I've always found it interesting that many of the feminists who like to use the "my body my right" argument during an abortion debate never seem to consistently apply this argument to other issues, such as the US ban on consensual adult FGC. If a woman's sovereignty over her body is so absolute that she has the power to terminate a viable fetus up to the time of delivery, why the hell can the government tell her what to do with her privates in other informed consensual surgical decisions. I once read an article that the broadness of the american ban often forces women seeking cosmetic labiaplasty to go to Canada since american malpractice insurance wont go near the area.
I voted option 1.
What feminist strawwomen are you referring to? Every feminist or college women's resource center I've ever encountered has been vociferously anti-FGM. The fact there MAY be some so-called feminists who say it's a cultural thing like death camps and infanticide, doesn't mean 99.99+% of feminists don't loudly respond "WTF?!?" to such a truly anti-woman defense of such barbarism.
That's my point. It is not unconmon to find pro choice activists arguing that even 3rd trimester, 9th month abortions should be legal because women should have absolute control over their bodies. (I think th at was Hillary's position). Im just pointing out that most of the activists who use this absolutist argument are self serving because no one stands up for the rights of the marginal number of consenting adult women who want to have this surgery. If bodily autonomy is so absolutely integral to human dignity that even a ban on late term abortion offends the freedom of women to control their bodies, then that argument should consistently be applied to FGC. That it is not, suggests that the "my body, my choice, no old white men deciding what private surgery i have" argument (which is an argument i do see), is not very persuasive. Especially since many would argue that a hypothetical abortion at 8 months is more barbaric than an adult woman consensually undergoing FGC. When you break it down, the US ban can accurately be described as a law passed overwhelmingly by old white men for the purpose of limiting what a woman may choose to do with her body. But because this isnt an issue the pro choice people care about, even the absolutists who knee jerk oppose abortion clinic infection standards as intrusive and patriarchical become pragmatic.
Again, im fine with a ban on FGC. Just pointing out that this an interesting issue which undermines an extreme viewpoint on a different issue that is too often dominated by extreme viewpoints.
Poll
