Rep. Laurie Pohutsky (D-Livonia) speaks ahead of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signing the last bill in the Reproductive Health Act in Lansing on Dec. 11, 2023. (Photo: Anna Liz Nichols)
Michigan state Rep. Laurie Pohutsky (D-Livonia) said she’s received death threats after revealing during a rally last week that she underwent voluntary sterilization because she was concerned about the future of reproductive health care during President Donald Trump’s second term in office.
Pohutsky’s comments during a “50501 Movement” rally in Lansing last week quickly spread across the internet, including among right wing media circles. The rally was part of a national movement that aimed to hold 50 protests in 50 states on one day.
“I refuse to let my body be treated as currency by an administration that only sees value in my ability to procreate,” Pohutsky said during the rally, emphasizing that “a sitting government official opted for voluntary sterilization because she was uncertain she would be able to access contraception in the future.”
Pohutsky’s social media profiles were quickly bombarded with hostile comments.
In one voicemail left with her office, a caller says that “godless people” are going to be “eliminated” and warns Pohutsky that she is “on notice.”
Some of the threats have been referred to law enforcement to investigate, Pohutsky said.
Pohutsky said that U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Detroit) reached out to her after the speech gained traction online, noting that Tlaib is no stranger to viral moments or receiving threats.
The speech also garnered the attention of conservatives on a national level, including Ben Shapiro, who said of Pohutsky, “So many broken people.”
The fourth-term House member responded to Shapiro, saying “I think the broken people are the ones who are personally aggrieved by my personal health care decision.”
Pohutsky said she and her husband decided last year that they were done having children and began exploring options for more permanent forms of birth control, citing her concern after Trump won the election about being able to continue to access the contraception she had been using.
After exploring surgical options with her doctor in November, the surgery was booked for January.
Pohutsky said she nearly delayed the procedure because the House scheduled votes for that day, but decided to keep the Jan. 23 appointment when Trump “pretty much immediately started signing executive orders that didn’t have the force of law, but that institutions were complying with as though they did.”
“I had released a statement the day after the surgery explaining why I missed the vote and did not describe the surgery, because, frankly, it’s my own business,” Pothusky said.
But in the weeks between the surgery and the rally last week, Pohutsky said she spoke with several people who were exploring similar options or had already undergone the procedure and faced similar conversations about whether their concerns about being able to access the procedure in the future were valid.
“I think that, in particular, women second guess themselves a lot,” Pohutsky said. “And I thought there was value in hearing from an elected official who is sort of in a position of authority … and hearing some validation from them.”
That led to her decision to share her story on the steps of the Michigan Capitol, garnering applause from the hundreds of protesters in attendance.
While Pohutsky said she did not expect the level of animosity in response to the speech, she said even the negative reactions have only reaffirmed her decision.
“The negative reaction has actually made me feel much more secure and validated in my choice to undergo the procedure and the timing with which I did it,” Pohutsky said.
Not all of the reactions have been negative, Pohutsky said, adding that she has heard from people who already underwent the procedure, had just scheduled it or were still exploring it.
“There’s a lot of noise, there’s a lot of negativity, but the message that I was trying to get across did resonate with some people and has made it worth it,” Pohutsky said.
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