Women all over the country were numbed by the news of Justice Amy Coney Barrett’s placement onto the U.S. Supreme Court after the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Her spot on the Court is all thanks to President Donald Trump. In 2016, Trump vowed to nominate justices committed to overturning Roe v. Wade, which legalized abortions in the United States. He executed this promise by placing three conservative justices on the Court, the last of which being Barrett.
I have noticed a collective change of mood among my non-male friends. In the days after Barrett’s win, they have FaceTimed me with red-rimmed eyes and tired voices. “What am I supposed to do now?” they asked, and I knew immediately what they meant.
We have been combating a pandemic, an economic crisis, the turbulence of this presidential election, mental health issues and college course loads all through this year. Suddenly, I find myself adding “research IUDs before it’s too late” to my list of stress-inducers. I am now worried for the security of my future sexual and reproductive health, which will be re-stigmatized and politicized for no other reason than a stranger’s religious beliefs.
The anti-abortion leaning on the Supreme Court is now 6-3, a ratio likely to last for decades. Disaster has struck, and we have begun preparing ourselves for the fight to regain our own independent choices.
Meanwhile, my male friends have celebrated a refreshing change in our government, saying Barrett seems strong and resolute.
Dear men, I want you to know you’re privileged if you are impartial or supportive of Barrett. You get to reap the benefits of the sexual and reproductive freedom of women, but aren’t there to fight for it.
I can’t tell you to care. All I can say is, this bleak future will affect you too.
Barrett has spoken publicly about her Catholic faith, saying it wouldn’t affect her work as a judge. As a public relations major, I can say it would be naive to think her carefully chosen words would truly reflect her future decisions, especially if they were so contradictory to her beliefs.
Planned Parenthood condemned Barrett even before she was a federal judge, stating: “the idea that Amy Coney Barrett would be a fair and impartial judge on issues of reproductive health is ludicrous.” I agree.
In the worst-case scenario, Trump’s wish for Roe’s overturning will pass, which is very possible considering his appointments on the Court. Roe gave women full choice over their pregnancy during the first trimester. After that, governments would be allowed to regulate their abortions — but not ban it. If this is overruled, state governments could control restrictions on abortion at any point in the pregnancy.
Illegal abortions does not equate to fewer abortions, as anti-abortion individuals may wish or expect. Dangerous, non-medical abortions would simply rise in the U.S., putting desperate people’s lives at risk.
Barrett and the rest of the Court have the potential to start eyeing birth control and contraceptive regulations, too. She signed a 2012 statement that called the Affordable Care Act’s mandate that contraception be included in health care plans a “grave violation of religious freedom.”
The new justices in our Supreme Court are traces of the Trump presidency whose actions will exert influence over the rest of our lives. Though conservatives poke fun at us, calling us “fake feminists” for not supporting all women because of our distaste for Barrett, we know her confirmation unleashes a future filled with dismay.
