The statute, which can lead to reproductive coercion in a state that has banned abortion, has recently gained nationwide attention

At six months pregnant, H decided enough was enough. She had endured years of abuse from her husband and had recently discovered he was also physically violent towards her child. She contacted an attorney to help her get a divorce.

But she was stopped short. Her lawyer told her that she could not finalize a divorce in Missouri because she was pregnant. “I just absolutely felt defeated,” she said. H returned to the house she shared with her abuser, sleeping in her child’s room on the floor and continuing to face violence. On the night before she gave birth, she slept in the most secure room in the house: on the tile floor in the basement, with the family’s dogs.

Under a Missouri statute that has recently gained nationwide attention, every petitioner for divorce is required to disclose their pregnancy status. In practice, experts say, those who are pregnant are barred from legally dissolving their marriage. “The application [of the law] is an outright ban,” said Danielle Drake, attorney at Parks & Drake. When Drake learned her then husband was having an affair, her own divorce stalled because she was pregnant. Two other states have similar laws: Texas and Arkansas.

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[+] 228 points 2 years ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (31 children)
  • [–] 169 points 2 years ago (24 children)

    Two other states have similar laws: Texas and Arkansas.

    Why am I not surprised? The sad part is, Texans are delusional enough to think they're better than Florida, lol.

    I genuinely believe texans are the most delusional people in the entire US.

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  • [–] 79 points 2 years ago (3 children)

    Recently met a Texas resident who swore it was the best place "to raise children"

    If the news are to be believed, I think it was probably a veiled anti LGBTQ victory lap

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  • [–] 32 points 2 years ago (2 children)

    I think we should stop pitting states against each other in a race to the bottom and see this for what it is: working class people having their rights taken away by the wealthy elite. The more we are divided the easier it is to do this type of thing. The politicians are doing this, not the people. And they have set up and continued to prop up a system that under educated voters, while also underpaying them and blaming it on anyone else they can do everyone is mad at everyone. We need to stop blaming each other and band together and force them to fix it.

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  • [–] 18 points 2 years ago

    Thank you. Being a Texas resident, I'm not especially happy when I hear stuff like "all Texans are delusional", a lot of us simply don't have a choice in the matter of where we live. Some of us are trying to make this a better place to be, but it takes time and we're constantly blocked by rich assholes clinging to power like their lives depend on it (and they probably do at this point). Class consciousness is lifting up the less fortunate, don't put us down for laws and policies we had no say in creating.

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    [–] 180 points 2 years ago (12 children)

    This Christofascist shit is getting out of control. On what planet is a woman staying with her abuser a good thing? What do you think is going to happen to her child if she stays?

    If a pregnant woman is wanting a divorce, you can be certain of two things: 1) there's a reason for it, and 2) that reason is none of your fucking business. The party of small government, ladies and gentlemen.

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  • [–] 28 points 2 years ago

    “Small government” has been redefined by conservatives. When a democrat says small government, they mean they don’t want regulation in every part of their personal life.

    When a conservative says they want small government, they mean they want a government big enough to oppress minorities, but too small to ensure those minorities have their rights respected.

    That mentality is also largely why conservatives get so up in arms about the norm being shifted, and new things getting normalized. Because the conservative mindset is entirely focused on conforming to the norm, and excluding those outside of the norm. So if the norm changes, they believe they need to change to fit the new norm or they’ll suddenly find themselves excluded.

    It’s why they get so upset about minor shit like blue hair or piercings; As they begin to see it normalized, they begin to think “will I be forced to get piercings or dye my hair just to conform?” They explicitly support changes to the norm that already confirm their worldview and habits, because that further entrenches them as the protected norm. But they rabidly oppose the normalization of anything that doesn’t fit.

    So if you’re a white married hetero couple with two kids, that’s what you’ll support. No divorces allowed, because we’re married and can’t normalize divorce. No blue hair allowed, because we’re Wonder Bread white and have never dyed our hair, and therefore can’t allow anything but natural hair colors. No abortions allowed, because childfree couples are a threat to our norm. No gay marriage, because we’re hetero and can’t shift the norm away from that. No drug decriminalizing, because the occasional bottle of wine has always been enough for us and we can’t normalize anything else. Et cetera, et cetera…

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    [–] 120 points 2 years ago (3 children)

    Holy fuck, that's been a law since the 70s! 50 years of supposed progress and that's still on the books. How far we've come.

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    [–] 64 points 2 years ago (8 children)
  • [–] 36 points 2 years ago (7 children)

    How are you surprised?

    Did you think conservatives finally started being honest with what they wanted?

