Sydney Biddle Barrows Quotes
society has no qualms about a masseuse who is paid for touching people, or about laborers, or professional athletes or dancers, all of whom make a living with their bodies. Why should we make an exception for sex?
Barrows, Sydney Biddle, and William Novak. Mayflower Madam: The Secret Life of Sydney Biddle Barrows. Arbor House, 1986.
Pointing to a group of lobbyists following the debate in the House gallery:
He was referring to Sandra Fluke, a student at Georgetown University, a Catholic school whose health plans did not cover birth control pills. The Heath advisory committees had concluded that birth control pills were a critical element of women’s health. Congress was debating a rule that would exempt religions from having to provide birth control as a part of their health insurance if it was against their beliefs. However, universities, hospitals, museums and civil activities run by churches were not exempt, Ms Fluke testified before Congress that her birth control pills cost her much money out of pocket. Many conservatives throughout the country opposed the requirement, some on religious conscience grounds and others like Limbaugh who opposed because they opposed birth control itself. So Limbaugh concluded that since with insurance paying for birth control for women, the women were getting paid to have sex. Therefore Ms. Fluke was a prostitute and a slut. There was a national outrage over Limbaugh’s statements and many conservatives, especially those running for office were put in an awkward position. They realized the inappropriate logic and use of language and the meanness that Limbaugh exhibited, but with few exceptions they were afraid that if they opposed him publicly, Limbaugh would retaliate on the airways and he was the major Republican spokesman at the time. Although not a politician, he was in many ways the leader of the party. However, this time his mean, twisted, venomous, attack had gone too far. It was not a politician he had attacked this time; just an innocent young student. A number of his sponsors dropped him.
Sydney Biddle Barrows is an American businesswoman who became known as an escort agency owner under the name Sheila Devin; she later became known as "The Mayflower Madam". She has since become a management consultant and writer.
