Men Want to Turn the United States into The Handmaid’s Tale

Men Want to Turn the United States into The Handmaid’s Tale

The growing wave of anti-abortion laws and policies in the United States has reached a disturbing point, where the very dystopia of The Handmaid’s Tale feels less like fiction and more like a creeping reality. Many conservative politicians, emboldened by the overturning of Roe v. Wade, have not been satisfied with simply banning abortions within their states. Instead, they are pursuing far-reaching efforts to control women’s bodies in ways that mirror the authoritarianism and reproductive surveillance seen in Margaret Atwood’s novel. In this new America, it’s not just about stopping abortions—it’s about controlling every aspect of women’s reproductive health, even down to their menstrual cycles.

At the heart of these efforts lies a toxic combination of state control, invasive surveillance, and the criminalization of abortion. One of the most politically volatile aspects of the abortion rights debate today stems from the patchwork nature of abortion laws in the post-Roe United States. By leaving abortion policy up to individual states, we now have a situation where, in some states, access to abortion is relatively protected, while in others, women are subjected to draconian restrictions, surveillance, and outright criminalization. And as Trump spokesman Jason Miller recently confirmed, the former president has no intention of standing in the way of states that choose to go down this terrifying path of menstrual surveillance and reproductive control.

Trump Camp Says State Menstrual Surveillance Programs are A-OK – TPM – Talking Points Memo (archive.ph)

Menstrual Surveillance: A Modern Tool of Control

In this new era of extreme anti-abortion policy, surveillance has become a primary tool of control. Conservative lawmakers are pushing for laws that go beyond banning abortion—they want to surveil, track, and control the personal lives of women. JD Vance, for example, has become a key advocate for these so-called “menstrual surveillance programs.” These programs allow law enforcement and state agencies to track women’s menstrual cycles, search medical records, and investigate pregnancies that may have ended for any number of reasons, including miscarriages.

If this sounds extreme, that’s because it is. Consider this: if a woman’s menstruation is late or irregular, or if she travels to another state during a pregnancy that doesn’t result in a birth, law enforcement could pull her medical records and launch an investigation. Conservatives want to use the law to gain control of the entire reproductive process.

These programs are a direct threat to women’s autonomy. As the Biden administration attempted to strengthen HIPAA regulations to prevent law enforcement from accessing women’s medical records for these invasive investigations, Vance and other like-minded conservatives pushed back, calling these protections an interference with “state laws protecting life.” Their ultimate goal is to create a reality where even discussing reproductive choices with a doctor could become a criminal offense.

Travel Bans and State Control

The next frontier in this dystopian nightmare involves controlling where women can travel. Several states are considering legislation that would restrict women from traveling to another state to obtain an abortion. If this sounds eerily reminiscent of the authoritarianism in The Handmaid’s Tale, that’s because it is. Imagine living in a country where women have to fear surveillance and legal consequences simply for traveling across state lines in search of medical care.

In this world, doctors, family members, and friends could all be held legally accountable for helping women access care that is perfectly legal in other parts of the country. So much for the conservative vision of “small government”. They want a national dictatorship where they can control women’s bodies on a fundamental level, restricting their movement, their access to medication, and even their ability to seek support from medical professionals.

The Role of Donald Trump and the GOP

For his part, Donald Trump has taken the predictable route of political expediency. His “leave it up to the states” approach is a way to distance himself from the most extreme policies while quietly allowing them to continue. When asked if Trump would support these surveillance programs, his spokesman Jason Miller made it clear that Trump wouldn’t stand in the way of states that choose to enforce these laws. In short, Trump and his supporters are more than willing to let states implement dystopian, authoritarian policies that will effectively turn parts of the country into The Handmaid’s Tale.

But it’s not just Trump and the GOP—this control over women’s bodies is a reflection of a broader societal issue that centers on male dominance. Men overwhelmingly back conservative policies aimed at stripping women of their rights, and men are overwhelmingly the ones seeking to control women through the legal system. It’s not a few bad actors or a handful of extreme politicians—this is about the pervasive desire of men across the United States to exert control over women’s autonomy. The problem extends beyond Trump and his staff—it’s a deeply entrenched cultural mindset that views women as subjects to be controlled, rather than individuals with the right to govern their own bodies. It is not just a Republican issue; it is a male issue, and it is men who consistently push for policies that restrict women’s freedoms and ensure they remain second-class citizens in their own country.

Women as Property: The Rise of State-Enforced Reproductive Control

At the core of the male-led conservative movement is a desire to control women’s bodies in a way that goes far beyond abortion. These drastic measures are about reinforcing patriarchal power structures that treat women as property of the state. Whether it’s under the guise of Christian nationalism or so-called “pro-life” ideology, the goal is the same: to strip women of their autonomy and reduce them to vessels of reproduction, with no say over their own bodies.

The terrifying thing is that this isn’t some far-off dystopian future—it’s happening now. These efforts to criminalize reproductive health care and control women’s movements are already underway in multiple states. And while the rhetoric around these policies often focuses on “compassionate laws protecting unborn children,” the reality is that they are designed to control and punish women.

A Threat to All Women

What’s particularly insidious about these efforts is that they target all women, regardless of whether they are pregnant or even trying to have children. By surveilling menstrual cycles and criminalizing pregnancy outcomes, these laws put every woman under the microscope. A missed period or a miscarriage could be grounds for an investigation. A conversation with your doctor about reproductive options could become a criminal offense. Women will no longer be able to trust their own medical providers, let alone make decisions about their bodies without the fear of surveillance and punishment.

The Fight Ahead

As we approach future elections and continue to grapple with the fallout from the Roe decision, these issues must be at the forefront of the national conversation. This isn’t just about abortion rights—it’s about the fundamental right of women to control their own bodies and their own lives. The Republican Party’s vision for America, the men’s vision for America, as epitomized by Trump’s stance on these issues, is one where women have fewer rights than ever before, where their bodies are policed, surveilled, and controlled by the state.

If we don’t stand up now, we risk seeing the United States slide further into a dystopian future where the horrors of The Handmaid’s Tale are no longer fiction. Women’s autonomy is under direct assault, and the fight for reproductive rights has never been more urgent. Menstrual surveillance, travel bans, and the criminalization of reproductive health care are not just policies—they are a terrifying vision of a future where women are no longer free.

Do not allow this future to come to pass. Fight back and stand for your bodily autonomy. Don’t just be pro-choice, be pro-abortion. ♀