Sandra Fluke took to her computer earlier today to write an op-ed piece for CNN detailing her message that contraception is basic health care. Angry Mouse mentioned it in the midday open thread, but this must-read piece is worth a diary by itself.
By now, many have heard the stories I wanted to share thanks to the congressional leaders and members of the media who have supported me and millions of women in speaking out.
Because we spoke so loudly, opponents of reproductive health access demonized and smeared me and others on the public airwaves. These smears are obvious attempts to distract from meaningful policy discussions and to silence women's voices regarding their own health care.
These attempts to silence women and the men who support them have clearly failed. I know this because I have received so many messages of support from across the country -- women and men speaking out because they agree that contraception needs to be treated as a basic health care service.
Notice that Fluke didn't call out the likes of Rush Limbaugh, Bryan Fischer, Dana Loesch and Janet Mefferd by name. She didn't have to.
Fluke then went into more detail about the people who have offered support over the last week-plus.
They are women with polycystic ovarian syndrome, who need contraception to prevent cysts from growing on their ovaries, which if unaddressed can lead to infertility and deadly ovarian cancer. They are sexual assault victims, who need contraception to prevent unwanted pregnancy.
They are Catholic women, who see no conflict between their social justice -based faith and family planning. They are new moms, whose doctors fear that another pregnancy too soon could jeopardize the mother's health and the potential child's health too. They are mothers and grandmothers who remember all too well what it was like to be called names decades ago, when they were fighting for a job, for health care benefits, for equality.
They are husbands, partners, boyfriends and male friends who know that without access to contraception, the women they care about can face unfair obstacles to participating in public life. And yes, they are young women of all income levels, races, classes and ethnicities who need access to contraception to control their reproduction, pursue their education and career goals and prevent unintended pregnancy. And they will not be silenced.
Fluke then points out that by denying coverage of contraceptives, Georgetown and other Catholic institutions are denying coverage to a resource used by 62 percent of American women, and 99 percent of sexually experienced American women. In other words--Limbaugh is calling almost two-thirds of American women sluts. '
Bravo, Sandra.