Author Gabrielle Blair is causing some serious waves online with a Twitter thread that puts the blame for unwanted pregnancies squarely and solely on the shoulders of men. What makes the rant interesting is that it's not like others. Gabrielle doesn't insult anyone, she doesn't rant with anger or indignation, she just comes at the situation with calm cool logic — and it's got people a little bit shook.
Here's the thread - it's a long one but worth the read.
If you want to stop abortion, you need to prevent unwanted pregnancies. And men are 100% responsible for unwanted p… https://t.co/ztGZExHbsD— Gabrielle Blair (@Gabrielle Blair)1536876946.0
But ALL unwanted pregnancies are caused by the irresponsible ejaculations of men. Period. Don’t believe me? Let me… https://t.co/ypIdVs096m— Gabrielle Blair (@Gabrielle Blair)1536876946.0
That makes 24 days a year a women might get pregnant. But men can _cause_ pregnancy 365 days a year. In fact, if yo… https://t.co/Ie0pll50Rc— Gabrielle Blair (@Gabrielle Blair)1536876946.0
And though their sperm gets crappier as they age, men can cause unwanted pregnancies from puberty till death. So ju… https://t.co/hMzyFQvEsj— Gabrielle Blair (@Gabrielle Blair)1536876946.0
But what about birth control? If a woman doesn’t want to risk an unwanted pregnancy, why wouldn’t she just use birt… https://t.co/v7u0VbXQZL— Gabrielle Blair (@Gabrielle Blair)1536876946.0
Modern birth control is possibly the greatest invention of the last century, and I am very grateful for it. It’s al… https://t.co/ye8WAHAOrZ— Gabrielle Blair (@Gabrielle Blair)1536876947.0
… because of the side effects. And the list of side effects was about 1/3 as long as the known side effects for wom… https://t.co/nWnHuE56kU— Gabrielle Blair (@Gabrielle Blair)1536876947.0
There’s a lot to be unpacked just in that story, but I’ll simply point out (in case you didn’t know) that as a soci… https://t.co/bg4Ddv4a8V— Gabrielle Blair (@Gabrielle Blair)1536876947.0
But good news, Men: Even with the horrible side effects, women are still very willing to use birth control. Unfortu… https://t.co/5P8F7mjFSw— Gabrielle Blair (@Gabrielle Blair)1536876947.0
In fact there are many people trying to make it more expensive by fighting to make sure insurance companies refuse… https://t.co/tL3JmI3oDN— Gabrielle Blair (@Gabrielle Blair)1536876948.0
If we’re talking about the pill, it requires consistent daily use and doesn’t leave much room for mistakes, forgetf… https://t.co/t88w88SkHV— Gabrielle Blair (@Gabrielle Blair)1536876948.0
I’m just saying women's birth control isn’t simple or easy. In contrast, let’s look at birth control for men, meani… https://t.co/WwTkdorQlR— Gabrielle Blair (@Gabrielle Blair)1536876948.0
Men can keep them stocked up just in case, so they’re always prepared. Amazing! They are so much easier than birth… https://t.co/d2w41pciAi— Gabrielle Blair (@Gabrielle Blair)1536876948.0
… or prevent us from climaxing. And the best part? Clean up is so much easier — no waddling to the toilet as your j… https://t.co/e2G3iNUltw— Gabrielle Blair (@Gabrielle Blair)1536876949.0
Oh. I remember. Men _don’t_ love condoms. In fact, men frequently pressure women to have sex without a condom. An… https://t.co/GAeEp6MYeF— Gabrielle Blair (@Gabrielle Blair)1536876949.0
Why would men want to have sex without a condom? Good question. Apparently it’s because for the minutes they are pe… https://t.co/kxMU50M3ed— Gabrielle Blair (@Gabrielle Blair)1536876949.0
So… there are men willing to risk getting a woman pregnant — which means literally risking her life, her health, he… https://t.co/TaQ7fYQqsG— Gabrielle Blair (@Gabrielle Blair)1536876949.0
So it’s not like sex with a condom is _not_ pleasurable, it’s just not _as_ pleasurable. An 8 instead of a 10. Let… https://t.co/YqixY1UgBy— Gabrielle Blair (@Gabrielle Blair)1536876950.0
