Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Josh Hawley Slammed For Suggesting People Who've Had Hysterectomies Aren't Women

Josh Hawley Slammed For Suggesting People Who've Had Hysterectomies Aren't Women
Tasos Katopodis-Pool/Getty Images

Senator Josh Hawley, a Republican who represents Missouri, was slammed for suggesting women who've had hysterectomies aren't women.

Hawley made the remarks during an interview with The Huffington Post, which asked several Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee to define the word "woman," a callback to GOP questions for Associate Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson during her recent Supreme Court Senate confirmation hearing.


Hawley offered a shallow answer, suggesting womanhood is tied to a woman's ability to give birth to a child.

Hawley said:

"Someone who can give birth to a child, a mother, is a woman. Someone who has a uterus is a woman. It doesn’t seem that complicated to me.”

However, when the reporter asked Hawley if his definition applied to women who have had hysterectomies, Hawley appeared uncertain and answered the question with another question:

“Yeah. Well, I don’t know, would they? I mean, a woman has a vagina… Right?”

A hysterectomy is the surgical removal of the uterus, a procedure that is typically performed by a gynecologist. The most common type of hysterectomy is a total hysterectomy, which removes all of the uterus, including the cervix. The ovaries and the fallopian tubes may or may not be removed.

By contrast, a partial, also called subtotal or supracervical, hysterectomy removes just the upper part of the uterus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes that hysterectomies are quite common, estimating that "1 of 3 women in the United States has had one by age 60."

Hawley's remarks were particularly criticized by women who took him to task over his cluelessness about female reproductive health.

Others shared stories about how hysterectomies have impacted their lives.


Republicans have been preoccupied with the definition of "woman" since a widely talked about moment shortly after confirmation hearings for Jackson kicked off last month.

When asked for a definition for the word "woman," Jackson, who Democratic President Joe Biden nominated and who has now been confirmed to replace the outgoing Associate Justice Stephen Breyer on the Supreme Court, told Tennessee Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn that she could not because "in this context, I’m not a biologist.”

The preoccupation with the word "woman" and gender overall is a further example of how transgender issues have recently galvanized the far right, taking a spot at the forefront of attacks conservatives have directed toward the LGBTQ+ community in what has become one of the more defining elements of the culture wars.

More from Trending

Trump Blasted After Claiming Rob Reiner Died Due To 'Trump Derangement Syndrome' In Heartless Rant
Alex Wong/Getty Images; Paul Archuleta/Getty Images

Trump Blasted After Claiming Rob Reiner Died Due To 'Trump Derangement Syndrome' In Heartless Rant

President Donald Trump was widely rebuked for claiming that famed film director Rob Reiner had “driven people CRAZY” with his "Trump Derangement Syndrome," referencing the late Reiner's vocal opposition to Trump's policies.

Reiner, 78, and his wife Michelle, 68, were murdered in their Brentwood, Los Angeles, home yesterday afternoon. Reiner's son, Nick, was taken into custody and held on a $4 million bail; police say he is "responsible" for the murders.

Keep ReadingShow less
Happy couple cooking together
Photo by Jimmy Dean on Unsplash

Couples Who've Been Together 10+ Years Share Their Secret To Longevity

The entertainment industry likes to tell us that love is simple, and that if we really love someone, it will just come naturally.

But anyone who's been in a long-term relationship will point out that it takes work, even when everything is seemingly going well.

Keep ReadingShow less
Rian Johnson; Daniel Craig as Benoit Blanc in 'Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery'
Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic/Getty Images; Netflix

Director Rian Johnson Offers Correction After Noticing Hilarious Error In Captions For New 'Knives Out' Movie

We're incredibly lucky to have directors like Rian Johnson, professionals who are open to fun projects and taking risks—and who have a great sense of humor.

Fans of Netflix's Knives Out series have enjoyed the director's interactions with fans, including entertaining their thoughts about Benoit Blanc and even the possibility of a Muppets mash-up.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump doing the coin toss before the start of the 126th Army-Navy Game
Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images

Trump Roasted Over His Bizarre Coin Toss Technique At Army-Navy Football Game

MAGA Republican President Donald Trump attended the 126th annual Army-Navy game at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland, home field of the NFL’s Ravens.

Before the match began, the 79-year-old POTUS was escorted to midfield to perform the coin toss, a long-running tradition for sitting U.S. presidents.

Keep ReadingShow less
Dick Van Dyke
Stewart Cook/Getty Images

Hollywood Icon Dick Van Dyke Reflects On Turning 100—And Fans Are Celebrating His Remarkable Milestone

Dick Van Dyke, best known for his roles in Mary Poppins, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and, of course, The Dick Van Dyke Show, is celebrating his 100th birthday.

Van Dyke's acting career started when he was just 5 years old with the role of baby Jesus in a Christmas play in a small, Midwestern pageant. He managed to make the audience laugh and realized he wanted to make people do that as much as possible, and you might say that the rest is history.

Keep ReadingShow less