Because slut-shaming needs to go, now...

[ladyofleithian]

So, apparently Rush Limbaugh has struck again in the douchebag department. Wouldn't be a surprise (after all, "douchebag" is pretty much his middle name), but let's say he went above and beyond in the douche department this time around.




From one article in the Huffington Post that was just posted today:

Last week, the House of Representatives held a hearing on access to contraception that included no women. Chairman Daryl Issa denied a Georgetown law student, Sandra Fluke, permission to speak on the absurd grounds that the hearing was about religious freedom, not birth control. After Democrats held their own hearing in which Fluke gave passionate, thoughtful testimony about a friend who lost an ovary because she couldn't afford the birth control pills that would have reduced her ovarian cysts, Rush Limbaugh apparently felt the need to weigh in and decided to do so in the shameful, loathsome way that only Rush could. As I could never improve upon the words themselves for a distillation of the soul of Rush Limbaugh, here they are:

"What does that make her (Fluke)? It makes her a slut, right? It makes her a prostitute," he said. "She wants to be paid to have sex. She's having so much sex she can't afford the contraception." As if that wasn't enough, he had to insult the most powerful woman in the legislative branch and Sandra's parents:

"Can you imagine if you're her parents how proud of Sandra Fluke you would be?" he said. "Your daughter goes up to a congressional hearing conducted by the Botox-filled Nancy Pelosi and testifies she's having so much sex she can't afford her own birth control pills and she agrees that Obama should provide them, or the Pope."

Not satisfied with simple slander and name-calling, Limbaugh then doubled down on his attacks on Fluke and actually demanded that she post sex tapes online: "So Miss Fluke, and the rest of you Feminazis, here's the deal. If we are going to pay for your contraceptives, and thus pay for you to have sex. We want something for it. We want you post the videos online so we can all watch."

(http://www.huffingtonpost.com/krystal-ball/rush-limbaugh-sandra-fluke_b_1315805.html)

*Sighs*

Fortunately, the Internet found a way, as it so often does: apparently there is now a petition to boycott Rush Limbaugh, and telling companies such as Dominoes, etc. to stop sponsoring him. The response is overwhelming, but personally? I want you guys to do whatever you can as well.

Go here and sign if you can. If only for human decency's sake.

Comments

[pwalkeri.livejournal.com]

[darth-eldritch.livejournal.com]

Oh, this is WIN

[ladyhadhafang.livejournal.com]

Approves +15,000,000 and more.

[chickadilly.livejournal.com]

This GIF made my whole day.

I got into a row with an idiot on FB today who thinks Rush is right. I wish I'd seen this earlier to use!

[darth-eldritch.livejournal.com]

As soon as I saw "Rush Limbaugh" I was like, yeah, pull out my most insulting icon.


What an arrogant asshole! He doesn't know jackshit about medicine, and it's true that a lot of women take birthcontrol for things other than sex, like to regulate their periods.

JFC, this makes me sick.

Ladyhadhafang sees your Grievous icon and raises you an Eowyn icon -- for Limbaugh, of course.

[ladyhadhafang.livejournal.com]

Yep. You nailed it, Grievous. You fucking nailed it. :/

Don't worry, the Nostalgia Critic isn't amused either: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIqRxBtNrFs. *Sighs*

And I agree with you. JFC...my mom was actually thinking of putting me on birth control to help regulate my periods and such. So in Limbaugh's eyes, I must be a slut. /sarcasm. *Sighs*

I think it's a good thing it caused such an uproar, though. That's the only real silver lining here. :/

[philstar22.livejournal.com]

This so fucking much. I am one of those women who takes it for other things. Without it, I have 7-8 day periods with pain high enough to keep me in bed (and often throwing up) that pain killers do nothing for. Not that it should make a difference what women take it for, but as someone who needs it for her health, fuck you Limbaugh.

Also, your Grievous icon is awesome. Sadly, none of my Star Wars icons at the moment express my anger. But I think Padme's expression here says it all.

[philstar22.livejournal.com]

I saw this. Ug. This pisses me off so much. Not only is he slut shaming, but he's saying that women who want safe-sex are prostitutes. Because sex is all about men and women who use contraceptives are being paid for sex. What the fucking hell? Women can like sex. Women have sex drives, really. Women can want sex. And you know, the stupid thing is, these anti-abortion people are the ones who are the strongest against contraceptives. How are they not thinking this through. If you want less abortions, why would you remove the protection women have against getting pregnant in the first place? Not that that particular stance is any less offensive, but at least be consistent with your idiocy.

