Friday Women's Health Hero: Sandra Fluke

By Christine Cupaiuolo — March 2, 2012

Just when we think Rush Limbaugh couldn’t possibly sink lower, he takes on Georgetown University Law student Sandra Fluke for testifying about the importance of insurance coverage for contraceptives. During his radio show this week, Limbaugh used the most offensive language he can get away with on-air: He called Fluke a slut.

The good news is at least two advertisers so far (Sleep Train and Sleep Number) have pulled their commercials off Limbaugh’s show (a petition is underway to get ProFlowers to do the same). Faculty, administrators and students from Georgetown and other law schools released a statement applauding Fluke’s “strength and grace” in the face of the attacks (really: Fluke is unflappable in every TV appearance, consistently taking the high road). President Obama called Fluke to thank her for speaking out on behalf of women — adding that her parents should be proud.

And we had the pleasure of reading Jen Doll’s take on Limbaugh, published at The Atlantic Wire:

If Rush Limbaugh slut-shames you, you’re doing something right, because he is pulling out what he imagines to be his most hurtful, vicious, full-barreled defense strategy against a woman. If you call a woman a “slut,” you see, she will cower in a corner and hide because that is akin to calling her ugly, or worthless. At least that’s what small-thinking men (and sometimes women) assume; women would rather die than be dubbed such a thing! Slut-shaming is a tool of cowards who want to make women feel bad because, truthfully, they’re afraid of what those women might do given a platform like, say, the floor of Congress. And this means Limbaugh is not just a bully, but also an über-troll, exploiting his own drummed-up outrage and the Internet’s eagerness to amplify it. Which only makes Sandra Fluke, and all of the thoughtful people out there fighting for women’s contraceptive rights — who, for the record, aren’t resorting to name-calling or troll tractics — look even better.

One response to “Friday Women’s Health Hero: Sandra Fluke”

  1. Right a few minutes ago I read an article about impairment of women’s rights and here I see the same! What a shame we still have such problems today!

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