Following Donald Trump’s devastating win in the 2024 US Presidential Election, a new and disturbing trend has erupted across TikTok and other social media outlets, with men finally saying the quiet part out loud in the comment sections of women’s videos.
Content warning: this article contains mentions of rape and sexual harassment.
“Your body, our choice” has quickly become a concerning war cry of sorts among male TikTok users, one that is being used to overtly threaten and demean women on the app. The statement and similar iterations reflect a shockingly misogynistic and perverse X (Twitter) post made by Nick Fuentes, a major proponent of Trump’s re-election. Also the subject of a now-viral rage-bait video in which his vitriol only grows more bitter, this guy seems to be enjoying the internet’s reaction to his cruelty, which is largely (and thankfully) negative.
Even so, women continue to receive and bravely share comments like his, shedding light on this horrifying phenomenon and proving attacks on abortion access have “always been about control,” as one user notes. This vulnerability comes in direct response to Kamala Harris’ loss in the election, dashing the hopes of many who aimed to restore and maintain federal reproductive freedoms in states like Florida, which failed to enshrine abortion rights on a state level, despite a majority vote.
Aside from the statement’s mockery of the historic pro-choice chant, “My body, my choice,” it also carries obvious implications of rape in its claim over women’s bodies. While some men have been more subtle about this (as though sexual harassment could ever be subtle), others have had no problem saying it with their chest, particularly in response to the decision of many American women to bring the 4B movement to the States as a means to protect themselves and what’s left of their reproductive rights.
The abhorrent message behind this trend is nothing new. Women, especially those in marginalized communities, have endured a long, terrifying, and painful history of sexual violence. And, although this particular trend might have been spurred by the results of the US Presidential Election, it bears repeating that comments made online don’t exist in a vacuum, and they’ve since emboldened misogynists the world over.
The inherent threat in statements like “Your body, my choice” can’t be overstated. Since election night, the MAGA catchphrase has made its way to schools and college campuses across the US, and TikToker Dylan LaBadia has implored those targeted to “call the police immediately” should they find themselves subjected to sexual harassment of this caliber. Understandably so, many young girls and women may not feel comfortable making a case to the police, so it’s up to us to foster safe communities in which we can not only confide in each other but offer physical support systems to protect our most vulnerable and combat threats of violence the best that we can, now and moving forward.