And let me just say how much I abhor the term feminazis. Comparing anything to the Nazis is bad enough, but the idea that women who want equal rights are the same as a group that wanted to take away all rights (and kill off) other groups is just offensive on so many levels.

I just have really strong feelings on this whole thing. The fact that only men testified before Congress (and that women who wanted to be involved were actually barred) speaks so much as to the truth about all of this. This is about men wanting to control the bodies and sexuality of women. This is about men who think they can sleep with whoever they want but that women aren't allowed to enjoy sex ever. This is about men who think they have the right to force a woman to make the decisions they want her to. This is about our sexist society who devalues women, tells them who and what they should be, wants to control them, and judges their choices, no matter what those choices are.

Canderous Ordo is furious with Limbaugh.

[ladyhadhafang.livejournal.com]

This, just...all of it. Seriously. I think the only explanation is that he was one of those people who slept through Sex Ed...nah, he's just an irredeemable douchebag. :/


I just have really strong feelings on this whole thing. The fact that only men testified before Congress (and that women who wanted to be involved were actually barred) speaks so much as to the truth about all of this. This is about men wanting to control the bodies and sexuality of women. This is about men who think they can sleep with whoever they want but that women aren't allowed to enjoy sex ever. This is about men who think they have the right to force a woman to make the decisions they want her to. This is about our sexist society who devalues women, tells them who and what they should be, wants to control them, and judges their choices, no matter what those choices are.

Yeah. *Sighs* And it's about what happens when "freedom of religion" is mixed up with "being an oppressive, hypocritical douchebag". I swear, our country is getting more like Gilead with each passing day. I fear for the future.

[aikaterini.livejournal.com]

I will never understand how that man (I wonder if he should even be referred to as such, I'm sure that many decent men would be insulted to be grouped with him) still has fans. How he still has a job. How there are people who listen to him to either laugh (because sexism, racism, ableism, and other forms of bigotry are so funny, ha!) or to nod their heads in agreement, even after he has repeatedly demonstrated what a loathsome bigot he is. Even after he has repeatedly demonstrated what a colossal hypocrite he is.

I'm not a Republican, but I went to a College Republicans meeting at my university for my friend's sake. I didn't really feel like going, but I promised her that I would and besides, I thought, it never hurts to be open-minded. I was genuinely curious to hear what they had to say.

Ten minutes into the meeting, the head of the club announced that they were planning a trip to the Young Republicans convention (I don't remember where it was held). Who would be the guest speakers at the convention, the ones that he said that everyone should be excited to see, the names he dropped as an incentive for everyone to sign up to go to the convention?

Rush Limbaugh and Ann Coulter. I am *not* joking. As soon as I heard that, all respect that I may have had for him and the other club members went out the window. The only reasons that I didn't walk out right then and there was because my friends were there, the meeting was still going on, and I didn't want to be rude.

[ladyhadhafang.livejournal.com]

Well, I guess Rush Limbaugh and Ann Coulter could work on the Bile Fascination front...no, seriously, I agree with you -- who in their right minds would find them the least bit entertaining? Seriously.

The best we can do is get the word out however we can. Spread the signal. Boycott him and encourage others to do the same -- because this has gone on for far too long. It's time we put a stop to it.

[philstar22.livejournal.com]

Yes. I don't understand how anyone with any ounce of morality and belief in equality and justice can be part of the Republican party as it is today. It has been taken over by the fringe. The fringe has become the mainstream, and the more centrist leaning part of the party has either become Democrat or has just simply stopped talking.

[valarltd.livejournal.com]

"So much sex she can't afford her own birth control?"

Does this man not know that you USE THE SAME AMOUNT OF BC REGARDLESS? You can have sex once an hour, once a day, once a week or once a month, the package of pills STILL costs $35.

If I headdesked over this stupidity, I'd knock myself unconscious.

When you add in the fact she was testifying about a lesbian friend who uses them for medical reasons, I begin to wonder what planet Limbaugh is really on. And whether we can send a Death Star that way.

Vader offers his two credits on Limbaugh.

[ladyhadhafang.livejournal.com]

Your icon is win, seriously. :)

And yeah, good question. *Sighs* To paraphrase the wonderful Nash Bozard, "This guy didn't just miss the point; he wasn't even in the same *dimension* as the point." But I think he just suffers from a severe lack of compassion/understanding for anyone around him. He's not just a sociopath -- he's an exceedingly *stupid* sociopath who has not an ounce of respect for anyone who isn't a straight white Christian male. Which is honestly pretty sad.

