ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Christen Reighter - Poet, essayist
Christen Reighter writes and performs as a poet and essayist, focusing primarily on social justice issues.

Why you should listen

Christen Reighter's primary advocacy platform is for the childfree-choice. She often writes and speaks out about her experience obtaining elective sterilization at age 22, including how she encountered and confronted harassing societal prejudice, condescending medical paternalism, and civil rights violations. Her other writing and advocacy work includes LGBTQIA+ rights, gender equality, sex-positivity, women's issues (including sexual assault) and mental health issues and recovery. 

Reighter is also an award-winning spoken word artist. she has competed and performed across the country and in international competitions such "Brave New Voices" on on HBO.

Originally born and raised in Texas, Reighter now lives happily in beautiful Colorado with her partner and their three rambunctious cats, and she currently is finishing her MA in clinical mental health counseling.

More profile about the speaker
Christen Reighter | Speaker | TED.com
TEDxMileHighWomen

Christen Reighter: I don't want children -- stop telling me I'll change my mind

Kristen Rajter: Ja ne želim decu -- prestanite mi govoriti da ću se predomisliti

Filmed:
3,281,231 views

Jedna od pet žena u Sjedinjenim Američkim državama neće imati svoje biološko dete, i Kristen Rajter je jedna od njih. Od malih nogu, ona je znala da nije želela decu, uprkos insistiranju mnogih ljudi (uključujući i njenog lekara) koji su joj rekli da će se predomisliti. U ovom moćnom govoru, ona deli svoju priču o potrazi za sterilizacijom -- i dokazuje da je majčinstvo produžetak ženstvenosti, ne definicija.
- Poet, essayist
Christen Reighter writes and performs as a poet and essayist, focusing primarily on social justice issues. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:12
I recognizedprepoznat the rolesuloge
that were placedpostavljen on me very earlyrano.
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Prepoznala sam uloge
koje su mi nametnute, veoma rano.
00:17
One persistentUporan conceptkoncept that I observedprimećeno --
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Jedan uporan koncept
koji sam posmatrala --
00:21
existingpostojeće in our languagejezik, in our mediamediji --
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postoji u nasem jeziku u našim medijima --
00:23
was that womenžene are not only
supposednavodno to have childrendjeca,
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je taj da žene ne samo da treba
da imaju decu,
00:29
they are supposednavodno to want to.
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već se očekuje i da to žele.
00:32
This existedpostojala everywheresvuda.
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Ovo je postojalo svuda.
00:34
It existedpostojala in the waysnačina
that adultsodrasli spokegovorio to me
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Postojalo je u načinu
na koji su odrasli pričali sa mnom
00:38
when they posedpozirala questionspitanja
in the contextkontekst of "when."
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kada su postavljali pitanja
u kontekstu "kada."
00:43
"When you get marriedoženjen ..."
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"Kada se udaš..."
00:45
"When you have kidsdeca ..."
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"Kada budeš imala decu..."
00:48
And these futurebudućnost musingsrazmišljanja
were always presentedpredstavljen to me
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I ove buduće misli
su uvek bile meni predstavljene
00:51
like partdeo of this AmericanAmerički dreamsan,
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kao deo američkog sna
00:54
but it always feltosećao se to me
like someoneneko else'sdrugo dreamsan.
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ali meni je to uvek izgledalo
kao nečiji tuđi san.
00:57
You see, a valuevrednost that I have
always understoodrazumljiv about myselfja
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Vidite, vrednost koju sam
ja uvek razumela o sebi
01:01
was that I never wanted childrendjeca.
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je ta da je nikada nisam želela decu.
01:04
And as a kidklinac, when I would try
to explainobjasni this,
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I kao dete, kada bih pokušala
to da objasnim,
01:08
this disconnectPrekinuti vezu betweenizmeđu
theirnjihova rolesuloge and my valuesvrijednosti,
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taj raskorak između
njihovih uloga i mojih vrednosti,
01:12
they oftenčesto laughedsmejao se
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obično bi se smejali
01:14
in the way that adultsodrasli do
at the absurditiesapsurda of childrendjeca.
