"I've been overwhelmed by the response, from women and men, and teenagers, thanking me for being a strong voice—and not just from my constituents, but people across the country," said Michigan House Rep. Lisa Brown, a Democrat, on Sunday. She was speaking of the controversy that erupted after she used the word 'vagina' on the House floor on Wednesday. "Finally, Mr. Speaker, I'm flattered that you're all so interested in my vagina, but no means no," Rep. Brown said. Brown was banned from speaking on the House floor as a result.
On Wednesday, the Michigan legislature approved new restrictions on abortion services, which led Brown to make her House speech. "There is a push by Right to Life to restrict those rights, and that was what this bill was about," said Rep. Brown, speaking on Melissa Harris-Perry. "It's really kind of a backdoor way of trying to really overturn Roe vs. Wade." Brown received 10,000 postcards from the around the state supporting Planned Parenthood and abortion rights, but the House speaker banned the cards.