Welcome to all!
This is the page for the Handmaids Locals Canada. We’re here because there’s a well-funded, coordinated anti-choice, forced-birth movement afoot. They are being bankrolled by the same organizations sponsoring the draconian anti-choice legislation that is being tabled in the US. If you’re here, odds are good you already know that shit isn’t about ‘saving babies’ or somebody would be doing more to care for the children that already exist. It’s about keeping women and ALL uterus having persons and the people who support them from full social and economic participation and maintaining a poor, desperate, subjugate underclass.
It is NOT a uniquely American problem. Nor even merely a ‘woman’s issue’. We recognize that uteruses aren’t exclusive to cis women and therefore abortion restrictions can impact multiple genders. We welcome all gender expressions, both as allies and as well as those who are directly affected and we encourage gender-inclusive language. The goal of this Handmaid’s Local is to communicate, and mobilize much like a union would. To SHOW UP at protests, rallies, and all the places these forced birth extremists congregate. This is a complicated and deeply divisive issue even among the groups who agree in principle that reproductive rights and freedoms are everybody’s concern.
We recognize that the Handmaid isn’t the icon for everyone and make no pretense of being the only voice in the room. It IS, however, easy to recognize, and in a political culture where important conversations are being reduced to soundbites, there is something to be said for expediency. If the Handmaid isn’t your jam, it’s more important to SHOW up than it is to DRESS up. While we need to maintain the visual presence to hold on to the platform it bought us, we hope to see you on the field in whatever way gets you out there and sends your message. March with us if you like or bring your army and we’ll march together.
The forced-birth movement is way ahead of us, actively working in communities to elect forced-birth candidates. It’s an election year. Ontario is already sliding backwards, and Alberta just said ‘Hold my beer…’. This isn’t just one battle. It’s going to be a long war. If you know any wicked warriors in other areas who would be willing to spearhead putting their own Handmaid’s Local together I’d love to start linking groups and pages together.
So thank you for visiting. Be the change folks. We can’t keep just watching it get worse thinking ‘Somebody should do something! ‘
We. Are. Somebody.
