September Book Group: Bodies Under Siege

Join UCRJ for our September Book Group: Bodies Under Siege: How the Far-Right Attack on Reproductive Rights Went Global by Sian Norris

Our discussion will be led by Dr. Jeannie Ludlow (she/her), Professor of English; Director of Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at Eastern Illinois University

Think today's anti-abortion ideas are rooted in religious prohibitions or arguments about where life begins? Wrong: today's anti-abortion  movements is largely financed and planned by far-right extremists. Many of them are avowedly fascist and white supremacist, afraid of a "great replacement" of the world's white population by other races, who are working hard to reshape governments and policies across Europe, North  America and around the world. Much of this far-right organizing and funding network, however, has been overlooked by today's feminist and  left movements.   

As investigative journalist Sian Norris uncovers here, it is through attacking abortion rights that fascist ideas from the dark web, incel chat boards, and fringe organizations comes to enter mainstream debate -- and to then shape governmental policy across Europe, from authoritarian regimes like Hungary's to liberal democracies like Britain. As Norris goes undercover at anti-abortion activist  meetings, and pieces together the money trail linking American think tanks to far-right fascist groups, she maps out the pipeline by which  fascism has become respectable across the Global North by taking away women's reproductive rights and autonomy.

Purchase your book at The Literary for a 10% discount.