#Childfree women are women too

[letters-of-libertas]

I'm bi and yeah your note on women not having solidarity seems sadly true. Apart from not dating men would there be anything you would suggest to improve ones life apart from stating away from those women if possible?

I love this question because this is how to start thinking: being practical.

What it takes to "improve ones life" is subjective so with that said firstly define what a better life(style) for yourself away from moids would look like. Temporarily mentally remove xy terrorist existence. What would your habits/routine be? What would you work towards & pour your energy into? What would you want to be? What would you center your life around? Take your time with these questions or anymore that come up. Have a general idea then be more specific and start breaking your life down into sectors/sections/areas, then look at where you want to be in those areas and work towards it.

For example; I divide my life into 6-7 aspects:

Physical Strength - Not just about muscle but knowing how to fight, where to hit and when to fight. Being stronger makes it easier to defend yourself in altercations (especially with other women). Some mfs will try you & you cant always rely on others coming to your rescue. Also work on building stamina to help endurance, and keeping as healthy as possible.

Emotional Strength - If you cant control your emotions they will control you. In a world of chaos being emotionally strong will let you cut through the noise and focus on what truly matters. Building emotional strength is not easy but it's worth it. Being able to rise above immediate reactions and pace yourself will allow you to assess situations more rationally & make more beneficial choices.

Finances - Get your bag up. Having money to gain resources is imperative to quality of life. I dont care what anyone says having a certain amount of money in life WILL make you happier as you're able to meet your needs better. Having more money/resources also makes it easier to support other women should you choose to do so, it also allows you to be more influential and have more control over your life. However, dont become a slave to getting money tho because that's how you get scammed.

Network - The type of people you hang around can make or break who you are as a person. Aim to connect with likeminded women who will encourage & inspire you as you go on this journey. Hang around people that value & will be honest with you while giving you grace. Not all women you engage with have to be single & childfree but beware the moid crazy ones because they will bring danger to you in their quest for maIe validation. Life isn't perfect but you cant go wrong having the right people around you, valuable relationships are hard to find but it goes a long way even if it's just online. However, no company > bad company.

Spirituality/Guide - Having something bigger than yourself to guide you through the chaos in this world can offer guidance/purpose that keeps you grounded & focused. For many people generally this is religion/god. Not everyone needs or ascribes to religion/spirituality though, but at least consider sets of morals/beliefs to follow. However even that isn't for everyone. So if you feel better off without spirituality or a 'higher' guide at least be clear on it & your reasons why (for yourself).

Hobbies & Interests - As turbulent as the world is, find things to enjoy amidst the chaos. Constant work, doom, and gloom will not change anything you will only hurt yourself. Take time to indulge in things that make you happy to recharge & relax. Engage in hobbies that serve you, share your passion with other women & hear theirs out too. It goes a long way in terms of mental health.

Security - It takes privilege to decide to not get married or have children as a woman & live it out. Everyone's situation is different so what I'll generally suggest is to constantly look into how you can protect yourself, have backup methods, and stay in the loop of xy predation. Dont drown in it but moids are predators & being completely blind to them is being blind to danger. Elaborated on point 10 here.

Sounds like a lot? Great, it'll keep you busy because this isn't a vacation or destination but a lifestyle. And to be honest, some of y'all can do with the busyness as it'll let you focus on what actually matters. This not to say to overwhelm yourself in things for the sake of it but to prioritise your energy on effective things for your life. As you focus on building you'll find that you have less energy to care about insignificant stuff or stuff out of your control anyways. For example, Instead of getting wound up about user somerandomadjectivefem stirring discourse calling you an extremist or whining about how impossible it is for her & other women to live without romantic love n' whatnot (or even women irl pulling this crap), you either ignore or quickly shut down the conversation & swiftly move on.

Everything I've mentioned are just examples, you may feel differently do whatever you feel best applies. Also remember to enjoy the process along the way as you are living through it afterall :3

Long story short: Work on building resources & other aspects of your life up for yourself.

[pansunset]

reddit reccomend me a sub almost as bad as r/childfree gamers.

[grimm-the-tiger]

The TERFs are pulling an awful lot of pissing on the poor in the notes. And I thought my reading comprehension was bad.

