The Rise of ‘Weird’ and the New Framing of Anti-Abortion Policies

Health & Gender | By: Allie Amato | August 14, 2024

Featured Photo by Indy Silva for U.S. Resist News, 2024

__________________________________

If the vast majority of American adults agree obtaining an abortion should be a personal choice, then why do we keep seeing access restricted? The dissonance between the American people and their government on reproductive health and abortion access is objectively odd. This is seemingly a partisan issue, but KFF polling actually finds at least 45% of Republican women support a law guaranteeing a right to abortion. Democratic women feel even stronger about abortion rights. Yet, there are men in power pushing restrictive legislation, and making decisions for women about their bodies. Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, have boiled this down to the now-trending word, “weird.”

Following the announcement of JD Vance being former President Donald Trump’s V.P. pick, Harris’ campaign posted a statement on X, calling Vance, “weird and creepy” for his stance on reproductive healthcare. Walz has been describing Trump and Vance as weird to the press and has since doubled down on that take. Searches on Google for “weird” have skyrocketed in recent weeks, prompting frantic rebuttals from not only Trump and Vance but also other prominent Republicans. Not to much avail, because Vance’s approval ratings are now plunging.

ANALYSIS:

In 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court made the regressive decision to overturn a ruling made decades ago, Roe v. Wade, a case that legalized abortion. Weird is an effectual way to describe the fact that the highest court in the United States is made up of people appointed by politicians instead of peers voted into office by the public. Especially since conservative justices are why we continue to see abortion rights stripped away. Overall, most people are in favor of a woman’s right to choose, with more than 60% of both men and women supporting legal abortion. Comparatively though, research from Gallup shows a slim majority of men consider themselves pro-life, while 45% are pro-choice and 6% have no opinion at all. These numbers exemplify how too many men staunchly and unjustly believe they know what’s right for bodies that aren’t theirs; bodies that are made and operate so differently from their own. Because of these arguably weird opinions men hold, women must once again fight for their right to autonomy, a battle already won in the 70s.

In a turn of events, the characterization of Trump and Vance’s politics as “weird” has encouraged voters to think more critically about the innate creepiness of anti-abortion policies. The former president is infamous for the nicknames he gives opponents and rivals, typically having the upper hand in lasting campaign messaging. Think “Crooked Hillary” or “Sleepy Joe.” While V.P. Harris and President Joe Biden share similar stances, her campaign’s simple labeling of “weird” cuts through in a way that’s clearly resonating with the American people. Maybe because weird is a term the public is intimately familiar with and knows exactly what it looks like. Oddly enough, Right-wing author and host, Matt Walsh, explained the success of the “weird” phenomenon well saying it is due to the fact that the word is “visceral” and in turn “moves people.” However, the question remains whether this messaging is enough to help Democrats garner more support with election day just three months away.

Both Trump and Vance have made their own accusations of Harris and Walz being the “weird” ones. If we’re measuring weirdness by each candidate’s opinion on the governmental oversight of women’s bodies, Harris and Walz are closer to “normal” on that spectrum. Harris has long supported abortion rights, even back during her time in the Senate. This year she also became the first President or V.P. to visit an abortion clinic. Walz last year, signed legislation that codified abortion rights into Minnesota state law. Then there’s Trump and Vance, we’re talking about two men with a proven history of weirdness and creepiness. Trump’s stance on abortion has varied throughout the decades. During his current campaign run, he’s expressed that abortion policies should be left up to each state’s discretion, and as recently as June urged an anti-abortion group to stand up for “innocent life.” The former president is also responsible for appointing some of the most conservative lawmakers to the U.S. Supreme Court ahead of the overturn of Roe v. Wade. As for running mate Vance, he’s previously identified as “100% pro-life” and last fall opposed an amendment to Ohio’s Constitution codifying the right to abortion and contraception. The rise of weird may be fascinating and somewhat puzzling, but the cold hard truth is Iowa just became the 22nd state to impose far-reaching restrictions on abortion access. It’s unclear if just messaging can turn the tide of bodily autonomy, at least though people are seeing abortion access and reproductive healthcare through a new lens.

ENGAGEMENT RESOURCES:

• The National Network of Abortion Funds is a collection of grassroots organizations that work to support people facing financial and logistical barriers to abortion access. They’re “determined to build a world where all reproductive options are valued, accessible, and stigma-free.”
• Reproductive Freedom for All is an organization that mobilizes members fighting for abortion and contraceptive access, paid parental leave, and protection from pregnancy discrimination. They also emphasize the intersectionality of these issues and how they connect to democracy reform, as well as LGBTQIA and civil rights.
• National Abortion Federation is a professional association of abortion providers. They help connect people to healthcare resources as well as provide unbiased information about abortions through the toll-free National Abortion Hotline. Those looking for care or guidance can call this number: 1-800-772-9100.

Stay in-the-know! Always get the latest updates from our reporters by subscribing to the U.S. Resist Democracy Weekly Newsletter, and please consider contributing to ‘Keeping Democracy Alive’ by donating today! We depend on support from readers like you to aide in protecting fearless independent journalism.