For some reason, the groups hosting a telethon fundraiser for abortion on Monday night thought it would be a good idea to auction off a vaginal napkin that Sarah Silverman used. Liberal feminists and abortion supporters across the country cheered the move, seemingly thinking it was funny or effective.
But in reality, it was harmful to women — no matter their political or social views.
In case you missed it, pro-abortion organization Lady Parts Justice teamed up with several other groups to host a live-streamed telethon fundraiser to expand abortion access in Texas. The event was hosted by Silverman and Daily Show co-created Lizz Winstead. Viewers were treated to celebrity appearances from the likes of political commentator Sally Kohn and liberal University of Pennsylvania professor Anthea Butler.
The event raised $50,000, but it also raised plenty of eyebrows when Silverman took to the stage and held up what she said was a used vaginal napkin. She told the live audience and viewers at home that she was auctioning it off for the cause.
Using the hashtags #TexasWomenForever and #vagnapkin, pro-choice activists on Twitter began bidding on the item. It’s unclear if the vaginal napkin did sell and for what price. And while there was plenty of criticism from the Right, the ‘vag napkin’ stunt was to all appearances supported en masse by liberals.
Texas state Sen. Wendy Davis (D-Fort Worth) praised the groups who hosted the telethon, thanking them for “standing for women’s access to healthcare.” Liberal blog Jezebel lauded the fundraising effort, noting that the vaginal napkin incident had caused “chagrin” on the Right.
This incident should have sparked chagrin from all sides, however.
Auctioning off a vaginal napkin is downright disgusting, regardless of whether you’re pro-choice or pro-life. Those involved in — and tuning in to — the fundraiser seemed to think Silverman’s vaginal napkin was a sign of their confidence in their sexuality and a strong assertion of a woman’s right to choose. But it was really a step backwards for feminists everywhere.
Stunts like this are embarrassing. This incident degraded the entire feminist movement. Instead of forcing the world to take women seriously — as Silverman and her ilk seem to think it did — it showed that liberal feminists are incapable of having a rational discussion about the topics that matter to them.
In choosing to use tactics like Silverman’s vaginal napkin, pro-abortion feminists are making it hard for the rest of the world to take their issue — and them as people — seriously.
