Refers to Anthony Comstock or the Comstock Laws, 19th-century American moral censorship legislation restricting obscene materials and birth control information.
Named after Anthony Comstock (1844-1915), American moral reformer who championed anti-obscenity laws. The Comstock Act of 1873 made it illegal to send 'obscene, lewd, or lascivious' materials through the mail, including contraception information.
The term 'Comstockery' was coined by George Bernard Shaw to describe overzealous moral censorship, and it perfectly captures how one person's name can become synonymous with an entire philosophy. Comstock's influence was so pervasive that his moral crusades shaped American attitudes toward sexuality and free speech for decades.
Anthony Comstock led campaigns to suppress reproductive health information, disproportionately targeting women's autonomy and access to family planning. His legacy embedded legal restrictions on women's bodily autonomy.
Reference neutrally in historical context; acknowledge gendered impact of Comstock laws on reproductive freedom and women's agency.
Women's access to contraception and reproductive information was criminalized; the fight for reproductive freedom by women activists fundamentally reshaped bodily autonomy rights.
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