Limbaugh made no mention of any male sexual partners who would presumably “benefit” from the same government subsidy. In this worldview, only a “coed” – that is, a female – can be promiscuous. The rest of us males are just taking what’s rightfully ours.
Indeed, the following day, Limbaugh even suggested that Fluke should distribute sex tapes of herself. In exchange for paying for her contraceptives, “we” ought to be able to view the videos.
And make no mistake about it: “We” are men to Limbaugh. Women like Sandra Fluke exist for our pleasure, not for their own. But contraception jeopardizes that arrangement, by letting women decide what they want.
That’s why so many men fought for over a century against birth control, which remained illegal or highly restricted in many states until the 1960s. “Fear of conception has been an important factor in the virtue of many unmarried girls,” argued one physician in 1917. Take away that worry, he added, and single women could do anything they wanted.
It’s also why the American Birth Control League changed its name to “Planned Parenthood” in 1942. Conjuring marriage and family, the new title reassured critics who feared contraception gave too much sexual freedom to the unwed.