I just realized: TERFs must fucking HATE child-free women with a PASSION. They're always going on and on about how surgery for trans men is "mutilation" and how they're throwing away perfectly good and useful and "beautiful" organs for something they view as a toxic ideology at best and an outright cult at worst. Meanwhile, from my experience, most CF women want to be sterilized, either for ideological reasons (*cough, anti-natalists, cough*) or as a preventative to ensure our choice is respected. So not only do we want to "mutilate" our reproductive organs, but we also spit in the face of their warped idea of feminism just for not wanting kids. They put so much power in biological determinism that anything that breaks that mold is abhorrent to them, be it people who change their gender and gender expression or people who refuse to play into or lack the biological "need" for children.

EDIT: Wow, this post hasn't even been up for a day and the radfems have already found it. Going through the stuff they've said, I now realize that they don't, in fact, hate childfree women because they have some truly impressive double standards.

[moonlitfool]

.

[toxicanonymity]

I want you to know I love and care about y'all and am deeply sorry and disturbed about how the u.s. election turned out.

I love those of you who are immigrants, trans, POC, non-binary, gender fluid, gay, bi, pan, two-spirit, gender nonconforming, intersex, disabled, unhoused, struggling with addiction, mental health, bad home life, abuse, SA survivors, childfree, women, people who can get pregnant, and anyone who doesn't fit sick fascist ideals. And I Iove all of you who love them. You're all special and I value you.

We have 2.5 months until inauguration. I understand the sense of dread, and I feel it too. Even if I don't feel hopeful, I'm staying open to the possibility of hope. We need it. Maybe we need anger, too. These things can coexist.

abortion resources

Let's be kind to ourselves rn. You deserve kindness. No judgment if you have a history of self destructive behavior. I've been there. Terrible events don't have to derail us. We persist in spite of them. I'm proud of you for hanging in there and finding healthy ways to cope right now.

I always want this blog to be a safe space. I block liberally. I won't allow judgmental comments on posts or debate in my asks.

Need an appearance from your favorite morally dubious or murderous man? I will be open to requests for blurbs/microfics. Update: See pinned post for the fics.

[ihateliterature]

Ok guys, after a lot of reasearch I have compiled a comprehensive list of what trans men and mascs are NOT allowed to do so we don't offend anyone

Here it is:

Transition

Not transition

Date queer men

Date non-queer men

Date queer women

Date non-queer women

Be attracted to men

Be attracted to women

Be feminine

Be masculine

Date trans people

Speak in general

Breath anywhere near a woman

Do anything

Do nothing

Be helpless

Be in queer spaces where there are women

Be in queer spaces where there are men

Have a vagina anywhere near a cis gay man

Be attractive to a terf

Be unattractive to a terf

Have top surgery

Not have top surgery

Consume mlm content

Consume wlm content

Consume wlw content

Headcanon characters as trans men/mascs

Give male characters vaginas

Have colored hair

Having a name that's too common

Having a name that's too uncommon

Be capable of menstruation

Be capable of carrying a birthing a child

Need an abortion

Remove your capability for menstruation and birth

Willingly have a child

Be childfree

Realize you are trans before puberty

Realize you are trans during puberty

Realize you are trans as an adult

Have long hair

Have short hair

Not throw away every feminine coded thing you own as soon as you realize you are trans

Go through corrective rape at the hands of a man

Go through corrective rape at the hands of a woman

Be oppreased

Experience transphobia

Claim afab people who lived long ago and lived their entire lives as men could have actually been trans

Claim you have any history before Tumblr

Take T

Not take T

Pass perfectly

Not pass perfectly

Claim the transphobia you experience is in some way connected to your masculinity and gender identity as a man or man aligned

Try to coin a term for the specific prejudice you experience

Claim that something someone who is not a trans man or masc said about trans men and mascs is wrong and correcting them

Claim that you have been, in any way, treated badly for your masculinity

[marzipanandminutiae]

horror movie where the protagonists assume the creepy, slightly goth woman with the antique doll collection is the killer-

-only to learn that she's completely normal, she's actually married to the woman who owns the spooky bookstore full of Exposition, and the killer is the true crime vlogger who "tipped them off" about her in the first place. he ran out of interesting murders to mine for content, so he decided to create the perfect crime spree with the perfect killer

