A bill proposed by South Carolina Representative Mia McLeod seeks to regulate the administering of Viagra for men in an effort to prove how ridiculous anti-abortion measures are.
The bill has several stipulations for obtaining a Viagra prescription, such as presenting a sworn statement from the patient’s sexual partner, a 24-hour wait period, and a psychiatric evaluation by a sexual therapist.
McLeod has stated that she doesn’t expect the bill to pass the full House or become an actual law, and that the main purpose for the bill is to draw attention to the hypocrisy of a male-dominated legislature attempting to regulate women’s bodies. She explained, “This bill isn’t really about erectile dysfunction, but it is about gender equity.”
Similarities between anti-abortion laws and these proposed stipulations are present in the bill, as some women must wait 24 hours before getting an abortion after they make their decision and receive counseling to be sure that this is what they want. They also are sometimes denied unless they have a life-threatening medical problem that pregnancy or childbirth would exacerbate.
Despite its intentions, the bill has already unanimously passed the House medical subcommittee and is set to be reviewed by the full House Committee on Medical, Military, Public, and Municipal Affairs.
In speaking about the bill, McLeod said,
“It’s already done exactly what I wanted it to do, and that is to broaden the discussion, expose the hypocrisy, and ultimately…to get government out of these very important and very private decisions.”
This isn’t the first time a bill in this regard has popped up to start a conversation about inequality between the genders. A Democratic Representative from Kentucky proposed a very similar law earlier this year with a stipulation that only married men can obtain a prescription for Viagra and that, since anti-abortion laws are often rooted in religion and “family values,” the man must swear on the Bible that he will only use the prescription for sexual relations between him and his spouse.
Another ridiculous (but hilarious) amendment to a bill proposed to restrict men’s bodies and their sexual experiences was an Oklahoma amendment known as the “spilled semen amendment.” The amendment stated that “any action in which a man ejaculates or otherwise deposits semen anywhere but in a woman’s vagina shall be interpreted and construed as an action against an unborn child.”
Do you think this new bill could shed some light on gender inequity and effect change? Please comment on, like, and share this article!
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