To Hell with Hobby Lobby

By Lauree Benton

“Corporations are people, my friend.”

Women? Well… the jury is still out on that. Whether you are a person or not may depend on the religious views of your boss.

Makes sense I guess. The Constitution does say that all men are created equal.

I’m sure the ALL MALE majority who made this stirring decision is just looking out for us lady types. You know, we can’t be trusted.

Never mind that NONE of these men have ever dealt with the realities of human reproduction. Losing complete control over your body once a month. Uterine lining that decides it has better places to be. Cysts. Fibroids. Organ prolapse. Unexpected, complicated, and even dangerous pregnancies. All for the honor of ripping up your nether regions to push a basketball out of a hole the size of a dime.

Never mind that NONE of these men have ever dealt with the economic realities of serving as an incubator. Being denied health insurance (it’s only been a few months since that became illegal). Losing your job because of a pregnancy. Having to choose between having a career and having a child, because childcare is so expensive. (And that’s not even taking into account that you’ll be paid less even before children enter the picture.)

Never mind that NONE of these men would even exist if it weren’t for the pseudo-people that carried them.

As Erin Ryan at Jezebel said:

“They bought Hobby Lobby’s “RELIGIOUS LIBERTY!” argument despite the fact that Hobby Lobby doesn’t personally object to covering vasectomies for men; their religion only applies slut panic to women. The Court won’t classify Hobby Lobby’s woman-only scientifically illiterate objections to contraception as “discrimination” against women. But it would be discrimination if Hobby Lobby’s religious objections applied to black people or gay people. Are you following? Me neither.”

So corporations are people. And people have religious liberty. And that religious liberty trumps health concerns or any other scientific reality, specifically when it comes to women. That, my friends, is institutionalized sexism.

Katie McDonough at Salon brings up another terrifying point:

“The opinion also raises the question of whose religious beliefs matter. Conservatives are hailing this as a victory for freedom of religion, but what about the religious employees at Hobby Lobby who don’t share the views of the Green family? The Greens’ profoundly unscientific and extreme views about contraception are not even universally accepted among Christians. Where’s their religious liberty in this? And for the women whose religious liberty is freedom from religion? Where are they in this opinion?”

“The Court puts claims of corporations over those of its employees and allows a corporation’s owners to override the Federal rights of its employees, many of whom have a different set of religious beliefs,” Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg wrote in her dissent.

In short, corporate personhood just got really scary really fast. Sure, Citizens United wasn’t good. And unlimited corporate campaign spending is getting out of hand. But this new decision is going to have a serious, immediate, and direct effect on the people’s lives. Actual human people.

Steven Depolo, Flickr

Five men just turned the clock back for American women. Deciding that it is okay for our health decisions to be hijacked by our employers. That we still deserve to pay more for our healthcare than men, simply because we are women. That bosses can discriminate as long as they “sincerely” believe in it.

Who is to say this will just stop at birth control? What about AIDS medication? Or blood transfusions? Organ transplants? Hell, what if the employer doesn’t believe in medicine at all?

Five men and a corporation (that has no problems paying for penis pumps and Viagra) just re-institutionalized a 2nd class status for women.

My sincerest hope is that all of this bullshit will inspire women to get mad and get even. Vote. Volunteer. Donate. Protest. Boycott. Organize. Run for office.

Please. We cannot depend on the status quo. Our health is literally at stake.

And seriously, though. Fuck Hobby Lobby.

PS. If anyone has some ideas to help negate the effects of this ruling and generally raise hell, please comment below or email me at LaureeBenton@gmail.com. I’m ready to fight. Fight with me.

This article appeared at San Diego Free Press, our online media partner – and prodigy.