Woke Alert: Men Finally Realize They Have a Stake in Reproductive Rights

In a shocking turn of events, Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz got emotional on Wednesday night, sharing his personal struggle with infertility. Yeah, you heard it right, folks—a man talking about reproductive issues. Groundbreaking, isn't it?

"I remember praying each night for a phone call," said Walz, the governor of Minnesota. "The pit in your stomach when the phone would ring and the absolute agony when the treatments hadn't worked. It took Gwen and I years, but we had access to fertility treatments, and when our daughter was born, we named her Hope."

For years, Democrats have been shouting "My body, my choice." But surprise, surprise, it turns out men have feelings too—and they're finally talking about it.

This year's Democratic National Convention has been a real tear-jerker, with men like Walz and Austin resident Josh Zurawski sharing their personal stories. Zurawski stood before thousands in Chicago and millions on TV to talk about how his wife nearly died from sepsis after being denied an abortion in Texas.

"I'm here tonight because the fight for reproductive rights isn't just a woman's fight," he said, sparking roaring applause. Gasp! A man supporting women's rights? Be still my beating heart!

The DNC Keeps the Woke train rolling

Walz and Zurawski aren't alone. Since the U.S. Supreme Court reversed Roe v. Wade, men have been coming out of the woodwork to share their experiences. Remember Jane Roe, the single mother and plaintiff in Roe v. Wade? Well, now her spiritual successors are married women with complicated pregnancies—and their husbands are standing right beside them.

Kate Cox, a Dallas-area mom of two, made headlines after the Texas Supreme Court ruled that state law didn't permit her to terminate a nonviable pregnancy. Her husband, Justin, stood by her as a joint plaintiff.

Ryan Hamilton, from Granbury in North Texas, has been open about his wife's medical crisis during a miscarriage, speaking to The Dallas Morning News, "Good Morning America," and other outlets.

Men Wake Up to the Abortion Conversation

It's not that men haven't talked about abortion policy before—it's just that now they're discussing it over brunch and at PTA meetings. Dr. Brian Nguyen, a USC professor who studies male engagement in reproductive rights, calls it a "cultural shift."

Travis Edwards, an Austin resident, is part of this shift. After learning that the child he and his wife wanted had a fatal diagnosis, they left Texas to seek an abortion in 2023. Now, Edwards is speaking out alongside his wife.

"There's a lot of men out there who consider themselves to be pro-abortion, but when it comes to it, they just don't think about it that much," Edwards told the Statesman. Shocking, right?

Even with this newfound awareness, there's still resistance. Hamilton has received backlash for speaking about his wife's experience. But he's not backing down.

"The question shouldn't be, ‘Why am I getting the attention?’” Hamilton said at a Texas Blue Action event. “The question should be, ‘Where are all the other men?’”

State Sen. Nathan Johnson, D-Dallas, echoed this sentiment, encouraging more men to get involved. And Sean Tipton, chief policy and advocacy director at the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, hopes this increased involvement will have a political effect.

"I sincerely hope... that all that interest and all that visibility translates into more people being able to get the care that they need," Tipton told the Statesman.

So there you have it, folks. Men are finally waking up to the fact that reproductive rights affect them too. Better late than never, right?