    They didn't stop with forced births, they won't stop with this, they want to go back to when women were literally property. Under control of their fathers until sold off in marriage for a dowry.

    Because that's what the Bible says.

    They just know that it's easier one step at a time then all at once.

    If they get women as property, they'll push for other races and religions to also be property, because the Bible also says slavery was cool based on race/religion.

    They're far right Abrahamic extremists, same as any other.

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  • [–] 21 points 2 years ago (3 children)

    I am honestly surprised. I don’t live in the US and I just cannot fathom this being a law anywhere. Never in my wildest dreams.

    The idea that you want a custody deal in place before the divorce, therefor pregnant women can’t get divorced is absurd and assumes a family law/divorce court wouldn’t ask that question, so I doubt that’s actually the reason.

    This law just seems harmful and incentivizes awful awful things.

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  • [–] 61 points 2 years ago* (5 children)

    What’s next? Gonna take away her ability to have her own credit card and bank account unless a man signs for her like we did in the ‘70s?

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    [–] 57 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    It's a law that perfectly demonstrates why religion needs to be completely separated from state affairs.

    They simply do not want children born out of wedlock.

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  • [–] 53 points 2 years ago (2 children)

    America has some serious vindictive fucks running the country

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    [–] 52 points 2 years ago (10 children)

    Why the hell is America such a backwater shithole? Like the education system in my country is deeply flawed, but at least we don't have religious zealots.

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    [–] 47 points 2 years ago (3 children)

    Wow the USA is surely running backwards full speed

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  • [–] 23 points 2 years ago (2 children)

    This is a very old law. It's recently garnered attention, and while I don't disagree with you, I don't think the law by itself is a symptom of backsliding because it's been around for a long time.

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  • [–] 45 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    Number one cause of death of pregnant people in the US is murder. I wonder what the rates are like in these states versus others.

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    [+] 42 points 2 years ago (2 children)
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    [–] 42 points 2 years ago (2 children)

    One of the most depressing statistics that we all should be aware of: the murder rate for women goes up when they become pregnant.

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  • [–] 42 points 2 years ago* (3 children)

    Don't get married and don't have kids, got it.

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    [–] 39 points 2 years ago

    It's not rape if you're married.

    Gotta stay married if you're pregnant.

    Some states have codified: pregnant, bare foot and chained to the stoves

    'Merica!

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  • [–] 38 points 2 years ago (11 children)

    What the actual fuck is wrong with these people? They aren't even trying to hide the endgame here.

    I guess it's time for blue states to start negating residency requirements for divorce. Just another step towards balkanization.

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    [–] 35 points 2 years ago (9 children)

    Where did this shift of this country becoming full evil? It felt like people were learning to be more empathic then a huge sudden turn the other way.

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    [–] 26 points 2 years ago* (7 children)

    To think divorce during pregnancy is allowed here, but not in the US. Maybe people in the US shouldn't fear Shariah law if they are adopting even more regressive laws.

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    [–] 26 points 2 years ago

    What is wrong with these people?

    We need to start an organization that helps to rehome any woman in one of these states to a state with sane laws.

    I feel truly sorry for the women who have been brainwashed since birth to agree with these laws that subjugate them, and continue to vote for the people passing them.

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  • [–] 26 points 2 years ago (7 children)
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    [–] 25 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    Alright, so it's quite obvious to me now that the US government is full of people with a breeding kink and it's enough to make bills pass, what happened to sexual deviance diversity!

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    [–] 25 points 2 years ago (3 children)

    That is perfectly consistent within Missouri. In their eyes, allowing same-sex marriages is "bad" while doing things like this is "good".

    Ironically, despite what the Bible says - e.g. in Peter 3:7 commanding husbands to likewise treat their wives with respect, and the punishment of literal death commanded for adultery.

    So they are doing the opposite of what the Bible commands themselves, while still using that book as justification for working to overturn things like Roe v. Wade for everyone else. Jesus Himself must be livid at how these hypocrites are abusing His name, and polluting the message of "show love/kindness to one another my dudes, especially those who you disagree with". People are literally dying.

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    [–] 24 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    Yeah okay, this is fucked up.

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    [–] 23 points 2 years ago

    If this had been a law for me, I and my children might very well be dead now.

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  • [–] 19 points 2 years ago

    Misery indeed

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  • [–] 18 points 2 years ago (13 children)

    Everyone needs to realize white supremacists have disguised themselves as Christians to push white supremacy ideology. These are not Christians

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    [–] 16 points 2 years ago

    Conservatives believe women are property. Property does not get to make decisions. Only property owners may make decisions.

    There is no "good conservative" alive today.

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