Alyssa Milano: Why the time is now for a #SexStrike
At its heart, these attempts to wield control over sex come from a desire to reassert total control over our bodies and our reproductive rights. But really, it's about power. Whoever controls reproduction has power. The stakes are extremely high, and a number of lawmakers, many of whom are men, get to make decisions with serious ramifications.
We need to pay attention to the incremental challenges to abortion rights and figure out how to resist them both collectively and individually.
Abortion access is not just a "women's issue." Abortion is a human rights issue. Abortion is a labor issue. Abortion is a public health issue. Abortion is an issue for people of all genders.
Alyssa Milano Doubles Down On Sex Strike, Tells Women They'll Be 'Thrown In Prison,' Sparks More Mockery
The blowback was instant and widespread, including from some on the left, who weren't jumping on board Milano's #Lysistrata train.
Living under patriarchy has already robbed me of safety, autonomy, opportunities, and trust in our institutions. Now I’m supposed to give up sex, too, and play into the fiction that it’s just a bargaining chip/transaction for women? Love you, but nope.
— Kristi Coulter (@KristiCCoulter)
May 11, 2019
I’m not punishing the man I love because other men are pieces of crap.
— Nikki (@SkepticNikki)
May 12, 2019
Clearly undeterred by the derision, Milano co-wrote an op-ed with Waleisah Wilson for
CNN published Monday defending her call for women to use their bodies as a pressure tactic to promote a political agenda. Milano promoted the piece on Twitter just after telling women they could "f*** on" if they want, but warning that they might be "thrown in prison" if they choose to abort their unborn children afterward.
"So f*** on! Yes! We’ve earned our right to sexual pleasure," she tweeted in the last of a seven-part thread. "But remember, they’re also trying to take away our access to birth control. If you get pregnant & exercise your right to choose your own destiny & healthcare, you may be thrown in prison."
And for further reading, here’s my op ed on
#SexStrike co-written by
@iamwaleisah.
https://t.co/pbBItqAJ8M
— Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano)
May 14, 2019