In broad terms, a sex strike is the withholding of sex, sexual acts, and sexual favors from men in pursuit of a social or political goal. The most famously given example is the play Lysistrata, by Aristophanes; where women team up to bring about the end of the Peloponnesian War.
It's far from being an idea limited to an ancient play though:
- In 1600, Iroquois women refused to engage in sex as a way to stop unregulated warfare. They gained veto power concerning all future wars and paved the way for future feminist rebellions. Source
- In 2003, Leymah Gbowee organized a well-publicized sex strike to end Liberia’s brutal civil war. Not only did warlords agree to end the violence, Gbowee was later awarded a Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts. Source
- In 2006, female partners of gang members in the Colombian city of Pereira withheld sex to demand civilian disarmament and a reduction in violence. According to the Global Nonviolent Action Database, the strike’s results were clear: Pereira’s murder rate fell by 26.5% by 2010, a huge accomplishment for a city that had a homicide rate twice the national average when the sex strike began. Source
- In 2009, Kenyan women followed suit by enforcing a sex ban until political infighting ceased. Within one week, there was a stable government. Source
- In 2011, Filipino women led a sex strike for peace in a violence-plagued Mindanao Island village. Source
The current strike we are proposing is indefinite. The Roe v. Wade strike of 2022 is to bring attention to lack of abortion rights available to American women due to the overturning of Roe v. Wade, and to get support and recognition from the men in and outside our lives. If every single person strikes together, we can make a positive change in the world we all live in.
This subreddit is not limited to the Roe v. Wade strike, although it started as a way for us to organize. While we will be following this strike and updating accordingly, we highly encourage you as members to suggest other ways we can use this powerful tool to make our lives better. Any and every part of the world that needs to use this as a method of protest is welcome here.
Ways to participate
- no foreplay
- no sex
- no nudes
- no blow jobs
- no hand jobs
- no foot jobs
- no tittie jobs
- delete your dating apps
- dump your FWB with an explanation that things can continue once abortion rights are codified into law (if you want to continue things- just saying)
- join a local, in person protest
- join a national protest
All people are encouraged to participate, regardless of gender or sexual identity. Outside of not having sex or performing sexual acts with men, spreading the word about our cause and what we're trying to accomplish is very much appreciated. You can also join an in person protest or start your own. Just let your voice be heard in support of ours! We appreciate you so much.
Are you wanting to participate, but unsure of how to bring it up to your partner? Here are some statements you can use regarding our movement:
- Women across the country are mourning the loss of Roe v. Wade, I'm joining their movement for reproductive rights in the form of a sex strike
- I think that reproductive rights are too important to not defend, so I'm joining a sex strike until abortion protections are codified into law
- The overturning of Roe v. Wade is a death sentence for many women; so I stand in solidarity with them through this sex strike
What we are doing needs to reach every person on this continent to have a full effect. This means our sons, nephews, brothers, fathers, and husband's need to be aware of both the issue and how it affects them personally.
And it does affect them: there are thousands of women who will die from lack of proper abortion care and mismanaged back alley abortions. These are people they know as their daughters, nieces, sisters, mother's and wives. Our worth as women, who are members of this society, should not be based on Patriarchal views of us; but this is a great way to get mass attention to a life and death issue quickly.
Where to donate
ACLU
Planned Parenthood
Elevated Access: airlifts women to countries when they can't secure an abortion
National Advocates for Pregnant Women: a legal fund for women experiencing a negative pregnancy outcome
Repro Legal Defense: another fund for women in legal trouble regarding a negative pregnancy outcome
- To keep this from getting even longer; you can click on any link below and find a donate button somewhere on that site, if not immediately.
Resources
r/auntienetwork
Online aunties are not vetted and some have been known to try and persuade people from seeking abortion care. Please be careful when seeking help from this subreddit
EFF privacy tips for those looking to secure abortion medication online
The Pink Book
A website that gives you reliable sources for where to find abortion medication regardless of where you live
An international aid group that delivers abortion medication through the mail to people in the US. They will even send them to you if you are not pregnant, so that you can already have them on hand if you ever need them
A website that has a lot of information about abortion, the different procedures, and how to get one. It especially has a lot of useful information about medication abortion
A list of abortion funds by state, abortion funds can help cover the costs of an abortion and transportation and lodging needed for the procedure
A hotline that can help you find help funding an abortion
A website that helps you find legitimate abortion clinics in the US
Another website that helps you find legitimate abortion clinics in the US
A website that can help you find an abortion provider and can link you to resources in your area and answer questions you might have
A link to the list of Planned Parenthood clinics that provide abortions and also information on what happens during in clinic and medication abortions
A hotline that is run by a group of medical providers, they can help answer any questions you might have when self managing an abortion
A hotline that offers peer-based, trauma-informed emotional support to anyone having an abortion at home with pills
A site that can help you stay under the legal radar and guard your digital privacy when considering abortion or procuring/self-managing an abortion
A site that offers legal help for anyone aborting or experiencing pregnancy complications
Another site that offers legal help for anyone aborting or experiencing pregnancy complications
Another site that offers legal help for anyone experiencing a negative pregnancy outcome
A site that can help make sure you don’t end up at a anti-choice Crisis Pregnancy Center meant to talk you out of an abortion or report you for desiring an abortion
A document with current best abortion practices from the World Health Organization including the typical protocol for abortion using the medications misoprostol and mifepristone or misoprostol alone up to 12 weeks and a protocol for medication abortion from 12 to 24 weeks, this document is for medical professionals but does have a lot of helpful information
A group of pilots who fly patients out of state for abortion and transgender healthcare services
This list of resources is directly from
u/Brownie-1234; one of the mods on
r/prochoice. Please let us know if there's anything you think we should change or add to this list!
