Senator Lyn Allison, my current Australian hero, got a lot of attention worldwide this week when she stood up in the Senate and said:

“An estimated 1 in 3 women have had an abortion, and I am one of them”

Now, here’s a little game. Just looking at the two pictures of Senator Allison below, both published in major Australian newspapers, which paper do you think views opinionated female politicians as actual people versus which paper views them as alien harridans? And how do you think that view extends to respecting the opinions and decisions of the rest of us womenfolk in general?

Ready?

Caption: Had abortion …Lyn Allison

Caption: From left: Senators Lyn Allison, Judith Troeth, Fiona Nash and Claire Moore.

The Senate ended up voting in favour of the private members’ bill to remove the Health Minister’s existing veto power over the importation of the abortifacent drug RU-486, in the first bill subject to a conscience vote since 2002. Now the debate moves on to the lower House of Representatives.

Top pic from Brisbane Courier-Mail, lower pic from The Age)

Categories: culture wars, media

Tags: abortion, reproductive justice, RU486