Now keep in mind, for the truly condom-averse, men also have a non-condom, always-ready birth control built right i… https://t.co/lYFSdwFmYP— Gabrielle Blair (@Gabrielle Blair)1536876950.0
So surely, we can expect men who aren’t wearing a condom to at least pull out every time they have sex, right? Nope. And why not?— Gabrielle Blair (@Gabrielle Blair)1536876950.0
Well, again, apparently it’s _slightly_ more pleasurable to climax inside a vagina than, say, on their partner’s st… https://t.co/eXRq1DR6wz— Gabrielle Blair (@Gabrielle Blair)1536876951.0
It’s mind-boggling and disturbing when you realize that’s the choice men are making. And honestly, I’m not as mad a… https://t.co/T0amaNx8FZ— Gabrielle Blair (@Gabrielle Blair)1536876951.0
While we’re here, let’s talk a bit more about pleasure and biology. Did you know that a man CAN'T get a woman pregn… https://t.co/ikMSaxstYD— Gabrielle Blair (@Gabrielle Blair)1536877016.0
But did you further know that men CAN get a woman pregnant without HER feeling any pleasure at all? In fact, it’s t… https://t.co/Y9FWAlsbfT— Gabrielle Blair (@Gabrielle Blair)1536877031.0
In contrast, a woman can have non-stop orgasms with or without a partner and never once get herself pregnant. A wom… https://t.co/g0s19fhCwr— Gabrielle Blair (@Gabrielle Blair)1536877044.0
No matter how many orgasms she has, they won’t make her pregnant. Pregnancies can only happen when men have an orga… https://t.co/KZ9ZoV6iT2— Gabrielle Blair (@Gabrielle Blair)1536877057.0
What this means is a women can be the sluttliest slut in the entire world who loves having orgasms all day long and… https://t.co/qcNRXz6L7S— Gabrielle Blair (@Gabrielle Blair)1536877070.0
Women enjoying sex does not equal unwanted pregnancy and abortion. Men enjoying sex and having irresponsible ejacul… https://t.co/EYvr5VAaVz— Gabrielle Blair (@Gabrielle Blair)1536877084.0
Let’s talk more about responsibility. Men often don’t know, and don’t ask, and don’t think to ask, if they’ve cause… https://t.co/8FQ6Tx9h34— Gabrielle Blair (@Gabrielle Blair)1536877098.0
If the woman decides to have an abortion, the man may never know he caused an unwanted pregnancy with his irresponsible ejaculation.— Gabrielle Blair (@Gabrielle Blair)1536877110.0
If the woman decides to have the baby, or put the baby up for adoption, the man may never know he caused an unwante… https://t.co/6sXRtSE7jq— Gabrielle Blair (@Gabrielle Blair)1536877119.0
If the woman does tell him that he caused an unwanted pregnancy and that she’s having the baby, the closest thing t… https://t.co/i7JKUxsqVQ— Gabrielle Blair (@Gabrielle Blair)1536877128.0
61% of men (or women) who are legally required to pay it, simply don’t. With little or no repercussions. Their cred… https://t.co/sG4PMzo1Hy— Gabrielle Blair (@Gabrielle Blair)1536877138.0
When the topic of abortion comes up, men might think: Abortion is horrible; women should not have abortions. And ne… https://t.co/8zo2gRyQ0H— Gabrielle Blair (@Gabrielle Blair)1536877155.0
Stop protesting at clinics. Stop shaming women. Stop trying to overturn abortion laws. If you actually care about r… https://t.co/RNyOh4sHqL— Gabrielle Blair (@Gabrielle Blair)1536877166.0
What would that look like? What if there was a real and immediate consequence for men who cause an unwanted pregnan… https://t.co/4RoHtBMJHG— Gabrielle Blair (@Gabrielle Blair)1536877188.0
… as forcing a woman to go through a 9-month unwanted pregnancy?— Gabrielle Blair (@Gabrielle Blair)1536877196.0
In my experience, men really like their testicles. If irresponsible ejaculations were putting their balls at risk,… https://t.co/wzfK66fVod— Gabrielle Blair (@Gabrielle Blair)1536877386.0
But is it worse than forcing 500,000 women a year to puke daily for months, gain 40 pounds, and then rip their bodi… https://t.co/9kdBC0rg9S— Gabrielle Blair (@Gabrielle Blair)1536877386.0
