Two female New York lawmakers have introduced a bill to ban the performance or supervision of virginity tests. This bill follows American rapper T.I.’s confession that he takes his 18-year-old daughter Deyjah Harris to the gynecologist to “check her hymen”.
According to PageSix, Senator Roxanne Persaud (D-Brooklyn) and Assemblywoman Michaelle Solages (D-Nassau) of New York introduced the new legislation. The New York bill would ban doctors from performing virginity tests which they termed as abusive.
“These examinations are not only a violation of women’s and girls’ human rights. But in cases of rape, it can cause additional pain and mimic the original act of sexual violence. It leads to the re-experience, re-traumatization, and re-victimization,” wrote the two in the memo for the bill.
In an interview with the New York Post, Solages described the practice as “misogynistic” and “appalling”:
“I was horrified to see this was happening. If a celebrity can impose his power to ensure a doctor checks his 18-year-old daughter, imagine what can be done in households across New York state”
T.I. suffered social media outrage after he revealed that he takes his daughter on an annual trip to the gynecologist to check her hymen.
After overtly controlling what she does with her body, T.I went on to brag about it on a podcast. This opened the poor girl up to mockery and harassment online, forcing her to leave social media.
In every interview thereafter, T.I has proven to be a terrible father by continuing to centre himself in a discussion about what an autonomous adult should and shouldn’t do with her body.
Hopefully, this ban saves more girls from such an invasive and disgusting procedure.
Read the full details of the incident here on eelive.ng.