Legislative Advocacy

Rep. Anita Somani, seen here, is one of several state-level legislators hoping to inspire refreshed discourse around anti-abortion laws - in a roundabout way. (Credit: Ohio House of Representatives) Several elected officials are taking the fight for reproductive rights to their colleagues – by way of some, shall we say… atypical proposals. Two new bills – one in Ohio, one in Mississippi – seek to criminalize the act of ejaculating without intent to impregnate a partner. The first was the Mississippi bill, called the Contraception Begins at Erection Act, which was put forth late last month by Democratic State Sen. Bradford Blackmon. It would penalize someone for "discharg genetic material without the intent to fertilize an embryo,” by way of increasingly larger fines for each infraction. The second bill in Ohio, which bears the same name, was introduced by Democratic State Reps. Anita Somani and Tristan Rader, and would carry similar penalties. Both proposals include exemptions for sperm donations and intercourse between individuals that wouldn’t result in the creation of a fetus, such as between members of the LGBTQ community. These pieces of ejaculation legislation are not expected to gain any real traction – especially since, in both states, Congress is controlled by Republicans. But, the writers of them say, that wasn’t really the point of proposing them in the first place. At present, there are no federal or state-level laws that control what cisgender men can do with their bodies. For women and people who can get pregnant though, there is of course an ongoing attack on their right to bodily autonomy – an attack which intensified considerably following the reversal of Roe v. Wade in 2022. As of publication, 12 states have total abortion bans in place; 29 others have varying gestational limits on the procedure. In addition, several states have proposed or enacted restrictions on access to certain types of contraceptives. Some want to bring murder charges against those who receive and perform abortions. These laws have directly resulted in fear, harm and death for women – and children. Lawmakers like Blackmon, Somani and Rader don’t think it’s right, and they want their conservative colleagues to talk about it. In a statement to The Story Exchange, Rep. Somani – who is also a licensed OBGYN – said that “we are trying to make a point” with these bills, adding that the din created by supporters and naysayers alike was the hoped-for outcome. “What is important to me is that we are having this conversation.” “All across the country, especially here in Mississippi, the vast majority of bills relating to contraception and/or abortion focus on the woman’s role, when men are 50% of the equation,” Blackmon additionally told NBC affiliate WLBT-3. “This bill highlights that fact and brings the man’s role into the conversation. People can get up in arms and call it absurd, but I can’t say that bothers me.” That’s fortunate as, for his trouble, Blackmon has reportedly received numerous death threats. In Ohio, anti-abortion actors like End Abortion Ohio president Austin Beigel were more dismissive than combative – yet still derisive – in their comments to the press. "It's beyond ridiculous what's going on here,” he said. “It's a mockery of the most basic biological concepts." Somani agrees that such laws are ridiculous, actually – and noted in her comment to us: “I’m against regulating anyone’s reproductive rights. Those decisions should be between the patient and the physician. There should not be criminal penalties attached to these decisions – like the ones being pushed by conservative organizations across the country.” ◼️

Legislative Advocacy

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Legislative Advocacy

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The Story Exchange

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