This state may approve a law that would let employers discriminate against women who use birth control

It seems like weekly (even daily) we’re seeing headlines that feel ripped straight out of The Handmaid’s Tale. Case in point, this week the Missouri State Senate approved a bill that would make it legal for employers and landlords to discriminate against women who are pregnant, using birth control, or have had an abortion.

It was only in February that the city of St. Louis passed a law that made it illegal for employers and landlords to discriminate against women based on reproductive health decisions.

Like, you know, being on birth control. Which of course, is NONE of your boss’ business, or your landlord’s for that matter.

But by approving a bill to overturn this law, the Missouri State Senate is MAKING women’s reproductive health decisions the business of landlords and employers. Again, we don’t really think The Handmaid’s Tale comparisons are that far off here.

Let’s process this together.

If this bill passes, it will be legal for an employer to fire a woman because she is pregnant. Or refuse to hire her because she’s on birth control. And your would-be landlord could deny you housing because you’ve had an abortion. All of this would be legal.

This craziness is straight up out of Gilead and it is turning our stomachs. It is a woman’s right to have autonomy over her own body. It’s NO ONE’S business but the woman’s. It’s certainly NOT the business of employers and housing authorities who would discriminate against a woman for asserting control over her own body.

In order to become law, the bill will have to pass the House, and then go to the Governor for a signature. We deeply hope it doesn’t. As the signs at the Women’s March read: “Make Margaret Atwood fiction again.” Let’s just keep The Handmaid’s Tale as one of our favorite new shows of 2017, as opposed to becoming, you know, real life.