Dear Governor:

There are almost 1000 pieces of women-unfriendly legislation floating about the United States today.  It never surprised me that my state, Kansas, is spear-heading several of them.  Kansas legislature is inherently conservative – not conservative in a fiscal way, but conservative in a women-unfriendly way, a “reverse the clocks, take us back, family values” kind of way.  It’s a conservative view I do not agree with, being a women and all.

 

As Governor Sam Brownback signs laws that make abortion harder to acquire, that allow doctors to lie to women about the state of their fetus in case their truths cause a woman to consider aborting her fetus, I am reduced to mute fury.  I am not a child.  I understand what abortion is, why women get abortions.  I’ve studied the facts, I’ve come to conclusions for myself regarding abortion.  I know that the procedure must remain safe and accessible for all women.  This is a question of women’s bodily autonomy being reduced to…nothing.

 

At first, I contacted my Representatives, back when the discussion was just the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban.  “Please.”  I begged, “Please don’t dismiss women.”  I provided facts, figures.  I pointed out how keeping the procedure legal and safe was more important than anything, how the ban they were arguing for was for a procedure that happened in minute cases, but the legislation would lead to a slippery slope of legislation that would erode women’s bodily autonomy.  The responses to my pleading were textual pats-on-the-head, about how I didn’t understand that life must be preserved and adoption was such a wonderful blessing and I didn’t know what I was talking about.

 

It did lead to more legislation against women’s bodily autonomy.  Now state’s are considering “Personhood” bills with little irony that they’re arguing against the personhood of women.  I continued to plead with my representatives, to send facts and figures, to tell them, “I am a woman.  I own my body…don’t I?”

 

Don’t I?

 

Finally, my Senator-turned-Governor signed a law that allowed my doctor to lie to me if my doctor thought information about my fetus might encourage me to abort the fetus.  And in addition, my doctor wouldn’t be held responsible for whatever that withheld information did to me, my body, my life, my family.  The only thing that could be done is if the fetus killed me…then and only then could my doctor be sued for wrongful death and malpractice.  I realized I’d become an incubator.  Nothing more.

 

I turned to my Governor’s Facebook wall.  And I saw the questions that other women and men were asking.

 

“Governor Brownback, since I’m a lesbian and won’t be using my eggs can I donate them or do you need to do an ultrasound to make sure they aren’t gay eggs?”

 

“Hi Governor Brownback – I am curious how you expect me as a physician, to lie to a patient? How is that not a violation of HIPAA? 
Thanks – I look forward to your answer, here on facebook”

 

“I’ll be flying over Kansas next week. Is it cool if I ask the pilot to throw a bunch of birth control out of the plane? You know, like they have to do with medical supplies in other third world areas controlled by overzealous religious folks…”

 

And I was inspired.  So I, too, wrote to my Governor, detailing where I was in my period, and asking about the clotting I experience.  Since he is, apparently, an expert.  I continued my asinine questioning for several days.

 

Throughout this, several people thought I was being juvenile.  “Shouldn’t you speak to him respectfully, with facts and figures and like an adult?  This is juvenile.”  Having tried facts and figures and adult-speak, I know it hasn’t worked.  So I use my sarcasm like a balm for my weary soul.

 

Because if you’re going to legislate to me as if I were a child, I’m going to show you how childish I can be.