A is for Appalling

The Blaze The activist group “A Is For” is encouraging women to “take back” the scarlet A from being a sign of shame, to a sign of pride. Originally standing for “adultery” in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Scarlet Letter,” the group is encouraging women to wear the symbol in support of what some refer to as “reproductive justice.” The organization explains on its website:

Every woman, and every man who has ever loved one, must wear the A at some point in their lives: Whether you’re a mother who’s decided she doesn’t want more kids, or a student waiting to start a family until the right time, or a teenager who needs access to Plan B, or a boyfriend who isn’t ready to be a dad, or a husband who supports his wife’s desire to remain childless, or a father who wants his daughter to be able to realize her own dreams before becoming a mom, we all wear the A. And we are standing up for our right to be heard without being shamed. [Emphasis added] While conservative sites like Twitchy note that in the current context the “A” seems to be a proud symbol for “abortion,” the movement claims the “A” represents the values associated with “women’s rights.”

The organization’s co-founder explained while wearing the scarlet “A”:

“A” is for autonomy. Nobody owns my body but me. I’m in charge of what I do with my body, and having the ownership of my body means that I have ownership of my life… If you can’t decide when, where, and whether you want to have kids, you kind of basically have no control over anything. Basically what I’m trying to say here is that I am in control of my physical destiny; nobody else. This is a very American principle. This is something that this country was founded on. The right and ability of every American to be able to live their life as they see fit. I strongly believe that women share this right, and to me the definition of ‘small government’ means that government doesn’t interfere with my physical determination to do whatever I want to do with my own body.

Watch the video, below: Twitchy joked that the video is really a lesson in “the importance of being autonomous when it comes to demanding that the government finance your reproductive decisions,“ deeming the entire argument ”pretzel logic.” Glee actress Jane Lynch also made a video in support of the campaign, saying:

“A” is for adamant…to those who don’t want cancer screenings, or abortion, or family planning, or birth control, well then by all means, don’t choose it. But I will always be adamant about my right to choose what’s right for me and my body. And I will always adamantly fight for you, my sister’s right, to make your own choice. Adamant: utterly unyielding in attitude or opinion in spite of all appeals, or urgings, or a**holes. There’s another “A” word for ya! A**holes

. Here is Lynch’s video: “What does your ‘A’ mean to you?” the site asks. Twitchy simply responded: “‘A’ is for appalling.”