April 5, 2011
CONTACT: ACLU of Florida Media Office, (786) 363-2737 or media@aclufl.org
MIAMI – The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida (ACLUFL) today launched a new website (www.IncorporateMyUterus.com) which will issue a “Declaration of Incorporation” for the uterus of any woman who requests one.
Based on the idea offered in a speech on the floor of the Florida House of Representatives by Rep. Scott Randolph (D-Orlando), in response to a coordinated attack on privacy and women’s health, making a uterus into a corporation may be the only way to protect Florida women from lawmakers determined to regulate their reproductive organs.
"The Florida Legislature – and extreme social conservatives across the country – are taking rules and regulation off of businesses and adding them to uteruses,” said Howard Simon, Executive Director of ACLUFL. “People who really understand and respect personal freedom have to do something. Maybe telling lawmakers that your body is really a business is the best way to get them to leave it alone.”
The site will produce a printable document designating the incorporated status of the uterus and allow the document to be shared by social media like Facebook and Twitter as well as sent to lawmakers including the Rep. Dean Cannon, the Speaker of the Florida House who scolded Rep. Randolph for using the word “uterus” in debate on the House floor. Soon, the site will also allow men to incorporate an “honorary” uterus to make a similar point about deregulating personal freedom and privacy.
"This is a sad commentary on the state of politics that women may have to pretend to be a corporation and take advantage of the mad dash to deregulate all businesses to escape the Legislature’s regulation of their reproductive organs,” said Simon. “Sometimes all you can do is laugh at the absurd hypocrisy of policy makers.”
The Declarations offered on the site are political and have no legal standing.
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Rep. Randolph received the ACLUFL’s weekly “Defender of Freedom” award last week. http://aclufl.org/news_events/?action=viewRelease&emailAlertID=3907
The site, and Rep. Randolph, were featured in Monday’s national broadcast of “The Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC.” http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/vp/42425050#42425050
About the ACLU of Florida
The ACLU of Florida is freedom's watchdog, working daily in the courts, legislatures and communities to defend individual rights and personal freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. For additional information, visit our web site at: www.aclufl.org.