(she is also either happily childfree OR pregnant with the couple's first baby, but either way it must be stated onscreen. too often in movies- and real life! -doll collecting has been assumed to relate somehow to children or lack thereof, for women)

[elierlick]

Personal story:

I knew I wanted to be childfree (a “childless cat lady”) before I even realized I was queer or trans. There are some clear intersections between these experiences that aren’t often explored. I “came out” as not wanting children when I was in preschool. I could never see myself as a parent (with no judgment for those who do, of course!). The rhetoric used against me when I came out as queer and trans in elementary school was remarkably similar to that of not wanting children. They told me I’d “grow out of it” or would “regret it later,” especially because of my age. I was allegedly too young to know that information about myself. This “compulsory natalism” has followed me throughout my life.   The current moral panic about population collapse is part of the same paternalism over self-determination and the struggle for bodily autonomy. Whether it be Elon Musk’s racist fearmongering over “low birth rates” or JD Vance’s “childless cat ladies” comment, it’s no coincidence these figures are also campaigning against trans people.   Recently, these natalist groups are claiming we’re pressured to live childfree by our culture. I find it as ridiculous to claim that society pressured me into not having children as it is to claim it pressured me to be trans. Unequivocally false. Society glorifies parentage as the pinnacle and purpose of human experience, particularly for women. But I could not be happier with the sterilizing effects of hormones and surgery. I consider it an added benefit to transitioning that few people talk about.   We can - and should - be invested in society’s future regardless of whether we have kids. Neither parenthood nor its rejection is fundamentally individualistic (although both can be). We can care for one another no matter who we are. But the belief that parenthood is morally superior is a deeply reactionary and coercive idea that we need to flush out of our communities. We must respect one another for decisions about our own bodies. This childless cat lady wouldn’t have it any other way.

[blackpilljesus]

I've not dated or had close relations with moids in years. I've been on the path to spending the rest of my days as a single childfree woman & committing to it as an osawoman. During this time here's what I've learnt, shorter version here:

This lifestyle is a privilege - being able to exist without having to directly depend on a moid romantically/sexually is a luxury. Know the privilege you have and how you can take full advantage of it and keep yourself set. We arent living this way solely bc we're smarter, we were just momentarily luckier. Most women are a political/natural disaster away from losing everything. Bear this in mind; along the way think of "what if" to best start preparing yourself.

Dont bother justifying your ways to people - Most wont and dont want to get it. Save your breath. By getting into back and forth arguments over not marrying moids & not having children you are digging a deeper hole for yourself by giving them more fodder to counter. They wont change their minds. End the conversation short & move on.

You cant save everybody - Ditch the saviour complex. We all get dealt bad hands in life; some worse than others. Other peoples lives arent your responsibility, there's only so much you can do because you've got your own issues too. Besides some are too far gone, you'll only end up drowning or being burned trying to save others especially if they dont want saving.

Recruitment is a waste of time - I often see extensive discourse around this topic w/ some women trying so hard to recruit others into this lifestyle or being separatists, wgtow, etc. All this does is waste time that can be spent on building instead. If some women dont get it oh well it's not the end of the world (although every woman does get it, they're just doing what they can t survive) it doesn't matter long term TO YOU because if you're serious you dont need other womens understanding/stamp of approval to build a network/resources for women; you can get started without them; heck some may join once they see the value like how so many women broke up with their partners after watching the barbie movie. Some women are more focused on recruitment than living the single childfree life they claim to be about and it consumes them - dont let recruitment consume you. Besides other women willingly engaging with moids buys you some time; those who know - know.

Most activism is a waste of time. Things only change when it benefits those in power but they will never relinquish their power entirely. It's great to put knowledge out there for others to learn but getting into discourse having to justify yourself & being swallowed by your activism will do more harm than good. Most activism is a stepping stone at most for the next chapter of your life. Learn to game the system instead of changing the system.

Focus on yourself. Everything as we know it is rooted in the system that has been perfected over the millenias. The problems of misogyny, racism, ableism, etc have existed before we were born and will exist after we die (part of why im not birthing into this mess). Trying to change it is a losing battle. This doesnt mean dont advocate or care about anything but look out for yourself first & be comfortable learning to existing between the cracks. It'll be quite the exercise tho as we've been socialised to prioritise others.

