Michigan Lawmaker ‘Opted For Voluntary Sterilization’ To Avoid ‘Pregnancy In Donald Trump’s America’

A Democratic Michigan state representative says she chose to undergo a “voluntary sterilization” to avoid pregnancy after Donald Trump won the 2024 presidential election.

State Rep. Laurie Pohutsky, 36, told a crowd of anti-Trump protesters at the Michigan State Capitol on Wednesday, “Just under two weeks ago, I underwent surgery to ensure that I would never have to navigate a pregnancy in Donald Trump’s America,” The Midwesterner reported. Pohutsky, who identifies as “bisexual,” represents part of Wayne County, the largest county in a state where abortion is legal through all nine months of pregnancy.

“I refuse to let my body be treated as currency by an administration that only sees value in my ability to procreate,” Pohutsky told the crowd of protesters.

“If you know people who are questioning how serious this is, I’m going to repeat myself: A sitting government official opted for voluntary sterilization because she was uncertain she would be able to access contraception in the future,” she added, according to Michigan Advance.

Since taking office, Trump has reinstated the Mexico City policy, stopping U.S. foreign aid from funding abortions, and he pardoned 23 pro-life activists who were prosecuted by the Biden administration after protesting at abortion clinics. But it’s unclear how any actions taken by the Trump administration apply to Pohutsky’s reproductive concerns, and Pohutsky’s office has not responded to a Daily Wire request for comment.

Trump said while on the campaign trail that he would leave abortion legislation up to the states, taking a more moderate stance on the issue than many Republicans.

Hundreds of people gathered at the state capitol in Lansing on Wednesday to voice their frustration over the fast-moving second Trump administration. Protesters carried signs that read, “Democracy, not Oligarchy,” “Hell no, Musk must go,” and “Resistance Becomes Duty.” The Michigan protest was part of the 50501 movement, which sought to stage protests against Trump in all 50 states on Wednesday.

Trump won Michigan in the 2024 election, defeating former Vice President Kamala Harris by over 80,000 votes. In the election, Michigan Democrats also lost control of the state legislature, where Pohutsky is a member.

During her time in the state legislature, Pohutsky has focused on abortion and LGBTQ issues. In 2022, Michigan became one of the most pro-abortion states in the U.S. when voters enshrined a “right” to abortion in the state’s constitution. Pohutsky also sponsored a repeal of Michigan’s 1931 law that protected unborn children from abortion, calling the law “draconian.”