Schwyzer v. Alkon: Should Men Have Reproductive Rights?

Nationally syndicated advice columnist Amy Alkon believes that men, like women, should have reproductive rights. Condemning women who get pregnant intentionally and "turn casual sex into cash flow sex," she notes:

"In no other arena is a swindler rewarded with a court-ordered monthly cash settlement paid to them by the person they bilked...Penelope Leach, in her book Children First, poses an essential question: 'Why is it socially reprehensible for a man to leave a baby fatherless, but courageous, even admirable, for a woman to have a baby whom she knows will be so?'...the law, as written, encourages unscrupulous women to lure sex-dumbed men into checkbook daddyhood."

The "Choice for Men" movement seeks to give unmarried fathers the right to relinquish their parental rights and responsibilities within a month of learning of a pregnancy, just as mothers do when they choose to give their children up for adoption.

Schwyzer and Alkon joined Glenn on March 20, 2005.

To learn more, see:

• Glenn's co-authored column 'Sperm Theft' Ruling a Step Forward for Men's Reproductive Rights (Houston Chronicle, 3/6/05, Ft. Worth Star-Telegram, 3/9/05)

• Amy Alkon's new column Fetal Attraction

• Hugo Schwyzer's criticisms of Choice for Men--see Hugo on Choice for Men, Crying with rage at Amy Richards and Amy Richards and Choice for Men

• Slate's Dahlia Lithwick slams Glenn's co-authored column Pennsylvania Abortion Case Raises Question of Choice for Men (Newsday, 8/7/02)--see Lithwick's Dad's Sad, Mad: Too Bad: Why dads don't count when it comes to abortion (Slate, 8/7/02)

• Interview with Kim Gandy, President of the National Organization for Women (NOW), on the 30 year anniversary of Roe v. Wade.

• Glenn's column 30 Years After Roe v. Wade, How About Choice for Men? (Mail & Guardian, 1/27/03) 

• Feminist abortion rights advocate Amy Richards' account of her selective abortion--When One is Enough (New York Times, 7/18/04)

• NARAL Pro-Choice America

• National Right to Life 

• The National Coalition of Free Men, Los Angeles' Choice for Men page

• Barry Deutsch (aka Ampersand) against Choice for Men here, here, here and here.

• The National Center for Men's Voluntary Fatherhood Project

• Hugo Schwyzer on His Side: Is the Men's Movement Misogynistic? (1/23/05)

• Amy Alkon on His Side: The Advice Goddess: 'I'm Not Anti-Male' (5/2/04)

• His Side: Masculists, Feminists Rumble Over Choice for Men (10/19/03)