dubious logic behind the Supreme Court’s Burwell v. Hobby Lobby decision—and indicates that conservative courts believe the purported right of health care professionals to discriminate against patients trumps patients’ right to sound medical treatment.
Evil? For real?
It’s no surprise who’s coming under attack first. Transgendered and women. And make no mistake, this is a personal attack. This ruling opens the door to restricting basic medical care for these groups. Break a leg, have a sinus infection, get the flu, well… are you transgender or a woman who has had an abortion in the past? If so, no treatment for you!
Years ago I said, quite clearly, that people brushing off the issue of people who didn’t want to bake gay wedding cakes and photographers who didn’t want to photograph gay weddings were missing the big picture. It was never about that. The last few years we watched this denial of service extend to pharmacists – which was always the plan. Gotta keep your eye on the ball! And while women can lie to their doctors about having an abortion (I can’t believe I just typed that sentence!) the transgender community isn’t so… lucky??? I lose sleep worrying about our transgender family. The target on their back is large and menacing.
And if you’re wondering where this is heading, and what it’s really about, take a look at Kentucky:
FRANKFORT Women would not be allowed to get an abortion in Kentucky if they are more than 20 weeks pregnant under a controversial bill filed Tuesday on the first day of the state’s 2017 law-making session. The bill appears to be on a fast track now that Republicans control the House, Senate and governor’s office. Most proposals in recent years to limit abortion have died in the Democratic-controlled House, but Republicans won a 64-36 super majority in November.
And there’s more!
Another anti-abortion bill is to be heard in the House Judiciary Committee at noon Tuesday. House Bill 2, sponsored by Hoover, would require a doctor to present the results of an ultrasound to a woman before an abortion.
An extra expense (who gets billed for that?) that won’t change minds. But the shame will be strong. And isn’t that really the point? To shame women under the guise that they don’t know no better?
And then there’s this quote from Senate President Robert Stivers, R-Manchester:
“This is my belief: there are two viable beings involved,” he said. “One had a choice early on to make a decision to conceive or not. Once conception starts, another life is involved, and the legislature has the ability to determine how that life proceeds.”
First, someone doesn’t understand the definition of the word viable. This is “personhood” language – buckle up for more of this.
Second… Whoa! One person had a choice early on to make a decision to conceive or not? Only one person? Only a woman person? Sure sounds like it, since, yet again, the man is missing in all this cool accountability stuff.
But who needs a man when we have a Republican legislature to make decisions!
“Once conception starts, another life is involved, and the legislature has the ability to determine how that life proceeds.”
Hmmm… how long do they get to determine how another life proceeds? Until that life turns 18? Of course not – unless it’s female life, then proceed all you want!
Sadly, this is just the beginning.
So welcome to Blue Delaware–two of my favorite bloggers and one of my favorite “frenemies.” I am hopeful the Blue Delaware will become “a thing.”
That said, it’s no longer a question about whether there’s a war on women, LGBTQ, minorities, immigrants, and Muslims in America, but how we fight it to avoid losing it.
Because we can lose it. And we can lose it pretty damn quickly.
I hear ya! It’s no mistake why Republicans are targeting the transgender community and women first. That’s true to form. We need to make sure we stand with the transgender community. They are so vulnerable.
Welcome, Steve!