Women fight back: withholding sex

[mfcorey1]

'Sex Strike': Liberal Women's Group Finds New Way To Support Contraception Coverage


A group that supports health care coverage of contraception is calling for women to withhold sex from their partners between April 28 and May 5.

"This will help people understand that contraception is for women and men, because men enjoy the benefit of women making their own choices about when and if they want to get pregnant," Liberal Ladies who Lunch says on its website. "Once congress and insurance agencies agree to cover contraception, we will then resume having sex. Until then men will have to be content with their left hand."

On its Facebook page, the group charts a brief history of similar "strikes," starting with Aristophanes' ancient Greek play "Lysistrata," where women refuse to have sex until the end of the Peloponnesian War.

The proposal has attracted some negative Facebook reactions, according to The Daily Caller, which reports that an opponent of contraception coverage commented on the "irony of...ceasing sex in order to get free contraception."

But the movement may have also gotten some recent, if unofficial, support from the wife of Virginia State Del. David Albo (R-Fairfax Station). Albo says she turned him down in the bedroom due to his support for the state's transvaginal ultrasound bill.

Female lawmakers have found other ways to protest bills limiting contraception and abortion rights, including a slew of often-satirical legislation imposing similar rules on men.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/13/sex-strike-contraception-_n_1342266.html

[seabeyond]

1. i think women using sex as a form of protest is the ultimate in foolish voice against the patriarchy

that uses womens sexuality to repress. we have brains. we can use those brains to protest and fight the wrongs. not our body.....

not to mention the rest of the stupid in this, when i have a man that is as outraged as i am.

[RKP5637]

5. You make an excellent point IMO!!! n/t

[cbayer]

8. Could not agree more.

It reinforces the stereotype that women just have sex because they have to, not because they want to.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

14. I agree, but I'm not sure that the strike is meant for ALL men, just those who are

trying to tell us what to do with our bodies or dictate that we cannot use birth control. I use it but to treat my endometriosis.

[chrisa]

15. Yup. Dumb publicity stunt is dumb.

I still don't get how this is supposed to influence anything.

[Zalatix]

28. Respect +1,000

This plays right into the hands of those who think women only have SEX to use as a weapon. Plus it'll only really affect liberal men, who are (mostly) on their side anyway.

A sex strike wasn't needed to take Rush to the precipice of going out of business, and it won't be what takes down the GOP; the power of liberal men's and women's wallets and the power of the vote, however, will.

[louis-t]

2. Awwww, that won't work with repuke men....

unless their mistresses do the same.

[Bandit]

3. "irony of...ceasing sex in order to get free contraception."

Why do they think Insurance is FREE...The government is not giving FREE contraceptives. Contraceptive coverage is being OFFERED on your health insurance plan... Health Insurance is certainly not FREE. It may be supplied by your employer but it is done so in place of wages, and many people buy their own health insurance....It certainly is not FREE and I am getting tired of the right wing claiming it is..

[Xyzse]

4. Won't Work

A ton of men go for months without getting some.
Withholding like that only works well if they also stop their emissions by catching them, and of course make sure that their mistresses, paid therapists and so forth also stop it.

Thing is though, noting that they would probably have the other two options, it is still safest to have a prophelactic so as to not spread disease...

--Also note, hopefully women that would consider such a thing are usually with partners who support them. Hardly seems fair.

What a conundrum.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

17. True. I can see that point. It also assumes that women are asexual beings.

That is an age-old stereotype. Women want and need sex just as much as men. I still think this is a good idea.

[Xyzse]

25. Still...

I know that, but in general the premise and given time frame does not work. A few days withholding is nothing.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

32. I just noticed that the withholding is only for a week. Thanks for pointing that out.

[Xyzse]

35. Exactly!

A week? A week is nothing.

[lumberjack_jeff]

18. "women that would consider such a thing are usually with partners who support them."

This.

Those partners will choose women who wouldn't consider such a thing for their second wife.

[Xyzse]

26. Agreed...

Which merely emphasizes the point that this proposition won't work.

[lame54]

6. So repug's wife's wont have sex with them...

that's what their girlfriends are for

Family Values

[chrisa]

19. Yeah - their wives won't touch them.

Imagine someone like Limbaugh getting into bed - that gut coming towards you. Their wives must feel like Indiana Jones when the rock started rolling towards him.

[lame54]

21. "Republicans. Why does it have to be Republicans."

[cbdo2007]

7. I don't think men or women should use sex as a weapon.

This is basically prostitution.

[cthulu2016]

16. B-I-N-G-O

Use of sex as a comodity to be traded for desired ends. (no pun intended)

[Nuclear Unicorn]

23. wow -- I hadn't thought of it that way.

In a sick way it ends up unintentionally proving Limabugh's slurs.

[CTyankee]

9. Who says anything about "ceasing sex"? Vibrators are always an option!

[chrisa]

10. wtf? How is that fighting back?

Oh yeah, that'll show them! Somehow...

[Drale]

11. Any female who would do this

is probably not with a extremist right wing man. I could be wrong about that but I can't see how they could live that way.

[cthulu2016]

12. This is a childish and deeply anti-feminist concept

Welcome back to ancient greece where sex is a comodity that men want and women dole out.

Grotesque.

1) Women enjoy sex.
2) Sex ought not be comoditized.

[Quantess]

31. Maybe, but it's also an ultimatum.

It makes a point.

[villager]

13. I keep wondering why women don't use the "Lysistrata" option more often to remake the world...

...especially the "warring" part...

[LoZoccolo]

20. I'll just leave this right here.

http://www.csom.umn.edu/assets/71503.pdf

[lumberjack_jeff]

30. I saw what you did there.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

22. Why should I suffer? n/t

[Nye Bevan]

24. I guess this works best for women who don't enjoy sex, and only do it to please their partners.

Otherwise they would be punishing themselves, too.

[TrogL]

27. I use my right

Just sayin'

[Angry Dragon]

29. The hand determines the politicial party

[Nye Bevan]

33. Sex with someone you truly love - Woody Allen (nt)

[undergroundpanther]

34. great idea

i think if women in huge numbers did this all at once...

[HappyMe]

36. This is not a good idea.

For one thing, why the hell should I punish myself. Doesn't this play into stereotypes of women who use sex as a weapon/bargaining chip?