This is not a lifestyle one simply chooses it's something that chooses you. This isn't for everyone, those who know; know. If you require a lot of convincing or handholding then it isn't for you.

It gets lonely. Not because of not having a moidfriend; even when partnered with them many women still feel lonely. It's because most women are moid centric / obsessed and would want to be partnered with an xy someday or already are. Very few women truly commit to or understand this lifestyle irl tbh. Even my moots who are separatists or just single & childfree are halfway across the world. However that said, many women in the community can also be toxic; holding each other to high standards and there being constant bickering. You can befriend moid partnered women but be careful with them. We're surrounded by the system, existing out of core elements of it will come with a degree of isolation but on the bright side there's also peace if it all goes well.

Less is more. The less you say to others the less ammunition they have to hit you with. Bragging about this lifestyle to our predators will only make things harder because they've already got a huge upperhand. Too many of us moving in one go will bring unprecedented waves we're not ready to deal with. See 2, 3, and 4.

Ignorance is not bliss. Completely cutting off from xys including knowledge of their evil will make you unprepared should a threat strike. Not understanding moids nature is how some women think things are as easy as getting up and walking away without considering security & other factors then get suprised when moids strike. I'm not saying drown in true crime & xy evil but dont stray too far you lose touch of reality. Side note this is why women are gaslit about moids nature so that they dont have the chance to effectively prepare. Stay informed. I constantly learn from the women around me. Pay attention to xy motives & tactics. The power they hold, possible moves they may play etc. You wont be able to know/guess everything but stay in the loop nonetheless.

You will make mistakes be prepared to learn

It gets easier to control your attraction to moids overtime (if you're osa) as your focus is elsewhere as you realise there is a more fulfilling world out there beyond marriage & kids. Also life is just so much better. I know most women want the fairytale prince charming or an angel nigel but it's just not happening. Especially in a world like this. The freedom to be able to exist as a person & not a slave/punching bag for a rape ape is BLISS. You get so comfortable with it you wont wanna be with moids anyway especially when you see what other women go through. (Side note this is why women are pushed to being with moids as early as possible so this level of enlightenment is never reached & instead all women know + become accustomed to is suffering at the hands of moids).

As time passes and you mature into this lifestyle you can tell who's new and who's got skin in the game. I wont elaborate here as it'll digress and this note is long as is but those who know; know.

There's so much work to be done it'll last a lifetime. This lifestyle ain't easy. It strays from the norm so the typical guardrails that come with traditional options are out of the picture. The good news is that you can spend time crafting your own blueprint to follow or share with others who are willing. There's such little in terms of infrastructure & resources for single childfree women and yeah xys will likely try to destroy these things but at the same time if it can be done go for it and bear xy threat in mind we gotta start somewhere.

A purpose/guide is important. It's something that's going to guide your life through the ups and downs because it wont be a smooth ride but it'll be something that can make you in situations that break you. This isn't a "fuck you" to moids directly, it's about ourselves. Seeing this lifestyle as some type of "gotcha" against moids will only make things harder and lowkey misses the point of decentering them. I have my reasons for never getting married or having children that are solid (if you need inspiration checkout r/breakingmom on reddit). True comes from seeing something as bigger than yourself; find a purpose in this line of life to keep you going.

Invest in yourself. Personally, financially, etc. Pretty obvious but especially now that you're going to be more alone you need to be able to count on yourself more. With enough investment it can help other women too.

Invest in female network. No gyn is an island. Even though I'm not much of a social person the friends I have make my life better; they've been supportive but also honest. Also support female centric spaces online & offline; they're all that we have lest we be banished to the silo prison of the "nuclear family" or exploitative misogynistic communities.

Get comfortable disassociating/cutting people off. If you want to survive some things/people will simply just have to go.