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na način na koji se odrasli smeju
dečijim glupostima.
01:18
And they would tell me knowinglysvjesno,
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I rekli bi mi znalački:
01:20
"You'llVi ćete changepromjena your mindum."
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"Promenićeš mišljenje."
01:23
And people have been sayinggovoreći
things like that to me my wholecjelina life.
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I ljudi su mi govorili slične stvari
celog mog života.
01:27
OtherwiseU suprotnom politeljubazno conversationrazgovor
can turnokrenite intrusivenametljivo fastbrzo.
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Inače pristojan razgovor
može se brzo pretvoriti u nametljiv.
01:33
"Does your husbandmuž know?"
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"Da li tvoj muž zna?"
01:35
(LaughterSmijeh)
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(Smeh)
01:37
"Do your parentsroditelji know?"
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"Da li ti roditelji znaju?"
01:39
(LaughterSmijeh)
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(Smeh)
01:41
"Don't you want a familyporodica?"
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"Zar ne želiš porodicu?"
01:44
"Don't you want to leaveodlazi anything behindiza?"
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"Zar ne želiš ostaviti nešto iza sebe?"
01:48
And the primaryprimarno buzzwordZvonka
when discussingraspravlja childlessnessbez djece,
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I prvo što ti kažu
kada pričaš o nemanju dece:
01:54
"That's selfishsebično."
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"To je sebično."
01:59
There are countlessbezbroj reasonsrazloge
a womanžena maymože have
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Bezbrojni su razlozi koje žena može imati
02:02
for choosingOdabir to abstainuzdržavati from motherhoodMajcinstvo,
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zbog kojih je izabrala
da se suzdrži od majčinstva,
02:05
the majorityvećina of them
not self-prioritizingsamoprioritet.
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većina njih nisu u cilju
stavljanja sebe na prvo mesto.
02:10
But it is still sociallydruštveno acceptableprihvatljivo
to publiclyjavno vilifyokleficirati womenžene as suchtakve,
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Ali je i dalje socijalno prihvatljivo
javno omalovažavati ženu kao takvu,
02:14
because nonenema of these reasonsrazloge
have madenapravljen it into the socialsocijalno narrativenarativ.
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zato što nijedan od tih razloga
nije ušao u društveni narativ.
02:18
When I was little and learningučenje
about the inevitabilityneizbežnost of maternityporodiljskom,
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Kada sam kao mala učila
o neizbežnosti majčinstva,
02:24
it was never explainedobjašnjeno to me
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nikad mi nije objašnjena
02:25
the commonnesssvakodnevnost of these factorsfaktori
that womenžene considerrazmotrite,
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učestalost tih faktora koje žena razmatra,
02:31
like the riskrizik of passingprolazak on
hereditarynasljedno illnessbolest,
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kao što su rizik od prenošenja
naslednih bolesti,
02:34
the dangeropasnost of havingimati to stop
life-savingspasavanje života medicationlekovi
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opasnost kada moraš prekinuti uzimati lek
koji ti je neophodan
02:37
for the durationtrajanje of your pregnancyTrudnoća,
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za vreme trajanja trudnoće,
02:39
concernzabrinutost about overpopulationprenaseljenost,
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zabrinutost oko prenaseljenosti,
02:41
your accesspristup to resourcesresurse,
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tvoj pristup resursima,
02:44
and the factčinjenica that there are
415,000 childrendjeca
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i činjenica da se 415.000 dece
02:49
in the foster-carehraniteljsku njegu systemsistem
in the UnitedUjedinjeni StatesDržava at any givendat time.
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nalazi u hraniteljstvu u svakom momentu
u Sjedinjenim Američkim Državama.
02:54
ReasonsRazloga like these, manymnogi more,
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Razlozi kao ovi, mnogi drugi,
02:58
and the factčinjenica that I don't like to leaveodlazi
things of this magnitudemagnitude to chancešansa,
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i činjenica da mi se ne sviđa da stvari
ovakvih razmera prepustim slučaju,
03:03
all informedinformisani my decisionodluka
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su pohranili moju odluku
