This week the “tour” part of this edition of the amazing Vagical Mystery Tour wraps up in cheese paradise: Wisconsin. Fun Wisconsin Fact: Did you know that Wisconsin got the nickname “The Badger State” because uptight asshole politicians try to badger you out of your reproductive rights? It’s true enough!
Our show on Thursday, August 2 will be part of the Milwaukee Comedy Festival. The steady erosion of abortion rights is the fear that made Milwaukee nervous, so we’re here to spread Zen-like calmness through agitation.
And what is the State of Reproductive Rights in the State of Wisconsin? Good people, we’ve been through so many states at this point that we’ve run out of synonyms for endangered, under siege, at risk, on the edge, imperiled, susceptible, jeopardized, and threatened. They could use some help, put it that way. That’s why we’re here.
And yep, Wisconsin has the usual ugly list of symptoms of repro rights rot: clinics have to meet the standards of ambulatory surgical centers for no reason, and to have transfer agreements with hospitals. There’s a 24 hour waiting period after a woman has been bombarded with a state-mandated lecture AND an in-person, one-on-one sit-down where the doctor has to deliver even more biased “counselling.”
Of course, there’s a 20 week ban—and of course, the penalty for performing an abortion after 20 weeks is 3 and a half years in jail. And yes, the usual racketeers funnel taxpayer money to totally fraudulent “Crisis Pregnancy Centers” (FAKE clinics!) where patients are referred to as part of the fake mandatory counselling.
So SURPRISE! 96 percent of Wisconsin counties have no abortion provider. Hope you’ve got a car.
And like so many states we’ve visited, Wisconsin is ready and eager to re-impose the 19th century onto women in the catastrophic event of Roe v Wade being struck down. Wisconsin would revert to an anti-abortion law from 1849! How’s that grab ya, lil’ missy? For our part, we don’t want healthcare laws from 1849 any more than we want surgical procedures from 1849.
So many states, so many similar lists of TRAP laws, roadblocks, and harassments. So for our last State of the State piece this tour, here’s a different look at the State of Repro Rights in Wisconsin: the simple story of someone who needed those rights and what she went through. Keep in mind, this story is now five years old. It’s only gotten worse since. But it brings home what this is all about.
The State of Repro Rights in the State of Wisconsin is very personal. It is in every state, for every person. That’s why we keep fighting—for each other.
