Receding Sexual Rights in VA

Receding Sexual Rights in VA

Virginia’s governor repeals protection against sexual discrimination and may cut funding to Planned Parenthood.

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On The Rachel Maddow Show, the rights of women and the LGBT
community are discussed in the context of recent developments in
Virginia. Representative Bob Marshall recently said that children born
with disabilities are God’s punishment for abortions and is using this
argument as a reason to cut state funding for Planned Parenthood. Maddow
pairs Marshall’s statements with the news that newly-elected Virginia
Governor Bob McDonell issued an executive order earlier this month that
allows sexual discrimination by state agencies.

Nation columnist Melissa Harris-Lacewell joins Maddow to talk
about the “stunning” developments in Virginia and what could happen in
the future. Harris-Lacewell explains that liberals must take a stand
because so far the Democrats and the federal government have been lax on
both issues.

“We’ve got to…say listen, issues of pregnancy termination are issues
of women’s health,” Harris-Lacewell argues. “And we’ve got to say that
these terms are completely unacceptable…we need one standard of
citizenship.”

Morgan Ashenfelter

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