If you’re a woman, you’re probably freaking out a bit about all the negative talk surrounding reproductive rights in the current GOP debates. From the pro-choice bashing to the Senate’s move to defund Planned Parenthood, women are in the crossfire of an all-out battle over their own bodies.
Thankfully some very funny people decided it was time for us to take back control of our personal rights by using the greatest weapon available — knowledge. Lizz Winstead, co-creator of The Daily Show, decided to create an app with her nonprofit Lady Parts Justice, designed to bring women up to speed on the politicians who are trying to usurp control over their reproductive parts. It’s called Hinder, and like its name suggests, it follows the Tinder model of swiping left and right on local men in your area. But these aren’t just any men — these are the politicians who think they should have a say over what we do with our bodies.
More: 10 Ways Planned Parenthood is about more than just abortions
That’s right. Lady Parts Justice has taken all the guesswork out of which politicians are crazy, rights-denying pigs and which aren’t. This way, you don’t make a huge mistake in the voting booth, or worse, accidentally get set up on a blind date with one of them (shudder).
Lady Parts Justice has been around since 2012 and is intent on rooting out injustice when it comes to our rights as women. Its mission statement puts it succinctly: “Lady Parts Justice is the first not safe for work, rapid response reproductive justice messaging hub that uses comedy, culture and digital media to sound an alarm about the terrifying erosion of reproductive access so people will get off their asses and reclaim their rights.”
Humor has proven itself time and time again to be a definitive way to draw attention to important, serious issues. As such, Hinder has garnered a lot of attention lately not only for its ballsy political callouts, but because of Apple’s initial rejection of it as an app.
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According to The Huffington Post, Apple initially recalled the app because it violates Rule 14 of its app review guidelines, which bans “any App that is defamatory, offensive, mean-spirited, or likely to place the targeted individual or group in harm’s way.” However, that same rule makes an exception for “professional political satirists and humorists,” which all the members of Lady Parts Justice could easily call themselves.
In the wake of Apple’s ban, Winstead decided to make the app available for download on her website. While the descriptions are definitely mocking in nature, Winstead stands by all the facts listed under each politician. She told The Huffington Post, “We’re basically stating facts in a satirical way, but you can fact-check the app.” Here’s an example of one of the political “matches” you could see on the app.
Now doesn’t Mr. Huckabee sound like the perfect guy to take home to your parents? Winstead, who has been advocating for reproductive rights since she had an abortion as a teenager in the ’70s, is hoping this app will get the younger generation talking about these important issues. So far the app has been downloaded 1,500 times, and Apple has finally agreed to release it through iTunes, so those numbers should grow significantly.
More: Women shouldn’t have to apologize for their abortions
One out of every three women will have an abortion in her lifetime. Limiting reproductive health care by defunding Planned Parenthood will harm more lives than save unborn babies. The first step to fighting the Senate is learning exactly who’s advocating against us so that we can block their paths to more powerful positions. So swipe left, and get to know them well.
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