The phrase "Your body, my choice" is a recent misogynistic co-optation and inversion of the long-standing feminist slogan "My body, my choice." The original slogan "My body, my choice" emerged around 1969 during the Women’s Liberation Movement and has been widely used to assert women's rights to bodily autonomy, particularly regarding abortion and reproductive rights. It asserts freedom of choice over one's own body as a fundamental human right and has been a rallying cry in feminist protests globally. The exact originator of "My body, my choice" is unclear, but it was already a popular chant in feminist rallies by the early 1970s, closely tied to movements advocating for reproductive rights such as abortion. It first gained widespread public attention through publications like "Women and Their Bodies" (1970) and protests leading up to the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision in 1973. In contrast, "Your body, my choice" has surfaced more recently as a backlash phrase, notably among far-right and misogynistic groups, such as supporters of Nick Fuentes and others on social media after Donald Trump's reelection in 2024. This slogan is meant to invert and mock the feminist slogan by asserting control over women’s bodies from a hostile perspective, often linked to misogyny, threats of sexual violence, and opposition to women's autonomy.
In summary:
- "My body, my choice" is a feminist slogan from the late 1960s demanding bodily autonomy, especially in reproductive rights.
- "Your body, my choice" is a recent counter-slogan used by misogynistic groups to oppose and mock the feminist principle of bodily autonomy.
