I’m a sexual health educator tasked with educating youth about the potential risks and consequences of engaging in unprotected sex and arming them with the tools that they need to protect themselves should they ever have sex. Working in the state of Nevada, a state leading the nation in unplanned teen pregnancy rates and rates of contraction for STIs/STDs, I believe this work to be important.

The conservative pro-life movement has come out of the woodwork swinging, attempting to dismantle every single medical provision that would work to protect women or give them any semblance of power or control. Congress is currently debating a bill that would reinforce an already existing law allowing medical professionals to legally refuse to give a woman an abortion, even if the operation would save her life. The great and wonderful state of Pennsylvania, touting that it’s the “State of Independence” , looks like it will pass their ironically titled “Women’s Right to Know Act” mandating that woman are shown an ultrasound of their developing fetus to scare, shame and guilt them into reconsidering the option to end their pregnancy. Finally, in the forward-minded state of Mississippi, a “Personhood Amendment” is being introduced to the state’s constitution. This “Personhood Amendment” would ban all abortions, regardless of the situation (rape, incest, etc) but would go above and beyond by banning the morning after pill (used to prevent pregnancy), many forms of hormonal contraception, and some IUDs (inter-uterine devices). To top it all off, the amendment would ban in vitro fertilization. There is even a school in Canada that is granting middle-school aged children extra credit for engaging in anti-choice protesting. The war on reproductive rights is escalating to new and moronic heights.

I have a question for the pro-life moment. I recognize, though don’t agree with, your beliefs that a bundle of cells could and should have the same rights and protections – if not more – than the woman carrying said cells to term and then subsequently taking care of said child for the rest of her life. So if life is so important, so much so that Mississippi is currently defining a “person” to include a fertilized egg, where is the nationwide mandate for prenatal vitamins and preventative care for all pregnant women? Would we then arrest pregnant women who are drinking, smoking, doing drugs or eating unhealthily for they could be putting their child at risk and potentially causing a whole host of life-altering complications for the child. Oh, that might be a little expensive and intrusive for the laissez-faire mentality of Republicans. We wouldn’t want to interfere in the lives of our citizenry; especially if that intrusion costs the government money for social services. Ok, what about the all those teen moms that you valiantly protected, by shaming them into a having a child that they cannot afford nor take care of; are we going to start paying mothers for having children to subsidize their expenses and make sure they can adequately care for their child’s life that we spent so much time and energy saving? No, they wouldn’t do that. Well, let’s at least give that child a world class education that is free of charge. I mean we protected this child’s life didn’t we? Let’s ensure that this child does something beneficial to our society, since we heroically swooped in to save the life of this child and mother. No the pro-life movement would never go for that. How dare education be an accessible right to all? In fact, isn’t the conservative base advocating for funding cuts to the public school system, eliminating teachers’ right to collective bargaining, denying them domestic partnerships or civil unions for them and their partners, and forcing schools to adopt an abstinence-only sexual education curriculum in order to receive much needed Federal funding for supplies?

It seems to me that the pro-life movement cares only up until the point where the child is delivered into world. Once they are sure that the plans of the creepy liberal baby-killers have been thwarted, they leave the mother and child alone, patting themselves on the back for a job well done. They do not care about the resources available to this child (ironic that it is the conservative base diminishing these precious resources), the environment where the child lives – whether that child is born into a house of drugs, alcohol and/or abuse – or what kind of future this child might have. It seems rather contradictory to me. For a political party that cringes at the idea of “big government” and its constant liberal interference into the lives of morally decent tax-paying Christian citizens of America, they seem to want to have complete control over a woman’s reproductive choice and deciding how one should lead their life. Oh that’s right; conservatives believe it is a religious mandate from God to interfere in political manners only if they are relevant to maintaining the core, family-centric values of America. Let’s regulate the gays, the promiscuous abortion-seeking women and those pesky illegal immigrants attempting to steal the jobs that no one wants. However, everyone else living their white, Christian, suburban lifestyle should be allowed to conduct their lives without the government stepping in – whether they have gay scandals, are addicted to prescription pills, or hire illegal workers that they do not pay.             

