How Rush's Slut-Shaming Is Actually Injuring People

Mar 4th, 2012

An ordinary American mother writes that her 16 year old daughter "suffers from menorrhagia and secondary dysmenorrhea. That is, since almost the time of her very first period, she bled so heavily and suffered such severe pain and cramping that she was rendered immobile for the first 2-3 days of menstruation. She would become so violently ill that she would miss at least 2 days of school each month."

For this reason, her daughter is prescribed hormonal treatments. Yes, the pill.

What follows is a harrowing account of the abuse her daughter is now receiving from classmates and, apparently, possibly even a teacher. All of this is being justified by her tormentors with phrases like these:

"Birth control whore"

"I told my mom you were on the pill and she said you were nothing but a little tramp"

"My mom said some guy she listens to on the radio was just talking about girls like you- he even said you were a slut!"

"Yeah, my mom said the same thing, said it's about time people spoke up and weren't afraid to tell the truth"

Apparently, these classmates discovered the young woman was on "contraception" because of an extended school trip which required prescription disclosure to the institution before being allowed to participate. It is not clear how the information was disseminated to them. What is clear is where they have found encouragement for their mouth-breathing, spittle-dribbled harassment.

This is the world as Rush Limbaugh would have it in microcosm. For women, there are two choices only:

Shame or agony.