Hopefully, if you’re reading anything at all on this website, you already know why the U.S. Supreme Court overturning the precedent of Roe v. Wade and effectively banning abortion in about half the states in the US is gut-wrenching news. But it gets even worse. Overturning Roe is just part of Republicans’ sprawling plan to strip Americans of our civil rights and establish white Christian nationalist rule, and the next stage of their plan is baked right into today’s decision.
In his concurring opinion, Clarence Thomas writes that in light of this ruling, the Supreme Court should also reconsider three other landmark rulings: Griswold, Lawrence, and Obergefell.
Griswold v. Connecticut, a case that was decided in June 1975, ruled that the U.S. Constitution protects married couples who want to use contraception. Lawrence v. Texas, from 2003, struck down a Texas sodomy law that criminalized same-sex relationships. Obergefell v. Hodges, decided in 2015, guarantees the right to same-sex marriage. All these rights might be the conservative court’s next targets.
It’s absolutely crucial to understand that Republicans’ attack on abortion rights is only part of their larger plan. It’s not about babies. It’s not about the sanctity of life. It’s about establishing absolute control over the bodies and lives of anyone who isn’t a cisgender, heterosexual, white man. According to the CDC, the maternal mortality rate among Black women nationwide is almost 3 times higher than the rate among white women, and Republicans know this. The U.S. has no paid parental leave and spotty access to largely unaffordable childcare, and Republicans know this. Notice how their attacks on the rights of pregnant people are happening at the exact same time as their attacks on trans people? That’s no coincidence—in order to exert full control over women, you have to forcibly divide people into two distinct and mutually exclusive sexes. It’s all connected, and it’s all part of their regressive vision.
If the court does go after Griswold, Lawerence, and Obergefell, then the ramifications are staggering. Before Griswold, people could be fined or jailed for using contraception. Lawrence was set in motion when Lawrence and his boyfriend were arrested and fined for having sex in Lawrence’s home. And I think most of us remember the hell same-sex couples had to go through before Obergefell to secure basic rights that people in heterosexual marriages took for granted, like making medical decisions for their partners or being recognized as parents of their own children. The right wing isn’t just coming for people who can get pregnant—they’re coming for everyone.
If you’re not already frightened and mad as hell, then hopefully this is your wakeup call, because they’re not stopping at abortion.
(featured image: Douglas Rissing)
