Accessibility is freedom; taking away a woman’s choice is telling her that she is not competent enough to make her own decisions. Over the last few months the historic Hobby Lobby court decision was made and changed the game on reproductive freedom. However, women will not stop fighting for rights that we deserve; triumphs in everyday battles are on the forefront of gender equality, such as the first transgender individual on the cover of TIME magazine, as well as Becky Hammon becoming the first female to earn a paid position in the NBA. Every win for equality is important, and not just for women. Imagine the progress women could work towards if our efforts were not occupied by fighting for our rights. Men should support gender equality because point blank there is nothing laudable about contributing to our oppression.
While new headlines continue to appear of women’s successes, one huge loss may overshadow them all: the Hobby Lobby Supreme Court decision that stripped women of birth control access. The issue revolved around the Green family, owners of the closely held for-profit corporation Hobby Lobby. These ‘responsible’ owners decided they should not have to provide their female employees with coverage for types of birth control methods that they claim conflict with their religious beliefs. Their main focus is on emergency contraceptive pills and intrauterine devices (IUD’s), a safe form of birth control where a small T-shaped device is inserted into the uterus by a doctor to prevent the fertilization of an egg. They claimed these birth control methods constituted an abortion, which is directly contrary to scientific fact. However, the conservative-dominated U.S. Supreme Court agreed despite factual evidence and The Affordable Care Act clearly stating that businesses must provide their female workers coverage for 20 approved birth control methods. They have taken away access to birth control methods, and in eliminating the availability, have taken away the chance for these women to choose what is best for them.
And men: do not think this case doesn’t affect you. The Supreme Court’s decision places religious precedence ahead of the law of the land as well as scientific fact, thus permitting corporations to be exempt from federal laws. This opens the door for future businesses to refuse laws put into place claiming it goes against their religious views. It gives the opportunity for this court decision to be abused at everyone’s expense as there is no way to know if their religious views are sincere. The choice to decide what happens with a woman’s body should be left up to the woman, not her boss. The court decision puts everyone’s rights at risk if corporations can claim religious exemption from federal laws, both men and women.
Despite the Hobby Lobby case looming over everyone’s heads, the battles won by women in recent days cannot be ignored. Laverne Cox, character on the Netflix series “Orange Is The New Black,” has proved a force to be reckoned with. Playing a transgender inmate on the show, she recently became the first openly transgender individual to ever be nominated for an Emmy Award for her role. Shortly after, she also became the first openly transgender person to grace the cover of TIME magazine in June. Cox is smashing prejudices while setting precedents for the standard of acceptance that should be common throughout this country; our country that was built on the theory of equality and endless possibilities for all.
Another strong woman in the spotlight is Colbie Caillat, who made a bold move with her new music video for her song “Try,” where she strips off makeup and ‘de-photoshops’ alongside other strong women of all shapes and sizes. They exemplify confidence in being who you are and teaching what is truly important is not how others view you, but how you view yourself. Men should think about their mothers, sisters, daughters, or wives when they witness harassment and oppression of women; whether it be walking down the street, in the workplace, or in governmental affairs.
Women have made significant progress in other sections of the arts as well. Marvel comics announced that in October they will have a brand new series featuring Thor, the classic Thunder God, as a woman worthy of the title. Series writer Jason Aaron wanted to make it clear that “This is not She-Thor. This is not Lady Thor. This is not Thorita. This is THOR.,” according to Marvel. Also, the beautiful and strong Olivia Wilde is on the cover of the September edition of Glamour magazine, in which her spread includes pictures of her breast feeding her new son Otis in attempts to break the taboo image of women breastfeeding.
Headlines were made by women this summer, some big, some small, but all significant. Oppression of women is not a myth, and while some men may think it is an issue unrelated to them, they are wrong. Imagine how much progress the world could make if not only 50 percent of the population was involved. If you do not believe the entire female gender is oppressed, now is a good opportunity to learn the truth. As Jane Galvin Lewis once said, “You don’t have to be anti-man to be pro-woman.”