In the heated competition between states over who can pass the shittiest laws... I give you South Dakota, which has created an ugly cocktail of racist, anti-immigrant rhetoric mixed in with anti-choice legislation. Republican legislators are trying to pass an anti-abortion law, arguing it necessary because of the influx of Asian immigrants to the state. Why? Because Asians abort their female children, they say.
GOP Lawmaker: We Need to Ban Sex-Selective Abortions Because of Asian Immigrants
Last week, the South Dakota House voted 60 to 10 to pass HR 1162, a bill that would ban abortions based on the sex of the fetus, or "sex-selective" abortions. Proponents of the bill seem to be leaning hard on the argument that the ban is necessary because of the state's burgeoning populations from parts foreign. Huh?
Because, as state representative Stace Nelson whitemansplained, "the rest of the world does not value the lives of women as much as I value the lives of my daughters." He apparently picked up this wisdom during the many years he spent in Asia as a Marine. Nice try with the faux feminism, Senator.
We call bullshit. The National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum calls the ban nothing more than "a wolf in sheep's clothing," and that sex-selective abortion bans perpetuate negative stereotypes about Asian American women. They've launched an online petition calling on the South Dakota Legislature not to pass HR 1162:
Lend your support, send a message and sign NAPAWF's petition here.
Don't let South Dakota pass a racist anti-Asian abortion ban!
Last week the South Dakota House voted 60 to 10 to pass an abortion ban which they say is necessary because of Asian immigrants in the state.
Stace Nelson, one of the Representatives that voted in favor of the bill, warned of an invasion of abortion-seeking Asians in South Dakota:
"Let me tell you, our population in South Dakota is a lot more diverse than it ever was. There are cultures that look at a sex-selection abortion as being culturally okay. And I will suggest to you that we are embracing individuals from some of those cultures in this country, or in this state.”
This measure, like other similar measures we are seeing across the country, are nothing more than a wolf in sheep's clothing. The people behind these bans have never been friends to women and they are simply trying to underhandedly pass an anti-choice measure on the backs of Asian American women.
Don't let this kind of racist, anti-immigrant rhetoric go unanswered. Tell the South Dakota Legislature NOT to pass HR 1162.