Thread by @keithbrownph

Bodily autonomy: A thread.
-Alteration of consciousness, as with use of psychoactive substances, is as old as we are as humans. Thus, this should be a human right and the relatively few harms associated with it should be treated outside of a prohibition/criminalization paradigm.

-Sex work is work and is called the “oldest profession” for a reason. People have been engaging in sex work since there have been people. Prohibition is the cause of harm, and must end. Sex worker rights are human rights, full stop. Trafficking is not the same thing.

-Trans, gender non-binary, gender non-conforming people and other ppl should have full autonomy over what they do with their bodies, how they want to be communicated with, and how they present without discrimination, stigma, and fear of violence. Trans rights are human rights.

-Who people engage in consensual sex with and how, as well as how they define relationships are their full choice. Social constructs, homophobia, misogyny, etc plus shame drive risky behaviors and cause harm.

-Black and Brown bodies, and the bodies of non-men are policed in particularly harmful ways and we must dismantle the systems that do this before anyone can truly get free.

-People experiencing homelessness are explicitly treated as “problematic bodies” that must be removed for the comfort of others. The criminalization and policing of homelessness is an abuse of human rights. People have a right to simply exist above all else.

-Slight break for a politics check in. Both sides of our two party system have been problematic on the issues I’m laying out.

-The right to reproduce, or not is a human rights and justice issue. It intersects race, class, and gender oppressions. Ideally every woman would have all the tools and resources necessary to have full autonomy over their bodies. Right now “choice” only exists for some.

-I don’t have a full analysis on this yet, but humans should have a right to escape and alleviate pain in whatever ways work for them. For some this includes use of opioids. Bad policy shouldn’t deprive ppl of any option.

-Policing and mass incarceration use bodies (mostly black and brown) as a commodity that drives profit. Until we all recognize this, as well as the role that capitalism, colonization, and white supremacy intersect w/criminalization we will be incapable of dismantling this system.

-Sometimes simplistic but useful tools for analysis. Ask, “who benefits and/or profits from this?” “Who is being controlled by this?” “How does this uphold our existing systems?” “Is this really necessary for public health/safety?” “Is this purely moralistic? Whose morals?”

-Notice I’ve left out anything non-consensual and exploitive. Inevitably some troll brings up pedophilia or other ridiculous analogies in these conversations. Consent and lack of harm done to others is key to all of this. Example: Drug-related crime and drug use are different!

End thread, thanks for reading, and feel free to add what I missed! Keep it classy and check your morality!