03:06
to becomepostati surgicallykirurški sterilizedsterilizirani.
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da se hirurški sterilišem.
03:09
I beganpočeo my researchistraživanje eagerlyžudno.
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Počela sam da istražujem sa uzbuđenjem,
03:12
I wanted to fullypotpuno understandrazumijete
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želela sam da potpuno razumem
03:14
all that was going to come
with undergoingprolazi kroz a tubal-dine Tubal ligationlizacija,
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sve što ide uz proceduru tubalne ligacije,
03:19
whichšto is just anotherdrugi wordriječ
for gettingdobivanje your tubescijevi tiedvezani.
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što je drugi naziv
za podvezivanje jajovoda.
03:22
I wanted to know approvalodobrenje to aftermathposledice,
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Želela sam da znam rezultat,
03:26
satisfactionzadovoljstvo ratesstope, risksrizike, statisticsstatistike.
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postotak zadovoljstva, rizike i statistiku
03:30
And at first, I was empoweredosnažena.
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I na početku, bila sam osnažena.
03:32
You see, the way the narrativenarativ
has always been taughtpredavao to me,
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Vidite, prema pričama
kojima su mene učili,
03:36
I would have thought that womenžene
who didn't want childrendjeca were so rareretko,
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ja bih pomislila da su retke žene
koje ne žele decu,
03:40
and then I learnednaučio
one in fivepet AmericanAmerički womenžene
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I onda sam saznala da jedna od pet
američkih žena
03:44
won'tneće be havingimati a biologicalbiološki childdete --
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neće imati biološko dete,
03:46
some by choiceizbor, some by chancešansa.
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neke po izboru, neke zbog okolnosti.
03:49
(ApplausePljesak)
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(Aplauz)
03:50
But I was not alonesam.
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Ali ja nisam bila sama.
03:55
But the more I readpročitajte,
the more disheartenedobeshrabren I becamepostao.
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Ali što sam više čitala,
više sam bila obeshrabrena.
03:57
I readpročitajte women'sžene storiespriče,
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Čitala sam priče žena,
04:00
tryingpokušavajući desperatelyočajnički to get this procedureprocedure.
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koje su očajno pokušavale
da dobiju ovu proceduru.
04:04
I learnednaučio how commončesto it was
for womenžene to exhaustauspuh theirnjihova financesfinansije
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Saznala sam koliko je često
da žene iscrpe svoje finansije,
04:10
appealingprivlačno to dozensdesetine of ob-gynsginekologa
over manymnogi yearsgodine,
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obraćajući se desetinama ginekologa,
tokom mnogo godina,
04:17
only to be turnedokrenuo se down so manymnogi timesputa,
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samo da bi bile odbijene toliko puta,
04:19
oftenčesto with suchtakve blatantnotorna disrespectUvrede
that they just gavedala up.
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često sa tako očiglednim nepoštovanjem
da su samo odustale.
04:23
WomenŽene reportedprijavili that medicalmedicinski practitionersprakse
were oftenčesto condescendingsnishodljivo
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Žene su izjavile da su lekari
često bili snishodljivi,
04:30
and dismissiveodbacivan of theirnjihova motivationsmotivacije,
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negativni u vezi njihovih motiva,
04:34
beingbiće told things like,
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rečeno im je nešto kao:
04:36
"Come back when you're marriedoženjen
with a childdete."
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"Vratite se kad se udate i imate dete. "
04:40
But womenžene who did have childrendjeca,
who wentotišao to go get this procedureprocedure,
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Ali ženama koje su imale decu,
i otišle da dobiju ovaj tretman,
04:44
were told they were too youngmladi,
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bilo je rečeno da su premlade,
04:47
or they didn't have enoughdosta childrendjeca,
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ili da nemaju dovoljno dece,
04:51
whichšto is very interestingzanimljivo,
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što je veoma interesantno,
04:53
because the legallegalno requirementszahtjevi in my statestanje
