Indignant Women Are Welcome Here
The Alabama IVF ruling has us riled up. Plus, a delicious fried fish sandwich recipe!
The battle for reproductive rights keeps heating up as the GOP thunders towards what we hope will be a resounding defeat at the polls this year. A majority of Americans believe that abortion should be legal in all or most cases. Every time the right to abortion is on the ballot, it wins. Support for abortion cuts across party lines.
And yet, Republicans continue to press forward with denying women autonomy over their bodies. On Feb. 16, the Alabama Supreme Court issued a ruling on IVF embryos, referencing antiabortion language in the state constitution and declaring them “extrauterine children.” From the New York Times:
The judges’ majority opinion said that an 1872 statute allowing parents to sue over the wrongful death of a minor child applies to “unborn children,” with no exception for “extrauterine children.”
“Even before birth, all human beings have the image of God, and their lives cannot be destroyed without effacing his glory,” Chief Justice Tom Parker wrote in a concurring opinion.
Infertility specialists and legal experts said the ruling had potentially profound effects, which should be of concern to every American who may need to access reproductive services like in vitro fertilization.
In conjunction with the state’s total abortion ban, this ruling means that you’re fucked if you don’t want to be pregnant in Alabama — and you’re fucked if you do.
I made a sandwich on the topic, and the comments from men were predictably wild. They love to tell women that we’re being hysterical! Speaking of which, did you know the term hysterical comes from the medical Latin word hystericus, which described a female neurotic condition thought to be caused by a dysfunction of the uterus? Now that’s hysterical.
In conjunction with the state’s total abortion ban, this ruling means that you’re fucked if you don’t want to be pregnant in Alabama — and you’re fucked if you do.
First up in the comments on the Alabama IVF ruling sammy vid, Blake (seemingly a girlfriend/wife guy, if you believe his profile pic) wanted to let us all to know that we shouldn’t “fall for propaganda.”
“There’s no Christian army coming for you in subtle, calculating coercion,” Blake wrote. “If they were in charge you think half the debauchery going on in this country would be taking place? What useless, righteous indignation lol.” (What do you think Blake means by debauchery?)
This was a great opportunity for me to tap into the fire of righteous indignation that has been coursing through my body since Ye Olde Pussy Grabber was elected president in 2016. That fire became molten lava on June 24, 2022 when SCOTUS overturned Roe v. Wade. Women are screaming because we SEE WHAT’S HAPPENING. Please follow
, one of the most effective reporters on the outrageous assault on reproductive rights for her daily updates on the goal-post-moving, language-redefining fuckery of Republican legislators.My Instagram (and TikTok, and any other space I occupy) is a place for righteous indignation — for my own purposes, and for anyone else who’s hanging with me. I said as much to Blake… and I told him to make himself a sandwich. To which he replied, “What’s a sandwich have to do with it?” Buddy, it has everything to do with it, as far as I’m concerned.
Next, Steven wanted to tell everyone that if you can’t have children without IVF, you should “accept that you can’t have children.” I asked him if he was a zealot, because his viewpoint was ancient. He replied “Is nature ancient? The natural order of things dictates most people can have children and some cannot… accept that and perhaps adopt one of the many children that are looking for a home.” And then he used the face-palm emoji! Ok Steven! So we can safely assume that you don’t believe in surgery, pharmaceutical drugs, anesthetics, chemotherapy, pacemakers — no modern medical interventions, right?
Steven got back to me to let me know that he’s a perfect physical specimen, of course. No need for medical intervention, ever. Cool story, Steve.
The final example I’ll share of a man being absolutely out of pocket in the comments on this video is from Ross, who doesn’t believe in IVF because he thinks that “children should never be a transaction.” I replied that two people agreeing to do anything together, like getting married, or having a child, or buying a house, is a transaction. And ol’ Ross said, “It’s sad you think so.” He clearly hasn’t read his history. How does this guy think empires were built, and entire countries were horrifyingly colonized? Through transactional marriages and their offspring, dude. I guess he missed that message when he was watching Game of Thrones in his underwear.
In honor of tonight’s full Snow Moon in Virgo, I invite you to consider the transactional nature of the relationships in your life, and bid adieu to the ones that no longer serve you. There’s nothing sad about recognizing the reality of something that’s weighing you down, and choosing to let it go.
(I also want to say to any men reading this: thanks for being here, and we need you to get loud. Follow the news, share content from activists, and talk to your male friends who don’t understand what all the fuss is about. Don’t stand by silently. Abortion bans will ultimately fuck you over, too.)
