The GOP’s uterus inspection device

Virginia isn’t the only state in which Republicans are trying to pass vicious slut-shaming mandatory ultrasound laws, of course; the GOP is also pushing this misogynistic legislation in Louisiana, North Carolina, Texas, and now Pennsylvania.

A bill that would require women to have an ultrasound at least 24 hours before an abortion, passed through the Pennsylvania House Health Committee earlier this month.

House Bill 1077, sponsored by State Rep. Kathy Rapp, R-District 65, would also require doctors performing the ultrasounds to position the screen so that the patient can easily see the full image.

It would also provide women with ultrasound images in sealed envelopes, one to keep and one to provide to the doctor performing the abortion.

Maria Gallagher, the legislative director of the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation, called the bill a “victory for patients’ rights.” …

“It’s essentially an attempt to shame women into not having an abortion,” said Andy Hoover, legislative director for the ACLU of Pennsylvania.

Hoover said the bill falsely suggests that women aren’t capable of making informed decisions of their own.

“This legislation brings the government into a place where it does not belong,” Hoover said. “Into an exam room, into a doctor’s office where a doctor is consulting with a patient. And it’s cruel to women, quite frankly.”