for gettingdobivanje this kindkind of surgeryoperacija were,
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budući da su zakonski uslovi u mojoj
državi za dobijanje operacije ove vrste:
05:00
"Be at leastnajmanje 21 yearsgodine oldstari,"
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"Najmanje 21 godina starosti,"
05:03
"appearpojaviti of soundzvuk mindum,
actingglumi of your ownvlastiti accordsporazum,"
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"izgledaj da si pri zdravom razumu,
nastupaj po svojoj zamisli,"
05:06
and "have a 30-day-Day waitingčeka periodperiod."
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i "sačekaj 30 dana."
05:10
And I was perplexedzbunjen that I could meetupoznaj
all of these legallegalno requirementszahtjevi
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I ja sam bila začuđena da sam zadovoljila
sve zakonske uslove,
05:16
and still have to facelice a battlebitka
in the examispit roomsoba
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a ipak morala da se suočim
sa borbom u ordinaciji
05:19
for my bodilytelesno autonomyautonomiju.
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za autonomiju nad mojim telom.
05:21
And it was dauntingzastrašujuće,
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I to je bilo obeshrabrujuće,
05:24
but I was determinedodređeno.
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ali ja sam bila odlučna.
05:26
I rememberzapamtite I dressedobučen so professionallyprofesionalno
to that first appointmentimenovanje.
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Sećam se da sam se obukla profesionalno
za taj prvi sastanak.
05:31
(LaughterSmijeh)
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(Smeh)
05:33
I satsat up straightravno.
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Sedela sam uspravno.
05:34
I spokegovorio clearlyjasno.
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Pričala jasno.
05:37
I wanted to give that doctordoktor
everysvaki piecekomad of evidencedokaze
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Želela sam da tom doktoru
dam svaki mogući dokaz
05:42
that I was not the datedatum
of birthrođenje in that filefajl.
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da ja nisam datum rođenja u tom fajlu.
05:46
And I madenapravljen sure to mentionpomene things like,
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I pobrinula sam se da pomenem stvari kao:
05:49
"I just got my bachelor'sprvostupnika degreestepen
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"Upravo sam diplomirala
05:50
and I'm applyingprimjena
to these doctoralsli programsprograme,
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i apliciram na ove doktorske studije,
05:53
I'm going to studystudija these things."
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ja ću da studiram to i to."
05:55
And "my long-termdugoročno partnerpartner
has this kindkind of businessposlovanje,"
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I "moj dugogodišnji partner
ima takav i takav biznis,"
05:59
and "I've donezavršeno researchistraživanje
on this for monthsmjeseci.
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i "ja sam istraživala o ovome mesecima.
06:03
I understandrazumijete everything
about it, all the risksrizike."
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Razumem sve o tome, sve rizike."
06:06
Because I neededpotrebno the doctordoktor to know
that this was not a whimkoga,
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Zato što mi je trebalo da doktor zna
da ovo nije samo hir,
06:10
not reactionaryreakcionaran,
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nije revolt,
06:12
not your 20-something-nešto
looking to go out and partyparty
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da ja nisam dvadesetogodišnjakinja
koja hoće da može da se zabavlja
06:15
withoutbez fearstrah of gettingdobivanje knockedpokucao up ...
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bez straha da ostane trudna...
06:17
(LaughterSmijeh)
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(Smeh)
06:19
that this supportedpodržan something
integralintegralni to who I was.
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da ovo podržava nešto
što je sastavni deo mene.
06:25
And I understandrazumijete informedinformisani consentsaglasnost,
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I da razumem informisani pristanak,
06:26
so I fullypotpuno expectedočekivano to be reeducatedpreraobrazovani
on how it all workedradio je, but ...
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tako da sam u potpunosti očekivala da
budem re-edukovana o tome, ali...
06:34
At one pointtačka, the informationinformacije beingbiće
givendat to me startedzapočet to feel agenda'ddnevni red,
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U jednom momentu, informacije koje