You arent owed anything from other women, but you dont owe them anything either. The operating word here is owed, I aint saying women shouldn't help each other - I'm saying dont feel entitled. The feminist "girls support girls" schtick is bullshit. We're in a cold world full of ruthless oppression where everyone is just trying to survive however they can; in many cases it helps women survive when they turn on other women instead of on moids. Solidarity works because those who have solidarity politically speaking are people with power, it works in their interest to stand & work together as to keep + maintain their privileges in society so there wont be much female solidarity as in many cases it's not worth it to women long run. It aint right but that's how they perceive it so watch your back.

Everything is political. Always remember this. Many (privileged) people try to downplay politics & its effect but it runs our world which is why they want you blind to it. Pay attention.

There's merit to being around like-minded women even if it's just online. Like I said before it gets lonely. Very few women are willing to face & accept the truth about maIes. Being around like-minded women can be depressing sometimes as they drop blackpills bitter than you can initially handle but at least you dont feel so isolated/crazy.

[aifsaath]

Guys am I a magical feminist

if I can't pop out 5 children in the span of 15 years?

childfree women do not interact.

sweet baby jesus, @vampire-exgirlfriend, did you even THINK before you wrote that?

You want to argue for literary analysis, okay, but where the hell do you take the notion that magic is good in the books? WHERE? did we read the same texts? Because your wording does imply that and if you argue for Rhaenyra's super special womb, then Helaena is the super special womb too and her dragon's egg-laying cloaca is just as, if not more, magical as Syrax's . Sorry, but that motif, you're so obsessed with, is simply not there. You took a story about abuse of power, irresponsibility and hypocrisy, reduced it to two aesthetic details, and you argue that your understanding is better than that of the nerds? Puh-lease.

Magical girls and dragons, my ass.

[letters-of-libertas]

Ending this series about friendships on a positive note - green flags in relationships with women. Based on my female friendships I've had that's lasted years; full of enrichment & has taught me a lot in life.

They respect your boundaries - women that respect how you want to engage show a level of value + respect they have for you. Should be a basic thing but it is a good sign if you're able to express being uncomfortable with or talking about something & they respect it.

They have life beyond maIes - Be it seeking their validation, or obsessing over them in a positive/negative way. When you're with them they're not constantly talking about maIes or throwing you under the bus for them. Vital as a single childfree woman as you're less likely to be burdened with picking up the slack womens nigels leave behind.

You feel nourished after spending time with them - Friendships should add to your wellbeing. The world is tough as is; having good friends will make getting through it easier.

They keep it real - You can talk through issues with them. They can tell you when you're messing up (as well as when you're doing good) and put it in ways for your own good & not to be condescending. You can have minor disagreements & it doesn't lead to a major argument or fallout.

You can count on them - Note count and depend are two different things. You dont want to depend on others but realistically we need others; them being able to help you to an extent as you would with them is important. Help doesnt have to be financial or even physical but even just emotional support can go a long way.

They shut down negative talk about you - if they're in company where people are saying negative things about you they would defend you because they care about you. They wouldn't indulge or be comfortable letting people crap on you otherwise.

There's pacing - As the saying goes; fast wont last, slow will grow. Typically the closest friendships you have come from the least expected people/places and bc of that lack of expectation overtime the relationship had a chance to naturally grow. I think part of why many female friendships tend to be toxic and end horribly is because they're rushed. They get too close too quick leaving no room for inspection. Dopamine & adrenaline is running high, you feel like you're on cloud 9 with them even as doubt starts to crop up but eventually the pressure gets too much and everything bursts - ending abruptly.

As difficult as it can be to find & make solid female friendships; give yourself time, you can find good ones out there that are worth it, uplift you, and improve your life as a single childfree woman and generally speaking.

[mariacallous]

In an apparent attempt to boost birth rates, Russian lawmakers are considering a bill to ban “childfree propaganda,” and many private clinics across the country have “voluntarily” stopped performing abortions. However, experts interviewed by Holod agree that these measures are more symbolic and politically motivated than effective in raising birth rates.

Banning “childfree propaganda” won’t make a difference, says Aby Shukyurov, explaining that research shows childlessness in Russia is often due to personal circumstances, not ideology. Alexey Raksha echoed this, calling the ban purely ideological, with no real demographic impact.