And this to all your comment. Seriously.

[theonlymeyouget.livejournal.com]

Who SAYS things like that? Even if that's what he's thinking (which is, of course, his right), dude... FILTER.

He has free speech just like everyone else, but just because you CAN doesn't mean you SHOULD.

And I've dealt with this. I can't count how many times I've gone into an OBGYN's office and heard "But you're not sexually active... why do you want HBC?"

Oh. IDK. Maybe because I bleed profusely every 2 weeks to the point where I faint and have an irregular heartbeat if I'm not on it? Nevermind. I'll just go... bleed to death or something.

Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

[ladyhadhafang.livejournal.com]

This, just this. All of it.

[scythe-of-time.livejournal.com]

Oh, fuck you. Why is it always the people who aren't responsible for taking birth control (e.g. "having a kid will fuck up my life") who are interested in regulating it?

Rush actually reminds me of my first experience with birth control. It was given to me by the only doctor in town who took state health care--a straight, white, Republican, LDS, cis-male, of course, who reduced me to tears by telling me that this was a very, very bad thing I was doing, and that "this is not a gateway drug to sex, you slut." I was 16, and not interested in sex; we were looking for it because I had paralyzingly bad periods (and my mother wanted to use it to regulate my moods, which is a whole other ball of wax).

Now I take it because I have a psych history that means I have a 90% chance to have *another* post-partum psyhotic breakdown if I were to fall pregnant again. My husband and I do enjoy having a sexlife without guaranteed threat of my losing my mind, thank you very much.

[ladyhadhafang.livejournal.com]

I'm really sorry you had such a bad experience. That has to suck. *hugs*

And this, so very much.

[chickadilly.livejournal.com]

Rush Limbaugh is a disgusting pig.

I'm too tired to rant (long day) but that about sums it all up. (Also, I've enjoyed reading the comments on this post. :)

[philstar22.livejournal.com]

Your icon=awesome.

Leia does not approve.

[elizabeth-hoot.livejournal.com]

I've already heard about this, I don't use birth control, and I still can't think of anything except

wtfwtfwtfwtfwtf

die in a fire, asshole.

wtf

Neither does Eowyn -- for Limbaugh, naturally.

[ladyhadhafang.livejournal.com]

Right?!

[imhilien.livejournal.com]

Whatever planet Rush is on, I don't want to know where it is. *shudders*

[ladyhadhafang.livejournal.com]

Or dimension, for that matter.

[keithmex17.livejournal.com]

Rush Limpbug is a piece of shit. Get out of my city you shitstain.

The dude in my icon agrees and is also expressed disgust on twitter that women are getting all but locked out of this conversation in Washington DC.

Blast off into the son Rush, the pure gas your hide contains can fuel her for an extra million years or so.

[kinofsimon.livejournal.com]

Limbaugh and most of the folks on the right are sexist bigots. I'm hoping one day they'll be their own downfall.

A friend and I were discussing this yesterday, in fact. Most people who call themselves conservative nowadays are rather shaming the 'real right,' the spectrum from 20 and 30 years ago. There's liberal, there's conservative, but Limbaugh, Gingrich, and a whole host of others aren't truly right, they're psychotic. When they talk and spew all this hate about women and homosexuals and "idiot liberals" and President Obama, its almost like you see the scared, angry, repressed little five year old thats really talking.

[ladyhadhafang.livejournal.com]

I think you just summed it up beautifully, man.

And yeah... *sighs* Hopefully it'll be their downfall soon enough...

[sarisynn.livejournal.com]

I saw this yesterday, and I just... I don't even have words. I feel like I'm living in the dark ages or something. Just everything. Like how the Republican candidates want to waste their time debating on shit like this, and abortion, and gay marriage when they could be spending their time talking about ACTUAL issues, like this bazillion dollar DEBT WE'RE UNDER, but NO, CLEARLY MY UTERUS AND WHAT GOES ON INSIDE OF IT (OR NOT) IS MORE IMPORTANT.

I think that's OT. (And Caps-locky, sorry) but Rush Limbaugh is an ass. Is he getting fined or suspended or anything for saying that shit? I doubt it; they're probably giving him a medal.

[ladyhadhafang.livejournal.com]

No, s'okay. *hugs* I think that more than warrants Capslock, really. Honestly, I think the ultra-conservatives are taking advantage of how bad the economy is to fear-monger and smear anyone who disagrees with them. That's the best explanation I can gather, really.

Well, fortunately, some of his advertisers have dropped him. Not that it says much, but I'll take my silver linings where I can get them.