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On Monday evening, a draft opinion was leaked suggesting that the U.S. Supreme Court could be poised to overturn the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade case that legalized abortion nationwide.
Kate Manne
Associate Professor of Philosophy
Kate Manne is a professor of philosophy at Cornell University and author of the book “Down Girl: The Logic of Misogyny,” which explores the social dynamics of misogyny, even in the seemingly post-patriarchal contexts of the U.S., UK and Australia.
Manne says:
“The leaked Roe decision is a heartbreaking step back for the rights of women, and anyone who can get pregnant, in America today. While this attack on reproductive rights has been ramping up for over a decade—with clinics overregulated and forced to close, the imposition of mandatory waiting periods, and so-called heartbeat laws—this is a new level of misogyny.
“And misogyny it is indeed: the attempt to police and enforce a patriarchal order, wherein women are forced to bear and birth and care for children against our will. Anti-abortion activists show little to no interest in improving maternal mortality, protecting Black lives, or regulating guns. This decision has nothing to do with protecting life: it is about controlling women. And it will cost the life and freedoms of thousands of us, even millions, if implemented.”
