A US POLITICIAN who was silenced after using the word ‘vagina’ during a political debate is to take part in a performance of The Vagina Monologues later this evening in protest.
Almost 3,000 people have signed up on Facebook to attend the event ‘Vaginas Take Back the Capitol‘ on the steps of the main government building in Michigan tonight.
Playwright Eve Ensler, who wrote The Vagina Monologues, is flying to Michigan to take part in the performance, along with 11 politicians from the state.
During a heated debate on abortion rights last week, state senator Lisa Brown told the chamber, “I’m flattered that you’re all so interested in my vagina, but no means no”.
Brown, who is a Democratic senator for the state of Michigan, was ruled to be out of order when she tried to protest that she wasn’t allowed to speak on the bill, and was not allowed to speak in the chamber on any issue the following day.
Another state senator supported the decision. Mike Callton said:
What she said was offensive. It was so offensive, I don’t even want to say it in front of women. I would not say that in mixed company.
The Detroit Free Press reports that a spokesman for the Speaker of the House said that Brown’s censure was nothing to do with her use of the word ‘vagina’ and was because of the use of the phrase ‘no means no’, which the spokesperson said was comparing the legislation to rape.
Brown has said that she wasn’t talking about rape and that she doesn’t believe the explanation.
The bill sought to ban abortion after 20 weeks and introduce new regulations on abortion providers.
“I was either banned for being Jewish and rightfully pointing out that House Bill 5711 was forcing contradictory religious beliefs upon me and any other religion. Or it is because I said the word ‘vagina’ which is an automatically, medically correct term. If they are going to legislate my anatomy, I can see no reason why I cannot mention it,” said Brown.
(Video via ProgressMichigan/YouTube)
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