Fuck Off Ben Fordham, Gladys Berejiklian Doesn’t Need To Tell You If She’d Get An Abortion

Ben Fordham has been slammed by social media and the Federal Minister for Women for a highly inappropriate question during an interview with Gladys Berejiklian.

https://twitter.com/jacques_bruce/status/1165408350776938497

Now, Gladys Berejiklian cops a whole heap of shit all the time. It feels odd to be writing a story about her that doesn’t make me cringe at the sound of her name. But this time she seems like she’s actually trying to do the right thing.

Young people in particular have butted heads with the New South Wales Premier on numerous occasions. But this Ben Fordham interview is fucked and no woman, or person, should ever be pressured into talking about their private health on national radio.

Gladys, who is openly religious and reasonably conservative, seems to have put her personal views aside in an effort to decriminalise abortion and align with the rest of the country. Good on her.

The interview, which aired on 2GB on Friday, was honestly a bit of a shit show. Fordham continually tried to get Berejiklian to admit that she handled the situation poorly, and didn’t seem to want to listen to what she actually had to say. He interrupted her on numerous occasions and asked her incredibly inappropriate questions.

Fordham asked Gladys Berejiklian whether or not she would have an abortion, which is a wildly inappropriate and insensitive question to ask anyone, especially on live national radio. News flash: nobody ever WANTS to get an abortion. It’s not a trip to the zoo. It’s a personal, emotional decision and frankly, it’s none of Ben Fordham’s fucking business.

“I can’t speak for what circumstances I’d be faced with,” she replied. “I don’t want to make people feel guilty who have had to go down that path.”

“I’m not someone who’d be comfortable going through that process, but that’s just me, I can’t speak for other women.”

Gladys Berejiklian has made some pretty piss poor comments in the past, especially on pill testing, but I’ll give it to her this time. As the leader of the state, she’s pushing a bill that helps and protects women across the state and aligns the state with the rest of the country’s legislation.

As a 48-year-old woman, she’s extremely unlikely to have children, or need an abortion, but that’s not the point. This decision has absolutely nothing to do with Gladys’ personal views or bodily decisions, and that’s something she’s finally gotten right. Whether or not she ever needs or wants an abortion is completely irrelevant to the bill.

Despite her faith and personal choices, whatever they may be, Gladys was quick to point out that the important thing is making sure abortions are safe and accessible for those who may need or choose to terminate pregnancy.

Berejiklian repeatedly said throughout the interview that everyone is entitled to their own opinion and vote in parliament regarding the bill.

“Please feel comfortable to vote on it as you wish,” she said.

Minister for Women Tanya Plibersek was quick to condemn Fordham’s ignorance and inappropriate comments.

“I understand this is a very personal issue and appreciate that many people have deeply held views but a woman’s reproductive health is her own business, including decisions about whether to discuss it publicly or not,” Tanya Plibersek said.

Abortion has been decriminalised in every other state in Australia, and Gladys Berejiklian is clearly making a decision for the good of New South Wales women as a whole, and not just herself.

Ben Fordham seems to have completely missed every point Gladys made throughout the interview and continued to ridicule her leadership, disrespect her privacy and just be a bit of a dickhead all-round.

Funnily enough, he is a man and this vote has absolutely nothing to do with him or his rights. Maybe next time somebody wants to do an interview on the abortion bill, they should find an interviewer that deserves a voice on the matter. If you don’t have a uterus, abortion legislation isn’t your business.

Ben Fordham can go join Barnaby Joyce at the “fuck off, nobody asked for your opinion” table.

Regardless of Ben’s ridiculous comments, good on Gladys Berejiklian for using her position to protect the welfare and freedom of women in New South Wales, even if her personal views may not agree with it.

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