Reproductive freedom gained an unexpected new champion on Tuesday in Georgia Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene.
Greene asserted motherhood is a choice women can make and reproductive rights advocates couldn't agree more.
Greene shared her pro-choice stance on Twitter on May 17, in the form of a caption and video.
The Georgia GOP Congresswoman wrote:
"The greatest choice a woman can make is becoming a mother."
Few people were more surprised by Greene's advocacy for reproductive choice than Greene herself who previously claimed to be an advocate for forced birth.
Regardless, proponents for the right of reproductive choices concurred with Greene's new stance.
Thank you for recognizing that a woman makes a choice about whether to become a mother or not. Just as you don't want the government deciding that you must wear a mask, I don't want the government deciding that I must have a child. #choicesdefineus
— Dr. Rebecca D Knowles 😡 (@rdknowles2010) May 18, 2022
Oh bless your heart @RepMTG. My wife did make that choice. My daughter Jaime would have had that choice to make. Unfortunately, because of bullshit and violence incited by people like you, Jaime was murdered. She will never get that choice. Seriously, bless your heart Marj.
— Fred Guttenberg (@fred_guttenberg) May 18, 2022
Yes Marge, it is about CHOICE. Not the government’s choice, the insurance companies choice, but a choice between a woman, her family and doctor. Thank you for clarifying that. 🙄
— Kandid-#IStandWithUkraine 🇺🇦💉💉💉💉& 😷 🚫DM’s (@Kandid61Kandi) May 17, 2022
So it’s the woman’s choice, right Perjury?
— JAS16UT✡️ (@JAS16AZ) May 17, 2022
pic.twitter.com/9Uvs284gGI
— Frieda 🇺🇦❤️🌍🌎🌏😷✌️ (@frieda_lessar) May 17, 2022
...or not becoming a mother, Ms. Greene.
That's choice.
A two way street.
— Lowicious Bridge (@CrookedPol) May 17, 2022
Choice being the operative word. Choice is different than force...this is what force looks like! pic.twitter.com/4QPYKXJMYo
— tjmohere (@tjmostillhere) May 17, 2022
The 12 year old doesn’t get a choice. Her uncle/father/landlord made it for her. The college coed didn’t make it, the guy at the frat party did.
Every pregnancy has a man involved making the choice. How about we regulate that.
— Zingamomma 🎶🇺🇸🌻🇺🇸🎶 (@tubawidow) May 18, 2022
Choice is right there in your very own statement. Sheesh. pic.twitter.com/laGryTEAWi
— carolejmooney (@badnana355) May 17, 2022
The greatest choice a woman can make is to vote these people out of officehttps://t.co/O89t4TjL3g
— Trump is headed for prison (@nogg_the) May 17, 2022
Reproductive rights have been in the news since a draft of the United States Supreme Court majority opinion on Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization leaked.
The majority opinion—authored by Justice Samuel Alito and authenticated by Chief Justice John Roberts—indicated the conservative Justices which include three appointed by former Republican President Donald Trump intend to overturn the 1973 landmark decision on Roe v. Wade and 1992's Casey v. Planned Parenthood which established reproductive freedom as a right under the United States Constitution.
Red states have leapt at the opportunity to pass full or near complete bans on abortion with many claiming restricting access to birth control is next.
Exceptions for rape or incest are not being included in the new laws because—as one Republican lawmaker stated—a pregnancy resulting from rape or sexual molestation of a minor is an "opportunity." A Republican governor stated people—including children—should be forced to give birth to their rapist or molester's baby because "they are babies too."
Thus far, none of the states moving to enact forced birth laws have moved to expand healthcare or childcare access, parental leave or aid for dependent children leading critics to state the laws and activists behind them are pro forced pregnancy and birth, not life.