su mi dali, počele su da deluju sa namerom
06:39
interlacedprepleteno with biaspristrasnost
and inflatedvisoko statisticsstatistike.
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isprepletane sa pristrasnošću
i preduvanom statistikom.
06:45
The questionspitanja beganpočeo to feel interrogativepitanje.
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Pitanja su počela da budu ispitivačka.
06:49
At first they were askingpitajući me questionspitanja
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U početku su mi postavljali pitanja
06:52
that seemedizgledalo je to understandrazumijete
my situationsituacija better,
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koja su izgledala u cilju, da bi razumeli
bolje moju situaciju,
06:55
and then it seemedizgledalo je like they were
askingpitajući questionspitanja to try to tripputovanje me up.
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i onda je izgledalo da su me ispitivali
sa ciljem da me pokolebaju.
06:59
I feltosećao se like I was on the witnesssvjedok standštand,
beingbiće cross-examinedunakrsno ispitivanje.
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Osećala sam se kao na ispitivačkoj klupi,
unakrsno ispitivana.
07:04
The doctordoktor askedpitan me about my partnerpartner.
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Doktor me je pitao o mom partneru:
07:07
"How does he or she
feel about all of this?"
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"Kako se on ili ona oseća
po ovom pitanju?"
07:10
"Well, I've been with
the sameisto man for fivepet yearsgodine,
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"Pa, ja sam sa istim muškarcem pet godina,
07:13
and he fullypotpuno supportspodržava any decisionodluka
I make for my bodytelo."
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i on u potpuno podržava
bilo koju odluku o mom telu."
07:17
And he said, "Well,
what happensse dešava in the futurebudućnost,
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A on će na to: "A šta se dešava
u budućnosti,
07:19
if you changepromjena partnerspartnera?
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ako promeniš partnera?
07:20
What happensse dešava when that personosoba
wants childrendjeca?"
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Šta se dešava ako ta osoba
bude htela decu?"
07:24
And I didn't quitesasvim know
how to reactreagovati to that,
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I ja nisam znala kako da reagujem na to,
07:28
because what I was hearingsluh
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jer ono što sam ja čula je to
07:30
was this doctordoktor tell me that I'm supposednavodno
to disregardzanemariti everything I believe
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da mi ovaj lekar govori da ja treba
da odbacim sve u šta verujem,
07:37
if a partnerpartner demandszahteva childrendjeca.
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ako moj partner zahteva decu.
07:40
So I told him not to worrybrinite about that.
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Pa sam mu ja rekla da ne brine o tome.
07:43
My stancestav on childbearingrađanja
has always been first datedatum conversationrazgovor.
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Moj stav o nemanju dece je oduvek
bio tema na prvom sastanku.
07:47
(LaughterSmijeh)
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(Smeh)
07:53
(CheeringNavijački)
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(Ovacije)
07:54
(LaughterSmijeh)
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(Smeh)
07:59
He then askspita me to considerrazmotrite
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Onda mi je tražio da razmotrim
08:03
how "in 20 yearsgodine, you could really
come to regretžaljenje this" ...
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kako "za 20 godina, možeš zaista
zažaliti zbog ovoga"...
08:08
as thoughipak I hadn'tnije.
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kao da već nisam.
08:11
I told him,
135
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Rekla sam mu:
08:16
"OK, if I wakeprobuditi se up one day
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3225
"OK, ako se probudim jednog dana
08:20
and realizeshvatiti, you know,
137
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3048
i shvatim, znate,
08:23
I wishželim I'd madenapravljen a differentdrugačiji
decisionodluka back then,
138
491627
2722
da želim da sam donela
drugačiju odluku u prošlosti,
08:28
the truthistina is, I'd only removeduklonjen
a singlesingl pathput to parenthoodroditeljstvo.
139
496856
3015
istina je, ja sam samo uklonila jedan
od puteva ka roditeljstvu
08:32
I never neededpotrebno biologybiologija
to formobrazac familyporodica anywayu svakom slučaju."
140
500973
2533
Nije mi ni bila potrebna biologija
da imam porodicu."
08:36
(ApplausePljesak)
141
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7000
