Trust Women

Today is the 37th anniversary of Roe v Wade, and it's also Blog for Choice Day! While it's great that women in the US have been free to make their own decisions regarding abortion for 37 years (more than my whole life), it's also pretty upsetting to consider that, after 37 years, people are still fighting to restrict and even destroy Roe v Wade. The theme of this Blog for Choice Day is "Trust Women", a phrase popularized by Dr. George Tiller, an incredibly courageous doctor who wore a bullet-proof vest to his clinic in Witchita, Kansas every day because he truly trusted women to make their own medical choices. Dr. Tiller was shot and killed last summer in his own church, a place he likely never thought he'd need to wear his vest. In addition to being Roe v Wade's anniversary, today is also the first day of his killer's trial. In Dr. Tiller's honor, we have been asked to write about what "trust women" means to us, but first I'd like to give you an idea of what it meant to him:




To me, the idea of "trust women" really speaks to the heart of what feminism and women's rights are all about. It's about trusting women in politics, trusting them in the workplace, trusting them with their own bodies. It's about trusting women to be mature and competent people capable of making decisions that effect their lives and the lives of those around them. It's about seeing women as more than just darling daughters or doting wives and mothers in need of guidance and protection. It's about seeing them as responsible adults who share this world equally with everyone else.

But it's also about women trusting ourselves and each other. One of the most important aspects of the riot grrrl movement for me was always the idea of women working together and being supportive of one another, rather than tearing each other down with competition and jealousy. It's also, in my experience and observation, one of the most difficult aspects of feminism for women to truly embrace. I love women, and I genuinely appreciate the relationships I have with the women in my life, but even I can't claim total innocence. It's something so socialized into our behavior, it can be hard to shake. But we must learn to shake it off, because we are our own best allies in the struggle for women's equality. It all starts with trust. Trust in yourself, that you don't need to tear down other women to help yourself. You are good enough to play fair. Trust the women in your life to support you when you need it, and be there to do the same for them. This isn't a race, a fight, or a beauty contest; it's life, and we should be living it together.

So trust women, trust in your fellow man, and trust that there are more brave doctors out there like Dr. Tiller, who will continue to defend our rights and their own.