I hope that this massive spiritual and cultural awakening that I have heard is rumored to happen, will eliminate people’s general stupidity and moronic tendencies. Or …. A portal to an alternate dimension transports them to a land far far away from here could work as well.  

Well ... I mean it usually sucks to be a member of an underrepresented population in general, but this week especially.

It seems as though the world was not as complicated and miserable enough of a place. Apparently things such as oil spills, wars, disease, and rising unemployment rates were not enough to keep the haters of the world occupied for a hot second. Instead the conservative underbelly of America - as well as other areas of the world - decided that they needed to deflect attention away from these issues because they're messy and tend to make voters not like you and instead focus on a time-honored classic; attack the minorities.

This game has existed for centuries; examine the full scope of human existence and you will find that in every time period and in most societies and civilizations a culture of "blaming the other/outsider" has existed in some capacity. I guess it is a way for individuals to feel better; to scapegoat an individual, group, or community makes those individuals feel superior. 

I guess I have been overwhelmed by the stories of hate circulating everywhere. Two days ago, a Catholic priest in the Dominican Republic wants a beautiful fresco removed because the angels depicted in the painting look too gay and diabolical(full article). SERIOUSLY!!!! I mean .... for centuries we have been starring at scantily clad angel figures with rippled muscles & voluptuous bosoms, luscious golden curls, perfect skin, and a fucking tiara/halo fitted on top of their head and you are just commenting NOW that they might look a little GAY. Similarly, if all of the angels of your faith - ya know the supposed army of God - looked like they might be gay, wouldn't you want to treat queer people with respect. Who knows, maybe God has got a things for gays.

There is currently new legislation in the Catholic Church that even if you are celibate you may be denied the priesthood if you are gay (full article). Saudi Arabia has implemented a new policy where they are banning the recruitment of gay and lesbian workers both from within the country and from outside the country as well (full article). French McDonalds unveils a new marketing campaign about coming as you are to McDonalds; an attempt to be more inclusive and appeal to a broader consumer pool. Bill O'Reilly then goes onto a political pundit talk show and effectively likens gay people to Al-Qaeda (full article and video).REALLY, REALLY?!?!?!?!?! I could totally see how my love for taking it up the ass from a guy named Chad is totally reminiscent and similar to Al-Qaeda.

[minor sidenote; I do not often wish bad things on people, something having to do with Karma, but I actively wish for Bill O'Reilly to come down with a case of incurable crabs that drive him insane].

Last but certainly not least, in Prescott, Arizona mural artists were asked to "lighten" the faces of the children depicted in the mural and demonstrate them being "bright" and "going toward the light". School administrators put forth that it was not racially motivated .... right (full article).

Once again the world is going to hell and a handbasket and the moral conservative majority of the world - instead of actually contributing and trying to help make the world a better place - is redirecting the focus of America. Instead of oil spills its those gays in the military, instead of rising unemployment rates its murals in Arizona, and instead of wars in countries that 80% of America probably could find on a map its women and their incessant need to have ownership and control over their own bodies. The conservative majority use sexism, racism, xenophobia, homophobia, and more to divide our attention and make us turn on one another.

Some may say that these instances of hate are minor, non-violent, and nothing to get my drag queen panties in a bunch about. Sure, these events may have not resulted in the direct death of another individual, but potential impact that these situations have on peoples' lives and attitudes is indiscernible. All of these events prove that there are people out there who feel because you have a different skin color, body size, gender, sex, sexual orientation, or even religion that you are worthy of ridicule, humiliation, and discrimination. These hateful individuals are then supported by institutions, "research", and even God - supposedly - in their warped thinking. The ultimate effect is that there are individuals out there who believe that minorities are second class citizens and frankly it just disgusts me to even think about it.

So while although it is never exactly pleasant to be a minority or a member of an underrepresented population in today's society, this week has been especially ridiculous.