Shukyurov also pointed to other measures, like reviving the Soviet-era “Mother Heroine” award for women with 10 or more children, ��Conception Day" in the Ulyanovsk region, and requiring both a doctor’s and priest’s approval for an abortion in the Belgorod region, as equally ineffective. “On one hand, these measures seem almost laughable, but on the other, they’re clearly damaging because they make women’s lives harder,” he said.

There’s also talk of reintroducing a “childlessness tax,” similar to the one from Soviet times. “It’s just another way for the government to collect more money,” Shukyurov commented. “People who don’t plan to have children aren’t going to change their minds because the government charges them 2,000 rubles [$21].”

Abortion bans and restrictions are another common talking point for Russian officials. However, with the spread of contraception, abortions are already less common in Russia, says Dmitry Zakotyansky. And history, he adds, clearly shows that these measures won’t stop people from ending unwanted pregnancies. When abortions were banned during Stalin’s era, maternal mortality skyrocketed — pregnancy-related deaths rose by 76 percent in the first year, and maternal mortality doubled within five years. After abortion was legalized in 1955, those numbers returned to previous levels.

Now, Zakotyansky notes, generations of Russian women have grown up with the right to abortion, and taking that away won’t be easy. And even though these rights are slowly being chipped away, “it’s clear this won’t improve the birth rate,” he argued.

Since the start of the full-scale war against Ukraine, anti-feminist rhetoric has become increasingly common in Russia. Lawmakers have called for a “legal ban” on feminism, claimed the “fight for equality is relegated to the archives” and said young women should “give birth, give birth, and then give birth again.” The Russian Orthodox Church has also weighed in, with programs on the religious Spas TV channel arguing that women who become pregnant from rape should give birth, while priests lament that the world is in a “difficult period in history” where women are “demanding equal rights with men.”

The Russian government has now officially incorporated patriarchal “family values” into its strategy to boost birth rates. However, Zakotyansky warns that this approach could backfire. He argues that modern women are more likely to forgo having children if they can’t balance family life with their careers, fearing it will hold them back professionally.

Russia is putting pressure on women to boost the birth rate — but demographers say the main problem is too many people dying

[froody]

the weird way misogynistic men react to childfree women is so bizarre like a woman will say “I don’t like kids. I think they’re too much work. I don’t want them.” and some trad guy will call her a selfish bitch as though he wouldn’t pitch a fit and go into hysterics if his hypothetical baby mama asked him to clean up baby vomit and change diapers and stay up all hours of the night comforting a screaming child. as though he’d actually attend his kid’s school boring ass plays instead of “working late”. children are fundamentally a lot of work, it is taxing physically, emotionally and financially to raise a child. being responsible, rational and mature enough to admit you cannot do that is the exact opposite of selfish.

[hogwarts-legacy-confessions]

Majority of the fandom hates Solomon literally JUST because he and Sebastian don't get along. Some of the headcanons of why are just plain stupid, gross, or neglect who humans can be other than "hur dur, moving the plot along!"

Solomon was a childfree man who lost his job either because of some kind of corruption, an injury of some sort, it being too much, or because he suddenly had to take the responsibility for 2 kids and couldn't put in the hours that's needed for an auror to keep their job alone.

If you stalk him in Feldcroft, he still has age lines but he doesn't look angry. You follow him around, and he mostly talks to the women with smiles and some gesturing. As the adult child of a single man irl, once the kids hit puberty while still living at home, the amount of attempted flirting dries up from randoms at the grocery store and interested neighbors. They still say hi and chat when the kids aren't around, but that's it until the kid grows up and moves out.

So this childfree bachelor slowly watched his life slip away. Possible dream job, freedom with women, not much responsibility. Doesn't mean he didn't care for Anne and Sebastian, but I'd be pissy too if I didn't have to give it all up and then be frequently accused of not caring when they could've been sent to anyone else and brainwashed into elitist purebloods or straight up thoroughly and properly neglected.

But then Anne wouldn't have been there to get cursed, maybe she and Sebastian would be happier if he just let them go anywhere else? The man has guilt.

So I bet the man is very sexually frustrated, and that it's only fueling the rest of his frustration and guilt at the entire situation of what goes on in his house. The sickness, the arguing - knowing that if it wasn't for them being there, he'd be raw dogging his married neighbour in secret on Thursday night. On Friday night, he'd go pick someone up at the pub. Nobody would be complaining about having squash and lamb three nights in a row because he could do whatever he wanted.