(Aplauz)
08:44
And I would much ratherpre
dealdogovoriti with that any day
142
512892
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Radije bih se nosila sa tim bilo koji dan,
08:48
than dealdogovoriti with one day wakingbuđenja up,
143
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nego da se jednom probudim,
08:51
realizeshvatiti I'd had a childdete
144
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shvateći da imam dete
08:55
that I didn't really want
or was preparedpripremljen to carenegu for.
145
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koje zaista ne želim ili o kojem nisam
spremna da brinem.
09:01
Because one of these affectspogađa only me.
146
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Zato što prvo utiče samo na mene.
09:04
The other affectspogađa a childdete,
147
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Drugo utiče na dete,
09:07
theirnjihova developmentrazvoj, theirnjihova well-beingblagostanje --
148
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njegov razvoj, dobrostanje --
09:09
(ApplausePljesak)
149
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(Aplauz)
09:13
and humančovjek beingsbića
are not to be gambledprokockao with.
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a ljudskim bićima se ne treba kockati.
09:18
He then tellskaže me why no one
was going to approveodobri this procedureprocedure,
151
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On mi onda kaže kako mi niko
neće odobriti ovu operaciju,
09:24
certainlysvakako not he,
152
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sigurno ne on,
09:25
because of a conceptkoncept
calledpozvana medicalmedicinski paternalismpaternalizam,
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zbog koncepta zvanog
medicinski paternalizam,
09:28
whichšto allowsdozvoljava him,
as my well-informeddobro informisan providerProvajdera,
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5065
koji mu dozvoljava da kao
dobro informisani provajder,
09:34
to make decisionsodluke for me ...
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donese odluke za mene...
09:37
basedbazirana on his perceptionpercepcija
of my bestnajbolje interestinteresovanje,
156
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2813
bazirano na njegovoj percepciji
o mom najboljem interesu,
09:40
regardlessbez obzira of what I,
as the patientpacijent, want or believe.
157
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bez obzira na to šta ja,
kao pacijent, želim i verujem.
09:44
He takes this opportunityprilika to stepkorak out
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2985
On koristi ovu priliku da istupi
09:47
and discussdiskutovati my caseslučaj
with my potentialpotencijal surgeonkirurg,
159
575809
3896
i diskutuje o mom slučaju
sa mojim potencijalnim hirurgom,
09:51
and throughkroz the doorvrata, I hearčuti him
describeopišite me as a little girldevojka.
160
579729
5277
i kroz vrata, ja ga čujem kako me opisuje
kao malu devojčicu.
10:01
I was so offendedUvrijeđen.
161
589137
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Bila sam tako uvređena.
10:03
I wanted to defendbraniti myselfja.
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Želela sam da se branim.
10:05
I wanted to explicitlyeksplicitno explainobjasni
to eachsvaki one of these providersProvajderima
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Želela sam da izričito objasnim
svakom od tih provajdera
10:09
how they were treatinglečenje me,
164
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kako su me tretirali,
10:11
that it was belittlingbelittling and sexistseksistički,
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kako je to bilo omalovažavajuće
i seksistički,
10:13
and I didn't have to take it.
166
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i da ja nisam morala to da trpim.
10:19
But I did take it.
167
607082
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Ali ja to jesam trpela.
10:22
I swallowedprogutao everysvaki sharpoštro wordriječ in my throatgrlo,
168
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2545
Progutala sam svaku oštru reč u mom grlu,
10:26
clenchedstisnute my jawčeljusti, and insteadumjesto toga
169
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3037
stisnula zube, i umesto toga
10:29
answeredodgovorio eachsvaki one of theirnjihova condescendingsnishodljivo
questionspitanja and statementsizjave.
170
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odgovorila na svako njihovo
snishodljivo pitanje i izjavu.
10:36
I had come here looking
for objectivityobjektivnost and supportpodrška
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3982
Došla sam ovde tražeći
objektivnost i podršku,
10:40
and insteadumjesto toga I feltosećao se dismissedodbacio and silencedUšutkao,
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4067
a umesto toga osećala sam se
