Oh, grow up.
Michigan House Representative Lisa Brown was banned from speaking on the floor of the state House today. Why? Because Michigan Republicans are afraid of vaginas. Here’s the terrifying and unconscionable act of verbal vaginaism that got her banned:
The sargeant is now removing 10,000 cards like these, from constituents across the state, whose voices were not allowed to be heard in committee, who stand and demand their rights.This legislation…there were three boxes; there were more than 10,000 cards…this legislation does a lot of things, Mr. Speaker. It regulates business, requiring exorbitant insurance policies to be purchased, which will result in clinics closing doors, causing people to lose their jobs, and denying women their Constitutional rights.
Yesterday we heard from the Representative from Holland, speak about religious freedom. I’m Jewish. I keep kosher in my home. I have 2 sets of dishes–one for meat and one for dairy, and another 2 sets of dishes on top of that for Passover. Judaism believes that therapeutic abortions, namely abortions performed in order to preserve the life of the mother, are not only permissible, but mandatory. The stage of pregnancy does not matter. Wherever there’s a question of the life of the mother, or that of the unborn child, Jewish law rules in favor of preserving the life of the mother. The status of the fetus as human life does not equal that of the mother.
I have not asked you to adopt and adhere to my religious beliefs. Why are you asking me to adopt yours?
And finally, Mr. Speaker, I’m flattered that you’re all so interested in my vagina, but no means no!
[Many thanks to Brainwrap at Daily Kos for the transcript.]
In an interview with Michigan Radio, Brown had this to say:
I used an anatomically correct word. I said ‘vagina,'” she said. “Can I not say ‘elbow?’ I don’t see what the difference is.
It doesn’t stop there. Representative Barb Byrum was also censured. Her crime? Offering an amendment to the anti-choice legislation that would regulate vasectomies as onerous as the Republicans anti-woman, anti-choice bills.
State Rep. Barb Byrum, D-Onondaga, said Thursday she believed she was banned from speaking on the floor of the state House of Representatives because she introduced an amendment Wednesday that would apply the same controversial abortion regulations to vasectomies.“The state does not regulate vasectomies,” she said in an interview Thursday. “If we’re concerned about making sure babies are born, why are we not talking about vasectomies?”
In a widely circulated video, Byrum can be seen asking to speak about her amendment.
Here’s the referenced video:
William K. Wolfrum tweeted this most-awesome tweet:
Breaking: Michigan GOP bans usage of the word "Virginia" because it's a gateway word.
— William K. Wolfrum (@Wolfrum) June 14, 2012
Megan Carpentier at Raw Story posted a piece titled “A statement from the Executive Editor of Raw Story to Michigan House Republicans”:
Vagina Vagina:Vagina vagina vagina vagina: vagina vagina Vagina Vagina; vagina vagina vagina; vagina vagina vagina vagina. Vagina vagina vagina vagina vagina vagina vagina, vagina vagina vagina.
Vagina vagina vagina — vagina vagina vagina vagina vagina vagina — vagina vagina vagina vagina, vagina vagina vagina vagina vagina vagina vagina. Vagina vagina vagina vagina.
“And lastly, Mr Speaker, I’m flattered that you’re all so interested in my vagina, but no means no.”
Vaginally vagina,
Vagina
It must be tragic to be so bloody repressed as the Republicans in our state.
UPDATE: Here is Lisa Brown’s appearance on The Rachel Maddow Show last night where she was interviewed by guest host Ezra Klein:
Lisa Brown is not running to keep her seat this year. Rather, this courageous Democrat is running for Oakland County Clerk. You can contribute to her campaign here (funds will be legally transferred from her House campaign to her County Clerk campaign):
[Elbow CC image credit: Pearson Scott Foresman]