👀

[mandsleanan]

In contrast to childfree adults, childless adults wanted to have children, but for social or biological reasons could not have children. Both Michigan and nationwide studies have found that 3% to 4% of adults are childless. This means that 3-4 times more adults are childfree than childless.

Full text under cut.

U.S. vice presidential candidate Sen. JD Vance recently made headlines after previous remarks he made in 2021 resurfaced in which he said that the U.S. was being run by Democrats, corporate oligarchs and a “bunch of childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives and the choices that they’ve made and so they want to make the rest of the country miserable, too.” While pundits often focus on the impact of suburban family voters, those without children should not be overlooked. 

According to Zachary Neal and Jennifer Watling Neal, professors in the Department of Psychology at Michigan State University’s College of Social Science, there are more ‘childless cat ladies’ than you might think, and they’re starting to organize politically. 

The Neals collaborate to study “childfree” adults, or adults who do not want to have children. Here, they explain why politicians may need to think carefully about how they approach this group of voters.

How many childfree adults are there?

Over several separate studies in Michigan, we estimate that 20% to 25% of all adults in the state, or over 1.5 million people, are childfree. Nationwide surveys by Pew Research Center and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that ask slightly different questions arrive at different estimates, but they also suggest that this population is big and getting bigger.

In contrast to childfree adults, childless adults wanted to have children, but for social or biological reasons could not have children. Both Michigan and nationwide studies have found that 3% to 4% of adults are childless. This means that 3-4 times more adults are childfree than childless.

Who are childfree adults?

In many ways, childfree adults are no different from anyone else. While some do have cats, others have dogs, and still others have no pets. Childfree adults also have similar personality characteristics and experience similar levels of life satisfaction to others.

However, men (24%) are more likely to be childfree than women (18%), and white individuals (23%) are more likely to be childfree than people of color (14%). 

How do childfree adults impact politics?

In Michigan, childfree adults are more liberal on average than either parents or nonparents who are planning to have children in the future. And, the number of Michigan adults who identify as childfree jumped from 21% to 26% immediately following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson, which ended a decades-long constitutional protection for abortion access. However, policymakers often deprioritize childfree adults, focusing instead on the needs of parents and children. This may be why there are now efforts underway to consolidate childfree adults’ influence as a voting bloc with the formation of the Alliance of Childfree Voters.

[estrellasmind]

Healthcare Bias

I wanted to share my recent experience because it’s been quite a journey, and I know others might relate. I’ve never wanted children, ever since I was a child myself. On top of that, I have a serious fear of pregnancy (tokophobia). Since I was a teenager, I’ve been set on getting sterilized. Two months ago, I started actively pursuing a bilateral salpingectomy. I went to a couple of consultations, but the doctors were dismissive, with that frustrating “I know you’ll change your mind” attitude. Unsurprisingly, they rejected my request.

Determined to be taken seriously, I got a letter from my therapist explaining my phobia and reasons for seeking sterilization. Armed with this, I approached another doctor. Despite still facing skepticism, the doctor agreed to schedule me for the surgery. Then, just three days before the scheduled date, I received a devastating call. The doctor canceled the surgery, citing his belief that I would regret my decision later in life and feel incomplete without children. It’s incredibly frustrating to encounter such attitudes in the medical community, where women’s choices about their own bodies are often undermined or dismissed.

I’m feeling disheartened, but I’m not giving up. I’m moving to Aus soon, and my search for a supportive doctor will continue.

This type of thing happens way too commonly within the medical community, not just to women who are and want to stay childfree, but to all women. Our feelings, pain, and concerns are often dismissed as “just hormones” or being “overdramatic.” It’s frustrating and dehumanizing when decisions about our own bodies and lives are undermined in this way. The assumption that we’ll change our mind about major life choices like parenthood or that our fears and preferences are insignificant only perpetuates the lack of trust and respect many of us experience in healthcare settings. It’s a systemic issue that needs to be addressed and changed. We need to be our own biggest advocate and not give up just because some doctors won’t help us. Our voices matter, and we deserve to be heard and respected in all aspects of our healthcare.