napuštenom i utišanom,
10:44
and I hatedmrzela myselfja for it.
173
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i mrzela sam sebe zbog toga.
10:46
I hatedmrzela that I was lettingiznajmljivanje people
disrespectUvrede me repeatedlyviše puta.
174
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4596
Mrzela sam što sam dozvoljavala ljudima da
me uzastopno tretiraju sa nepoštovanjem.
10:51
But this was my one shotubijen.
175
639918
1818
Ali to je bila moja jedina šansa.
10:57
That was one of multiplevišestruko consultationskonsultacije
that I had to go to.
176
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4484
To je bila jedna od višestrukih
konsultacija na koje sam morala da odem.
11:02
At one pointtačka, I had seenviđeni fivepet or sixšest
medicalmedicinski professionalsprofesionalci in the sameisto hoursat.
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4222
U jednom momentu, posetila sam pet
ili šest lekara u istom satu.
11:07
The doorvrata to the examispit roomsoba
feltosećao se more like the doorvrata to a clownklovn carauto.
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3524
Vrata ka ordinaciji izgledala su više
kao vrata ka klovnovskom autu.
11:11
There's my primaryprimarno,
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1366
Tu je moj lekar,
11:12
there's his colleaguekolega,
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1808
tu je njegov kolega,
11:14
the directordirektor, OK.
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direktor, OK.
11:17
It feltosećao se like I was askingpitajući them
to infectzaraziti me with smallpoxvelike boginje
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5396
Osećala sam se kao da sam im tražila
da me inficiraju malim boginjama
11:22
insteadumjesto toga of, I don't know,
obtaindobiti birthrođenje controlkontrola.
183
670598
4403
umesto, ne znam, kontracepcije.
11:28
But I didn't waverkolebati,
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4342
Ali ja nisam pokleknula,
11:33
and I was persistentUporan,
185
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bila sam uporna,
11:35
and I eventuallyna kraju convinceduveren one of them
to allowdopustiti the procedureprocedure.
186
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i na kraju sam ubedila jednog od njih
da odobri operaciju.
11:42
And even as I am in the roomsoba,
signingpotpisivanje the consentsaglasnost formsobrazaca
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I čak dok sam u sobi, potpisujem formulare
11:48
and gettingdobivanje the hormonehormon shotssnimke
and tyingvezanje up looseslobodno endszavršava ...
188
696084
4373
i dobijam hormonske inekcije
i podvezujući rastavljene krajeve...
11:53
my doctordoktor is shakingtresenje
his headglava in disapprovalneodobravanje.
189
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moj doktor odmahuje glavom
u neodobravanju.
11:59
"You'llVi ćete changepromjena your mindum."
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"Promenićeš mišljenje."
12:03
I never really understoodrazumljiv
191
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3239
Nikada nisam zapravo razumela
12:06
how stronglysnažno this societydruštvo
clingsDrži to this roleuloga
192
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4356
koliko se snažno ovo društvo
drži ove uloge
12:11
untildo I wentotišao throughkroz this.
193
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1317
dok nisam prošla kroz ovo.
12:13
I experiencediskusan firsthandiz prve ruke, repeatedlyviše puta,
194
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6055
Doživela sam iz prve ruke, više puta,
12:20
how people, be it medicalmedicinski providersProvajderima,
195
728908
3634
kako su ljudi, bilo to lekari,
12:26
colleagueskolege, strangersstranci,
196
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2270
kolege, stranci,
12:30
were literallybukvalno unablenesposoban
to separateodvojeni me beingbiće a womanžena
197
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5659
bili bukvalno u nemogućnosti
da razdvoje mene kao ženu
12:37
from me beingbiće a mothermajka.
198
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1483
od mene kao majke.
12:40
And I've always believedvjerovali
that havingimati childrendjeca
199
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A ja sam oduvek verovala da je imati decu
12:44
was an extensionproduženje of womanhoodŽenstvenost,
not the definitiondefinicija.
200
752804
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bilo produženje ženstvenosti,
a ne definicija.
12:48
I believe that a woman'sžena valuevrednost
201
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Ja verujem da ženina vrednost
12:51
should never be determinedodređeno
by whetherbilo da or not she has a childdete,
202
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ne bi nikada trebalo da bude određena
po tome da li ili ne ona ima decu,