Put a castration law on the books, implement the law, let the media tell the story, and in 3 months or less, tada!… https://t.co/Pkqtaa4djo— Gabrielle Blair (@Gabrielle Blair)1536877386.0
For those of you who consider abortion to be murder, wouldn’t you be on board with having a handful of men castrate… https://t.co/Gvyoy6hXlz— Gabrielle Blair (@Gabrielle Blair)1536877386.0
And if not, is that because you actually care more about policing women’s bodies, morality, and sexuality, than you… https://t.co/N3ff2dVMcZ— Gabrielle Blair (@Gabrielle Blair)1536877386.0
Hey, you can even have the men who will be castrated bank their sperm before it happens — just in case they want to… https://t.co/KzYMpRrEW4— Gabrielle Blair (@Gabrielle Blair)1536877387.0
Can’t wrap your head around a physical punishment for men? Even though you seem to be more than fine with physical… https://t.co/k0rVimwsyP— Gabrielle Blair (@Gabrielle Blair)1536877387.0
Vasectomies are very safe, totally reversible, and about as invasive as an doctor's exam for a woman getting a birt… https://t.co/o6xaF0Sp63— Gabrielle Blair (@Gabrielle Blair)1536877643.0
(So much better than The Pill, which is taken by millions of women in our country, the side effects of which are we… https://t.co/AC6BySW5mZ— Gabrielle Blair (@Gabrielle Blair)1536877644.0
If/when the male becomes a responsible adult, and perhaps finds a mate, if they want to have a baby, the vasectomy… https://t.co/pWWXPsKy2f— Gabrielle Blair (@Gabrielle Blair)1536877644.0
It's not that wild of an idea. 80% of males in the U.S. are circumcised, most as babies. And that's not reversible.— Gabrielle Blair (@Gabrielle Blair)1536877644.0
Don’t like my ideas? That’s fine. I’m sure there are better ones. Go ahead and suggest your own ideas. My point is… https://t.co/SH1gizEExp— Gabrielle Blair (@Gabrielle Blair)1536877644.0
If you want to stop abortions, you need to prevent the “disease" - meaning, unwanted pregnancies. And the only way… https://t.co/fEtZ8FW87w— Gabrielle Blair (@Gabrielle Blair)1536877644.0
If you’re a man, what would the consequence need to be for you to never again ejaculate irresponsibly? Would it be… https://t.co/yQNsc0OJUW— Gabrielle Blair (@Gabrielle Blair)1536877927.0
Ask yourselves: What would it take for you to value the life of your sexual partner more than your own temporary pleasure or convenience?— Gabrielle Blair (@Gabrielle Blair)1536877927.0
Are you someone who learns better with analogies? Let’s try this one: Think of another great pleasure in life, let’… https://t.co/4XuF4x1qza— Gabrielle Blair (@Gabrielle Blair)1536877927.0
What if you found out that every time you indulge in that favorite food you risked causing great physical and menta… https://t.co/BCo2JaBTeS— Gabrielle Blair (@Gabrielle Blair)1536877928.0
Well, you’d probably be sad, but never indulge in that food again, right? Not worth the risk!— Gabrielle Blair (@Gabrielle Blair)1536877928.0
And then, what if you further found out, there was a simple thing you could do before you ate that favorite food, a… https://t.co/kGQUKWN3wE— Gabrielle Blair (@Gabrielle Blair)1536877928.0
BUT the simple thing you need to do makes the experience of eating the food slightly less pleasurable. To be clear,… https://t.co/RtrRTjteYS— Gabrielle Blair (@Gabrielle Blair)1536877928.0
Would you be willing to do that simple thing, and eliminate the risk of causing pain to someone you know intimately… https://t.co/yiuue65O4p— Gabrielle Blair (@Gabrielle Blair)1536877928.0
Condoms (or even pulling out) is that simple thing. Don’t put women at risk. Don’t choose to maximize your own plea… https://t.co/hyK0zX2H8D— Gabrielle Blair (@Gabrielle Blair)1536877929.0
Men mostly run our government. Men mostly make the laws. And men could eliminate abortions in 3 months or less with… https://t.co/R597yxiLfz— Gabrielle Blair (@Gabrielle Blair)1536877929.0
WHEW! That was a long, but important read.
