On Wednesday, the state's latest effort to ban abortion went into effect, giving citizens the right to sue clinics and individuals involved in abortions. Anti-abortion group Texas Right to Life set up a website for whistleblowers to denounce anyone performing or receiving an abortion.
One of the main arguments among the bill’s detractors is that the six-week timeframe doesn’t take into account irregularities in women’s periods, the length of time in which one would normally begin to suspect a pregnancy, plus the time needed to confirm it, neither allowing sufficient time for women to deliberate their decisions and plan adequately to terminate a pregnancy.
Immediately the hashtag #TexasTaliban began trending on Twitter, condemning the new rule as fundamentalist and "McCarthyist." Users also drew comparisons between the new laws and the fictional land of Gilead from the Margaret Atwood book and Hulu series The Handmaid’s Tale. The dystopian story takes place in a future when a religious elite takes control of women, forcing those who are still fertile to conceive and carry babies for couples in power.
See the Twitter responses below.
Twitter user Bryan Dawson posted a photo from the series with the caption "We Made America Gilead Again. #MAGA."
We Made America Gilead Again #MAGA#RoeVWade #TexasTaliban #Gilead pic.twitter.com/vqPea0D8fa
— Bryan Dawson (@BryanDawsonUSA) September 2, 2021
Others pointed out the conflict between anti-vaccine and anti-mask laws that deemed COVID safety measures as "invasive" with the new law.
Many users called for action, sharing a TikTok video from Victoria Hammett that outlines the ways to crash the prolifewhistlerblower.com site through fake entries.#TexasTaliban #TexasHatesWomen #mybodymychoice unless you are an #unvaxxed slob, then you are putting everyone at risk! #IsaidWhatisaid pic.twitter.com/g9f7HOkMlK
— Miss_Boho (@boho_miss) September 2, 2021
Frank Lewis had a more scientific theory as to why men wanted to restrict abortion, which he added to a tweet by MeidasTouch calling the "Lone Star" a rating for the state on Yelp.That’s a nice website ya got there.
— Tiffany Drastic (@PDXEleven) September 2, 2021
Be a shame if something
Happened to it. #TexasTaliban https://t.co/y4l1O2rZqR
Some compared the whistleblowing tactics to those some other well-known groups ...It's interesting that the authors of the new #abortion restriction law in #Texas are a bunch of men that nobody wants to fuck anyway.#AbortionBan #abortionrights #TexasDeservesBetter #TexasTaliban #TexasAbortionLaw pic.twitter.com/veKKSzIpPf
— Frank Lewis (@TheFrankLewis) September 2, 2021
A photo on Twitter posted by @dreamwithfaith showed a covered-up cowboy, which, to be honest, looks a lot like masked country singer Orville Peck.Gawd, I'm so angry. Do you know who else paid a bounty for spying on your neighbors? Nazis.#TexasTaliban and SCOTUS have legalized rape, spousal rape, incest, sexual trafficking, pedophilia & fascism in one fell swoop today.
— Nana Don't Play. NO FOLLOW LISTS (@Nemosnana) September 1, 2021
Welcome to #TexasTaliban pic.twitter.com/w1xpERcx5f
— dreamwithfaithâ„¢ (@dreamwithfaith) September 2, 2021
Jessii took to theology lessons to remind people of the Bible's actual words about abortions.
Of course, Twitter was flooded with new versions of the Texas flag. Some replaced the Texas star with a wire hanger, a symbol of the pro-choice movement that serves as a reminder of dangerous measures used for clandestine abortions.Just a reminder to every Christian against abortion: The only time abortion is mentioned in the bible is when it TELLS YOU HOW AND WHEN YOU SHOULD ABORT.
— Jessii Bee (@HippopiJ) September 1, 2021
Read your own book and realise you aren't being a good Christian, you're being a misogynist. #TexasTaliban pic.twitter.com/z9fSiaOHze
The Lone Coat Hanger State. The new Texas Flag. #Texastan #TexasTaliban pic.twitter.com/ppvz60Vl0r
— Dr. E. Michael Harrington (no Lysol or cow meds😂) (@emh2625) September 2, 2021
Not everyone was unhappy with the news, though. James Latief thinks the Taliban is just great, and tweeted: "Finally Texas is doing the right thing. #TexasTaliban."
