Teen pregnancy is epidemic, we know. But what about fake teen pregnancy? A 17-year-old high school girl in Toppenish, Wash., surprised classmates at a student assembly this week when she revealed that she was not six months pregnant, as pretty much everyone except her immediate family and boyfriend and the school principal thought she was.
Gaby Rodriguez faked her pregnancy as a “social experiment,” according to the Yakima Herald Republic. And she found that, in general, teen moms faced a lot of stereotyping and hurtful attitudes.
Gaby began wearing a homemade prosthetic belly to school after spring break. Before that, she wore baggy clothes to conceal her faux pregnancy.
“In essence, she gave up her senior year,” said Principal Trevor Greene. “She sacrificed her senior year to find out what it would be like to be a potential teen mom.”
Gaby Rodriguez faked her pregnancy as a “social experiment,” according to the Yakima Herald Republic. And she found that, in general, teen moms faced a lot of stereotyping and hurtful attitudes.
Gaby began wearing a homemade prosthetic belly to school after spring break. Before that, she wore baggy clothes to conceal her faux pregnancy.
“In essence, she gave up her senior year,” said Principal Trevor Greene. “She sacrificed her senior year to find out what it would be like to be a potential teen mom.”
It's a simple enough news story. Teen fakes pregnancy, collects others' reactions, compiles it into school research project. And then I read this line in the original news report:
"I'm fighting against those stereotypes and rumors because the reality is I'm not pregnant."
Notice her wording there. Not "because pregnant teens deserve to be treated with dignity and respect". Not "because all students deserve equal access to quality education". Not "because it's time to end the slut-shaming of young parents who choose to go public with their pregnancy". Rather, it's "because I'm not pregnant".
Way to represent an oppressed class there.
The comments on the linked article aren't much better in their implications.
"Gaby sure taught her school a lesson.. if anything it will have a lasting effect on loud mouth, bully kids, who think they are better than others. Put them in their place reading those comments out loud. Would love to read her report, should put it online so we can see outcome."
Here's my question: how many teenagers become pregnant each year? The rate in 2006 was 71.5 pregnancies per 1000 teens. And how many of them have ever been given a voice? If your answer was "Bristol Palin", you've just made my point for me.