12:55
because that stripstrake her
of her entirecijeli identityidentitet
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jer joj to oduzima njen ceo identitet
13:00
as an adultodrasla osoba untodo herselfsama.
204
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kao odraslog u njoj.
13:02
WomenŽene have this amazingNeverovatno abilitysposobnost
to createstvoriti life,
205
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3534
Žene imaju ovu neverovatnu
sposobnost da stvore život,
13:07
but when we say that that is her purposesvrha,
206
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2111
ali kada kažemo da je to njena svrha,
13:11
that sayskaže that her entirecijeli existencepostojanje
is a meansznači to an endkraj.
207
779414
4483
to ukazuje na to da je njeno
celokupno postojanje sredstvo za cilj.
13:20
It's so easylako to forgetzaboraviti the rolesuloge
that societydruštvo placesmesta on us
208
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Lako je zaboraviti da su uloge
koje nam društvo nameće
13:25
are so much more than meresamo titlesnaslovi.
209
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mnogo više nego puki nazivi.
13:27
What about the weighttežina
that comesdolazi with them,
210
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Šta je sa težinom koja dolazi sa njima,
13:30
the pressurepritisak to conformprilagoditi
to these standardsstandarde ...
211
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pritiskom da zadovoljimo te standarde...
13:33
the fearstrah associatedpovezani with questioningispitivanje them,
212
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strahom povezanim sa sumnjom u njih,
13:36
and the desiresželje that we
castcast asidesa strane to acceptprihvatiti them?
213
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i željama koje odbacimo
da bismo ih prihvatili?
13:40
There are manymnogi pathsstaze
to happinesssreća and fulfillmentispunjenje.
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Ima mnogo puteva do sreće i ispunjenja.
13:44
They all look very differentdrugačiji,
215
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1971
Oni svi izgledaju veoma različito,
13:46
but I believe that everysvaki one
216
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ali ja verujem da svi oni
13:50
is pavedpopločan with the right
to self-determinationsamoodređenje.
217
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su popločani sa pravom na samo-određenje.
13:57
I want womenžene to know that your choiceizbor
to embracezagrli or foregoforego motherhoodMajcinstvo
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Žene, želim da znate da vaš izbor
da prihvatite ili odbijete majčinstvo
14:06
is not in any way tiedvezani
to your worthinessvrijednost or identityidentitet
219
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3771
nije ni na koji način povezano sa vašom
vrednošću ili identitetom
14:10
as spousessupruge, as adultsodrasli, or as womenžene ...
220
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kao supruge, kao odraslog, ili kao žene...
14:15
and there absolutelyapsolutno is
a choiceizbor behindiza maternityporodiljskom,
221
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i apsolutno postoji izbor iza majčinstva,
14:20
and it is yourstvoje
222
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i on je vaš
14:22
and yourstvoje alonesam.
223
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i samo vaš.
14:23
Thank you.
224
851645
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Hvala.
14:24
(ApplausePljesak)
225
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(Aplauz)
Translated by Natasha K
Reviewed by Ivana Korom

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Christen Reighter - Poet, essayist
Christen Reighter writes and performs as a poet and essayist, focusing primarily on social justice issues.

Why you should listen

Christen Reighter's primary advocacy platform is for the childfree-choice. She often writes and speaks out about her experience obtaining elective sterilization at age 22, including how she encountered and confronted harassing societal prejudice, condescending medical paternalism, and civil rights violations. Her other writing and advocacy work includes LGBTQIA+ rights, gender equality, sex-positivity, women's issues (including sexual assault) and mental health issues and recovery. 

Reighter is also an award-winning spoken word artist. she has competed and performed across the country and in international competitions such "Brave New Voices" on on HBO.

Originally born and raised in Texas, Reighter now lives happily in beautiful Colorado with her partner and their three rambunctious cats, and she currently is finishing her MA in clinical mental health counseling.

More profile about the speaker
Christen Reighter | Speaker | TED.com

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