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Women

as Unclean and the Contraceptives Compromise


By Jane Gilgun

Summary This article shows how President Obamas recent compromise on insurance coverage for contraception by religious organizations is a cave-in to bias against women. His motive may have been to save the health care bill, but the perception is bias against women as unclean, inferior, and sexual. The ideology of some in the Roman Catholic Church sexualize women and define who they are. The organized fight against contraception coverage is the latest chapter in ideologies of bias and intolerance. About the Author Jane F. Gilgun, Ph.D., LICSW, is a professor and writer. See Professor Gilguns other articles, books, and childrens stories on scribd.com, Kindle, and iBooks.

Bigotry and the Contraceptives Compromise


Catholic bishops and their ultra-right Republican allies used religious freedom as a cover- up of their bias against women. They opposed insurance coverage of contraception for the employees of religious organizations. They won. President Obama shifted insurance payments to the insurance companies themselves rather that order religious organizations to pay for the insurance. How is opposition to contraception bias against women? Women raised in the Roman Catholic Church know the answer to that one. Women who use contraception are whores in the eyes of the RC Church. Its that simple. It doesnt matter that most Catholic couples use birth control. The subtle message is women are impure and unclean This is rarely stated overtly, although a priest told the mother-in-law of Gail Collins, Youre no better than a whore on the street. He said this after her mother-in-law told him in confession that She had several young children, times were difficult and she and her husband were using birth control. Women in the RC Church are subject to misogyny, which is woman hatred. From our earliest days in religious instruction, girls learn that they cannot be priests. Only boys can be priests. Little girls automatically assume they are inferior and unworthy. When we are a little older, the priests and nuns tell us that we are responsible for stopping boys from being sexual with us. We are not told that boys are responsible for their own sexual behaviors. We can keep our purity only if we control the sexual behaviors of boys. When we marry, we are told we cannot divorce, no matter what. If men beat us and abuse us in other ways, we have to stay married. Your husband is a bastard, a priest once told a relative of mine, but you cant divorce him. The RC Church excommunicates divorced people. They cannot receive the sacraments. Forbidden Fruit Priests giggle to each other in front of women that they are forbidden fruit, more desirable to women because they are forbidden. Little girls learn and are continually exposed to the idea that the caused original sin when Eve gave the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil to Adam. Women who are menstruating are unclean. We give birth amid blood, fluid, and membranes. In the ideology of many in the RC Church, sex is bad, women are sexual, and therefore women are bad. In the eyes of many in the RC Church, sex is bad, contraception therefore is bad, women are sexual, women use contraception, and therefore women are bad.

Obamas Compromise A front page story in The New York Times stated that President Obamas decision to exempt employers associated with religious institutions from paying for contraception has nothing to do with the objections of the bishops and other ultra-right bigots. His motivation was to save the health care reform bill. Sister Carol Keehan, a support of health care reform, was among those asking for exemptions for providing insurance that covers contraception. Sister Carol is head of an influential Catholic hospital group. This must mean that President Obama did not give in to bias against women. Maybe he did, and maybe he didnt. The perception is that he did. Women need no more messages that they are whores, no matter how subtle that message might be. References Collins, Gail (2012). Tales from the kitchen table. The New York Times, February 9. p. A19. Cooper, Helen & Laurie Goodstein (2012). Obama adjusts a rule covering contraceptives: Insurance companies to pay: Compromise is aimed at pleasing Catholic allies on the left. The New York Times, February 11, pp. A1, A12.

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