Michigan Legislature Throws a tantrum over the "V" word.

[General Zod]

Not Voldemort, Vagina.

After offending Majority Floor Leader Jim Stamas by using the offensively medically accurate word "vagina" in an impassioned floor speech opposing Michigan's draconian new abortion law, State Representative Lisa Brown was banned indefinitely from speaking on the floor of the House of Representatives. Her colleague Barb Byrum, another passionate pro-choice elected official, was also served with an indefinite Shut The Fuck Up order from the the male-lead body. Apparently, during Michigan's War on Women, ladies aren't even allowed to serve in combat.
Byrum and Brown joined several of their female colleagues in voicing their vehement opposition to Michigan's anti-abortion bill, a steaming pile of misogyny that would criminalize all abortions after 20 weeks' gestation in all cases (so, if you had some terribly severe birth defects, too bad, sister — you carry that dead baby until that dead baby decides to be born) and contains no exceptions for the woman's health. It also straps abortion providing facilities with new burdens designed solely to make it a pain in the ass for them to operate.

As you might expect, debate's been heated. Hundreds of women have flooded the capitol to protest the bill's careless fast tracking, ham-fisted paternalism, and disingenuous concern mongering. Yesterday, before the bill was passed by the House, several female state representatives stood up to voice their opposition to the proposal. And two of them got a little too uppity for the male Speaker's taste. Want to get mad? Of course you do. Anger is the only way you know how to feel feelings anymore. Read on; it gets worse.

Rather than be a manly man and tell the women to their face that they had upset the Speaker, Bolger acted like a mincing, spineless ninny and relayed the women's speaking ban through their party's House leader. He gave no explanation as to why the women were banned, so both are left guessing (and fuming) today.

Byrum's silencing is a little more cut and dry than Brown's; she spoke out of turn (after trying, unsuccessfully, to be recognized to speak), which is technically a violation of House rules, which means that the Speaker was within his rights to reprimand her. But legislators speak out of turn fairly regularly, and only rarely are they told to sit down and shut up, officially.

I spoke with Rep. Lisa Brown, who was on the floor of the Michigan State House when we talked (because it's not like she was allowed to participate in any debates today, right!? Cry.). She's confused about what she did to offend the Man-Gods who want to run Michigan's uteruses, but she's got a couple of theories. During yesterday's speech, she mentioned her Jewish faith, which she thought might have irked Republicans. But more plausible is the explanation that it was her use of the medically accurate, anatomically correct word "vagina" during the debate ("I'm flattered that you're all so interested in my vagina, but no means no.") grossed her male colleagues out. "What word should I have said?" she asked. Apparently, "vagina" is another v-word that Must Not Be Named. Like Voldemort.

Brown's looking into her post-ban legal options, as her inability to speak on the floor of the House means that her constituents are effectively unable to have their Representative weigh in. Both women have been told (through their party leader because Michigan Republicans are trying to break the douchebaggery land speed record) that the ban is indefinite.

Women have been absent from the debate around a bill that seeks to govern their bodies from Day 1. During committee, no pro-choice women were allowed to speak. Planned Parenthood was barred from testifying. And now this — two pro-choice female legislators all-out banned from voicing an opinion on the state's role in their anatomy. This is un-fucking-believable, and inexcusable. To borrow a phrase from my grandmother, Michigan Republicans should be ashamed of themselves.

Let this be a lesson to you, women: shut up and let men do all the deciding about your bodies.

But I'm told there is no war on women?

[weemadando]

Shut up slut. Why don't you go get raped so we can deny you birth control or an abortion, justice, counselling and health care.

It's almost like you think that you're a real person.

Get back in the kitchen whore. And don't open your fucking mouth again unites it's to put a dick in it. [/patriarchy]


Here endeth today's lesson.

[Bernkastel]

Of course they shouldn't say Vagina! If fact, any talk like that by women is dangerous! Don't you know how dangerous that it? Don't you know what the consequences will be? Well, neither do I, but it's probably something terrible. Perhaps everyone will be turned into zombies or the world will blow up. Who knows? So, better to not let them use that word, okay?

Seriously, this is pathetic. Not that surprising, but still

[madd0ct0r]

there's no proof it's becuase she said vagina.

and either way, it's transparently a way to get them to shut up.

[SirNitram]

there's no proof it's becuase she said vagina.

and either way, it's transparently a way to get them to shut up.

You're right. A spokesman for the House Majority Floor Leader put it simply: It's because they threw a 'temper tantrum'. See, it's not that she's daring to speak about her body. It's that she had the silly idea she had a right to speak.

[Phantasee]

Which is far worse, in my opinion. Saying they silence her because of one word makes them out to be child-like, easily offended. Silencing her was calculated and despicable.

[The Duchess of Zeon]

Is this even constitutional? I mean, literally, it seems like some kind of crime to ban an elected legislator from speaking on the floor of the chamber of the body they were elected to on an indefinite base. Shouldn't this require the legislature to impeach them so that their constituents can at least vote for someone else to represent them?

[General Zod]

Is this even constitutional? I mean, literally, it seems like some kind of crime to ban an elected legislator from speaking on the floor of the chamber of the body they were elected to on an indefinite base. Shouldn't this require the legislature to impeach them so that their constituents can at least vote for someone else to represent them?

I've got $1 that says the dick that put up the ban is going to come out in the next few days and retract the ban, and "apologize" if anyone was offended but he had to set an example for speaking out of line. Even though apparently male members get away with it all the time but who's counting?

[Bernkastel]

there's no proof it's because she said vagina.

and either way, it's transparently a way to get them to shut up.

True, yet the notion that they'd resort to that in order to shut up those they disagree with is still absurd.

Of course, them trying to shut up their opponents at all is much more of a concern. I wouldn't be surprised if this follows the path put forward by Zod, with them issuing the usual imitation apology that politicians issue when they want to deal with things like this without giving any real acceptance to the notion of any guilt on their part. Then, on to their next move, whatever that might be.

[Max]

"What word should I have said?"

Clearly something less offensive than a medically accepted term. Something more palatable to MI GOP. How about... Lady Sin Hole.

[Sea Skimmer]

Is this even constitutional? I mean, literally, it seems like some kind of crime to ban an elected legislator from speaking on the floor of the chamber of the body they were elected to on an indefinite base. Shouldn't this require the legislature to impeach them so that their constituents can at least vote for someone else to represent them?

I'd be amazed if it wasn't. The federal legislator makes up its own rules. Nothing in the US constitution says anyone has a right to speak at all. All it really says is they must meet, they must keep a record and absentees can be compelled to attend. Almost all if not all states are setup the same way.

[Broomstick]

This wasn't a Federal legislature, it was a state one and thus governed by the constitution of the State of Michigan, not the Federal US Constitution. So.... you'd have to look it up in the state constitution, which I'm sure is available somewhere on line these days.

[tezunegari]

This wasn't a Federal legislature, it was a state one and thus governed by the constitution of the State of Michigan, not the Federal US Constitution. So.... you'd have to look it up in the state constitution, which I'm sure is available somewhere on line these days.

For those interested go to http://www.legislature.mi.gov and look under Laws, Michigan Constitution.
The current one is available as a pdf-document.
(the link to the document looks session based, but it might work : LINK)

[Lost Soal]

Other reports I've seen mention nothing about it being indefinite. Even in an interview with one of the Senators she said she was banned from speaking the next day, after that they were on holiday then she didn't know what would happen when they came back into session.
This was on the Rachel Maddow show BTW.