The statute, which can lead to reproductive coercion in a state that has banned abortion, has recently gained nationwide attention
At six months pregnant, H decided enough was enough. She had endured years of abuse from her husband and had recently discovered he was also physically violent towards her child. She contacted an attorney to help her get a divorce.
But she was stopped short. Her lawyer told her that she could not finalize a divorce in Missouri because she was pregnant. “I just absolutely felt defeated,” she said. H returned to the house she shared with her abuser, sleeping in her child’s room on the floor and continuing to face violence. On the night before she gave birth, she slept in the most secure room in the house: on the tile floor in the basement, with the family’s dogs.
Under a Missouri statute that has recently gained nationwide attention, every petitioner for divorce is required to disclose their pregnancy status. In practice, experts say, those who are pregnant are barred from legally dissolving their marriage. “The application [of the law] is an outright ban,” said Danielle Drake, attorney at Parks & Drake. When Drake learned her then husband was having an affair, her own divorce stalled because she was pregnant. Two other states have similar laws: Texas and Arkansas.
How are you surprised?
Did you think conservatives finally started being honest with what they wanted?
They didn’t stop with forced births, they won’t stop with this, they want to go back to when women were literally property. Under control of their fathers until sold off in marriage for a dowry.
Because that’s what the Bible says.
They just know that it’s easier one step at a time then all at once.
If they get women as property, they’ll push for other races and religions to also be property, because the Bible also says slavery was cool based on race/religion.
They’re far right Abrahamic extremists, same as any other.
I am honestly surprised. I don’t live in the US and I just cannot fathom this being a law anywhere. Never in my wildest dreams.
The idea that you want a custody deal in place before the divorce, therefor pregnant women can’t get divorced is absurd and assumes a family law/divorce court wouldn’t ask that question, so I doubt that’s actually the reason.
This law just seems harmful and incentivizes awful awful things.
Welcome to America
The cruelty is the point
They wouldn’t want that being determined by a judge who might not agree with them. Isn’t too much of a problem anymore, but maybe it was fifty years ago.
Just say Christian. No need to drag Jews, Muslims, Baha’is, etc. into this mess.
They all have far right extremists, and they want the same things. The only difference is what prophets they follow, which I don’t care about.
The far right extremists are the same as far as I’m concerned and I refuse to treat any of them as somehow better or worse.
So? Hindus have far-right extremists. Athiests have far-right extremists. If you have a problem with far-right extremism, just say that. If you have a problem with Christian nationalism, then say that. Naming the enemy matters.