Supporters of President Obama’s contraception mandate for health care coverage argue that modernity demands birth control, but beginning in late April some women will be participating in a passive resistance strategy to get it — one that dates back to ancient Greece.
Withhold sex, ladies, from April 28 to May 5 — that’s the dictate coming from the Austin, Texas-based women’s group Liberal Ladies who Lunch.
“Our reproductive rights are denied, so are yours” is their slogan. The group is listed as the sole contact on the website fittingly titled SexStrike.org.
“In light of the recent war on women, we are calling for a nationwide sex strike from April 28th to May 5th. All women should withhold from having sex with their partners,” the website explains. “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.”
The Liberal Ladies who Lunch claims SexStrike.org was put up by a group of OB-GYN doctors. The site further goes on to explain that until contraception is covered by health insurance plans, men should not expect sex.
“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,” SexStrike.org explains.
Liberal Ladies who Lunch founder Annette Maxberry-Carrara explained that contraception is as much a men’s issue as it is a women’s issue.
“We are choosing the sex strike to bring attention to the fact that if women don’t have access to affordable birth control, the only choice they will have is to say ‘no’ to their husbands and boyfriends unless they are trying to have children,” Maxberry-Carrara told The Daily Caller. “Men will also have to say ‘no,’ if they don’t want children. It’s an issue that equally impacts the choices and sex lives of both men and women.”
“Our reproductive freedom paved the way for women to work outside the home and have fulfilling careers of their own,” she added. “Our strike is to bring attention to the freedoms at risk. This is not a partisan issue, this is a human rights issue. There are women and men on both sides of the aisle who don’t want to see women lose access to birth control and their right to choose.”
The movement is modeling its strike after a similar strategy in the ancient Greek play Lysistrata. Other modern sex strikes took place in Columbia in 2006, in Naples in 2008, in Kenya in 2009, and in Belgium in 2011.
Already opponents to the contraception mandate have infiltrated the group’s Facebook page pointing out the irony of a ceasing sex in order to get free contraception.
“Excellent! This is the best form of birth control for liberals there is,” commenter Terry Thompson wrote. “See, you had the right to birth control all along and you all were not bright enough to figure it out. Keep up the good work. You’re finally doing something right. This process will also decrease the numbers of STD’s out there.”
“You can buy them at target for 9.99 with a doctors Prescription I do not want to pay for all you libs to have sex,” wrote Jeremy Harold.
Ironically anti-mandate comments far exceed those supporting the initiative, something Maxberry-Carrara finds humorous.
“They seem to think that would have actually been an option if we didn’t have the sex strike. I find that hilarious! I am continually surprised by people on all sides of an issue who feel they have to resort to personal attacks on people they disagree with,” she added. “To me it is a symptom of immaturity and very low self esteem. Rush Limbaugh for example, found it necessary to call a young woman he had never met a ‘slut’ and a ‘prostitute’ simply because he disagreed with her stance on the birth control issue. Why can’t we debate these issues like adults instead of resorting to name calling?”
This article has been updated.