A one-sided, all-male hearing on contraception...

I had to. This story pissed me off too much.

The "Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 2012," introduced by Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), would allow any company or institution of any kind to refuse coverage of contraceptives on the basis of religious beliefs.

By the way, this discussion was not about religious freedom-- that's only what the Republicans want you to think so you'll be scared into voting for them. This ruling is not about religious freedom or religious anything, it's about barring women equal access to healthcare coverage. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, this is the twenty-first century.

Did you know that a lot of women take birth control pills for reasons unrelated to sexual intercourse? For instance, when I was 16 (and a virgin) I was prescribed birth control pills *just* to get a regular period. Other women take them to treat their severe menstrual cramps, ovarian cysts, and other medical issues unrelated to birth control.

I wonder if these same people who are hellbent on restricting access to birth control are as hellbent on restricting men's access to Viagra. Methinks not.

I just can't believe that this happened-- a conversation over a ruling that will only affect women, yet not even one woman was allowed to tell her side of the story. What the hell? Women who vote Republican-- you are extremely confusing to me. Why stick with the side that's continuously giving us the shaft?

UPDATE: I received an email this morning from a gentleman from Newsy.com named Greg who somehow stumbled upon this post. Here's what he wrote:

Alexandra,

I enjoyed your post about the contraceptives hearing by Issa. I agree that it is pretty disconcerting that there were NO women at a hearing about women's contraceptives rights. I think that you did a great job using your insight and experience to bring an important perspective to this issue. That being said, I think you'd find the following Newsy video interesting:



The above Newsy video uses a variety of different sources to help break down the problems with Issa's hearing, including a detailed description of why he didn't allow Ms. Fluke to testify. It also features an interview with DC Representative Elizabeth Holmes-Norton, who walked out of the hearing in protest. I hope that you embed the video in your post, as I think it'll add a detailed multimedia perspective to your post.

Thanks,
Greg