#TexasWarOnWomen
#TexasWarOnWomen
Contributors: Alexa, Kayla, Aaron, Rebekka.
Introduction/Description of Event:
Group 3 of the Digital and Multimodal Writing course of the Fall 2021 semester chose to complete their blog on the activist hashtag #TexasWarOnWomen. In 2021, the Texas abortion law was passed. “It is reopening a wound of realizing there's a movement that does not believe in reproductive autonomy,” one advocate said. (Fallert) What makes this hashtag bad is the fact that there are essentially bounty hunters looking for women that are pregnant and allows for them to get sued by them. “This law doesn’t just make it possible for Texans to sue anyone who aids a woman choosing to terminate her pregnancy. It literally — I kid you not — offers people money to inform on their neighbours. Not just a little bit of money, but a lot. If you’re now a Texan, you’ll get at least $10,000 if you successfully sue someone who aids a woman for having an abortion” (Haque).
What sparked the campaign:
On September 1, 2021, Texas began implementing a new law on abortion, banning the procedure as early as six weeks. The new law does not only affect women but the doctors who perform the procedures. Due to the vastness of the state, Texas can not police all abortions that may take place in spite of the law. Thus, Texas has implemented the help of citizens, who will be ‘tattling’ on patients and doctors. In allowing citizens to spy on others, and have the right to sue, the law “ dramatically expands the concept of a civil lawsuit and is aimed at keeping providers from using the constitutional right to an abortion under Roe v. Wade as a legal defense”( Douglas, Astudillo). In response to this injustice, thousands of individuals took to Twitter to voice their concerns on the law, sparking an internet campaign that would gain support and critique of individuals and media outlets.
Social Media and Social Justice:
It can be nearly impossible for one individual to enact change. However, with the prominence of social media, people have begun rallying together to evoke widespread change. Topics that would have fizzled out are now becoming part of a larger notion, social justice activism. Through researching #TexasWarOnWomen from a social justice campaign standpoint, it can be evidenced that overall, the effectiveness takes two directions. From an informative standpoint, the campaign raised awareness of the new law and pushed the campaign into the spotlight so that it was picked up by numerous news outlets. However, In terms of effectiveness, the campaign piggybacked on the Women’s Health Protection Act of 2021. The idea of women’s reproductive rights is not a new campaign, especially on social media, so the addition of a more pressing hashtag, following the new law, does not introduce new information as much as it furthers an already pressing issue that has gone unresolved.
Definitions and Opposing Arguments/Entities:
The primary hindrance or counterforce to the advocacy of abortion is the pro-life or anti-abortion movement. While these titles often place individuals of diverse beliefs, religions, and values into a box (by strict labeling), the terms pro-reproductive rights and anti-abortion are contemporarily preferred. Pro-reproductive rights are best defined as the belief that a woman has complete authority over the reproductive process, as well as any services that can be deemed healthcare respective to her pregnancy, including abortion. Supporters of anti-abortion widely hold the belief that life, even in an underdeveloped form, is sacred and the destruction of an embryo is murder. The radically varying beliefs have promoted a climate amongst activists that is largely uncooperative and combative and movements like the #TexasWarOnWomen put on display those actions.
Data:
For the research of this assignment, students have collected data in the form of tweets from Twitter in order to explore how this hashtag has brought awareness of this abortion law and how people have responded to it. From the data collection, it was found that the tweets could fit into two major categories: supporting the new law (pro-life) and opposition (pro-choice). When digging deeper into why people adopted their stance, it fell into politically affiliated motives. The pro-life posts that rallied for support of the law, were part of the republican party. When the topic of abortion is brought up, religion oftentimes takes the front burner in terms of evidence to oppose. The republican party is composed of 82% Christians (“Religion in America”). On the other hand, those who are rallying against the new abortion law are predominantly democratic. The democratic party is only 63% Christian (“Religion in America”). The deficiency in religion is only one reason that could explain why the tweets are highly polarized.
The tweets themselves are also revealing of the debate that has been ongoing throughout politics, logic. The tweets often bring up an argument of hypocrisy, where “Texas Republicans won't require a 12-year-old girl to wear a mask in school...but they will force her to keep a baby regardless of how she got pregnant”. In today’s climate, the hypocrisy is often centered on the mask mandate opposers using the statement “My body, my choice” but it does not extend towards the body autonomy of those who choose to have an abortion.
Conclusion:
#TexasWarOnWomen has been an activism movement since September 1, 2021. That same day this law went into effect. Through the hashtag, information regarding the Texas abortion ban has spread quickly, casting light on the harshest abortion law in the country. In examining Twitter, we found that people reacted to the new law in a variety of ways. A majority of people expressed disdain through memes. Through the use of memes, people could express anger or support through a content piece that feels calmer than direct text. The campaign brought awareness to a present issue and gave people a platform to express their opinions.
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