Coste, Françoise

Des alliés inattendus pour les femmes américaines : les hommes républicains pro-choice - 2007.


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Although the Republican Party officially calls for the criminalization of abortion in the US, this article shows that a certain number of its members, the most prominent of whom are men, do support a woman’s right to choose. Admittedly, they constitute a minority in the party, few are elected officials and, with occasional exceptions in states like New York, they rarely manage to pass substantial legislation in protection of abortion rights. But despite such weaknesses, pro-choice Republicans proudly consider themselves authentic conservatives, who are upholding the principle of small government, i.e. getting government out of Americans’ pocketbooks and bedrooms. Their pro-choice commitment often hinders their career advancement within a party heavily dominated by pro-lifers, and personal hostility coming from the ranks of the Christian right can sometimes get dangerously out of hand. Yet, pro-choice Republicans persist in their campaign on behalf of American women, fully aware that their electoral strongholds in the North-East and in California make up the only Republican presence left in the Blue States largely dominated by the Democratic Party in national elections.