Discussing the topic of birth control and unwanted pregnancies can be a minefield. There isn't really a way to have the conversation without having to also discuss related topics that people are both passionate about, and incredibly uncomfortable with. Things like misogyny, feminism, rape culture, morals, religious beliefs, privilege, male entitlement, female sexuality, and social obligations all come if you're going to try and talk about this subject.
It's hard enough getting people to talk about any of those subjects without getting all worked up, so trying to talk about something that combines all of them and more is typically pretty messy. Gabrielle obviously understood the arguments she'd be up against, so she hit her readers with a hard and heavy dose of facts, references, and analogies. That doesn't make the topic any less difficult to navigate for some people, though.
As can be expected with this sort of thing, the responses were intense.
Some people absolutely agreed, even if they didn't like it.
@designmom The only thing I would add is that even in wanted pregnancies, sometimes there still needs to be an abor… https://t.co/y2fiItynbW— Janet (@Janet)1536887100.0
@WeAreBokTV @designmom @SunCityDiane I just wanna say thank you, thank you for reading it all the way through, for… https://t.co/Gd7FHsLD9M— 🦁⚔️Anna Hawkins⚔️🦁 (@🦁⚔️Anna Hawkins⚔️🦁)1536974173.0
@kiltannen It's true IUDs seem to work for some woman, but not for all. Let's remember, both condoms and vasectomie… https://t.co/BRvi9dbnfK— Gabrielle Blair (@Gabrielle Blair)1537169434.0
@andys1960 @designmom And to think, not only have I always been responsible about my ejaculation, I've also always… https://t.co/GmI19MJ7fC— Joseph Musniskey (@Joseph Musniskey)1537119902.0
@designmom @soulshine_raine My thought process (as a man) reading this thread: https://t.co/ttG1k28vii— Jake Walker (@Jake Walker)1537147263.0
@designmom I'm pretty moderate in my beliefs and wanted to think you were going a little overboard with this, but..… https://t.co/zpLLqTwJs1— Carrie (@Carrie)1537128048.0
The men's responses were particularly interesting - and divided.
@Justin25671135 @designmom It's the men who are not responsible for their actions who cause the problem, so let's f… https://t.co/EXm9RjkM3h— Alyn Adams (@Alyn Adams)1536940358.0
@James_Mathewson @designmom @kit1811 So a man has to be a father have to a lot of interest in and care for women an… https://t.co/GPdcsSoMeL— Laura Rashley (@Laura Rashley)1537022981.0
@designmom I don't even understand her argument and her theories are based on generalization. There's no study, no… https://t.co/Vkt7RUKuMY— Kene (@Kene)1537174427.0
@designmom I read every single tweet and I haven’t heard anyone say it better. If men had to deal with the issues f… https://t.co/clKFFQ5ETS— Nate (@Nate)1537161693.0
@designmom @krmercier Just say no to penetrative sex if the guy doesn’t wear a condom then? Like I said before, men… https://t.co/fzDUrFidu4— V || 532 hrs (@V || 532 hrs)1536905741.0
@TownsendForNV @designmom From a dude who’s focused on solutions, we might expect better than deflection, no?— Steven Kabachia (@Steven Kabachia)1537127634.0
@vincerCFO @designmom No, @designmom is not wrong. She’s so right and you’re so obviously in denial, I’m surprised… https://t.co/wd6W0yi9cz— Eric Morin (@Eric Morin)1537112370.0
@designmom I find it funny (not) that all the responses that are "not all men" and "youre wrong" and generally disa… https://t.co/dsFIu8EAim— 🎄jingleboots🎄 (@🎄jingleboots🎄)1537121447.0
Gabrielle's posts, her points and her rhetorically-posed solutions still have people talking. At the point of this article, her post has been shared over 70 thousand times and has more than 6,000 replies. We want your thoughts too, so sound off in the comments section.
