Mark June 7 the Right Way – By Honoring the Right to Privacy

by Gretchen Borchelt, Senior Counsel
National Women’s Law Center

This Saturday, June 7, is a day that should have meaning for many in the United States. It’s the day in 1965 the U.S. Supreme Court decided Griswold v. Connecticut. For you non-lawyers, Griswold is the case that said it is legal for married couples to use contraception. But that’s not all that Griswold did. Most importantly, it was the foundation of the constitutional right to privacy. You know, the right that allows interracial couples to marry (Loving v. Virginia); women to make the decision whether to terminate a pregnancy (Roe v. Wade); adults to decide to have consensual sexual relations (Lawrence v. Texas), etc. We like to commemorate the day here at NWLC with a big old shout out to the Supreme Court.

But others choose to commemorate the day in a different way. This year the American Life League is marking June 7 with a series of rallies across the country. The theme? The Pill Kills. My colleague Jill has already blogged about this. l Usually I try to let Jill have the last word and I certainly try not to give any more attention to these fringe groups. But I just can’t resist sharing some of what they claim on their website. Just so you get an idea of where they are coming from, here are a couple of their claims:

• The regular birth control pill is a “chemical abortion.”
• The pill “can make a woman more susceptible to the AIDS virus.”
• And “sexual activity outside of marriage is seriously wrong.”

Outrageous! 

I don’t think I need to say more than that. But if you want more on
what is wrong with the campaign and the people behind it, check out
what Dan Savage, sex advice columnist extraordinaire, had to say. On
his Savage Lovecast,
he explains the ridiculous nature of this campaign, defends Estelle
Griswold and others who have engaged in civil disobedience when faced
with unjust laws, and makes the connection between groups fighting
contraception, abortion, and gay marriage – all are rooted in efforts
to control and tamp down sexuality. It’s the first four minutes of
Episode 83 and definitely worth a listen.

This Saturday, I encourage you all to take a moment to reflect on
what the right to privacy means to you. And to support those who work
to ensure that all individuals can control their own personal lives.