To any men reading this: thanks for being here, and we need you to get loud. Follow the news, share content from activists, and talk to your male friends who don’t understand what all the fuss is about. Don’t stand by silently.
Lastly, please enjoy/be outraged by this ridiculous sputtering from an Alabama Republican senator who is maybe juuuuust realizing that the insane ruling from Alabama’s Supreme Court will mean less, not more, kids are born in his state. And check out DFFPAC.org.
The TikTok Story That Ate My Week
If you’re not on TikTok, congratulations. If you are, you’ve most likely seen Reesateesa pop up on your feed. This woman, whooo — if she was a prosecutor, and I was attempting to defend myself against her, I’d tremble every time she walked into the courtroom.
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Reesateesa is laying out the entire story of her heartbreak and betrayal at the hands of a master manipulator in 10-minute segments (there are upwards of 50.) She has receipts. She started posting on Valentine’s Day, and holy mackerel. It’s an incredibly compelling timeline of hope and optimism that unfolds into a slowly dawning realization that she was being played, through the end of her relationship and eventual reclamation of her sanity. I’ve scanned through her TikToks, because as with any good book, sometimes you have to flip to the end to make sure the character you love makes it out alive, but I’m currently only on Part 18. I will be binging the rest of it this weekend, trust.
Fried Fish Sandwich Recipe
Here’s the vid I made about the Alabama IVF ruling this week:
The best part of making these videos is often that, even if the news blows chunks, at least my sandwich is delicious. And this one was exceptional! I incorporated my friend Jordan’s product Salad Sprinkles into this sammy, which I cobbled together from the NYT Cooking Fried Fish Sandwich recipe with Notorious Foodie’s tartar sauce, which I used for a Roe v. Wade video a couple of weeks ago. This version omits a bunch of stuff from both recipes, including the caviar and cheese.
Yield: 1 sandwich
FOR THE FRIED FISH
1 cup vegetable oil
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup bread crumbs (I used 1/4 cup of Salad Sprinkles Chili Crisp and 1/4 panko)
1 piece of cod
Kosher salt
1 soft white bun (I used TJ’s Brioche Buns)
FOR THE TARTAR SAUCE
1/4 cup crème fraiche
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup kewpie mayo
1/4 of a finely diced shallot
diced cornichons (as much as you like)
chopped dill (ditto)
chopped chives (ditto)
Dijon mustard to taste (I used 1/4 tsp)
lemon zest (plenty)
splash of yuzu (use lemon juice if you don’t have it!)
sea salt
black pepper
Make Yourself a Sandwich
Step 1: Prepare the tartar sauce: In a medium bowl, whisk together the crème fraiche, sour cream and kewpie in a bowl with the diced shallot, cornichons, dill, chives, lemon zest, a splash of yuzu, and sea salt and black pepper to taste. Mix to combine.
Step 2: Prepare the fried fish: Heat oil in a large, straight-sided skillet over medium. Place flour, eggs and panko in 3 separate shallow bowls. Season cod on both sides with salt and dredge in flour, dusting off excess, then transfer to egg wash, allow excess to drip off, then coat with panko.
Step 3: Fry breaded cod until golden brown and cooked through, about 1½ minutes per side. Transfer to a wire rack and season with salt.
Step 4: Assemble the sandwich: Spread tartar sauce on both sides of each bun. Place fried fish on the bottom bun, then add top bun. Sandwich it together and serve it to yourself immediately.
Tuck a napkin in your collar or lap, or eat it over the sink with your eyes closed to shut out the idiocy of GOP legislators and dudes who want to tell you you’re hysterical, while feeling the deep gratification of your delicious sandwich, which you made for yourself. Enjoy!
Last Licks
The A Files: A Secret History of Abortion is a new podcast from reproductive justice experts and friends Renee Bracey Sherman and Regina Mahone. Right off the bat, the duo explains that everything we’ve been taught about abortion is wrong.
The truth that they share is “fascinating, frustrating, and key for every one of us to understand in 2024 and beyond,” just as the pod’s website says. Listen to the A Files to learn everything you need to know as Renee and Regina unpack the hidden history of abortion, from ancient Greek methods to the anti-Black roots of abortion bans in the U.S. The tagline says it all: “Everyone loves someone who’s had an abortion.” Subscribe and learn!
As always, I’m so grateful to those of you who are sticking with me through the sticky parts. Thank you so much for being here. It means the world to me.
Much love, MJ ❤️