‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ trends after Alabama abortion vote

“The Handmaid’s Tale” is trending on Twitter following Alabama’s vote to pass the country’s most restrictive abortion law.

On Tuesday night, Alabama’s majority-Republican Senate passed a bill which, if signed by Republican Gov. Kay Ivey, would ban almost all abortions in the state and could punish doctors who perform them with life in prison.

{mosads}Under the bill, abortions wouldn’t be allowed in the event of rape or incest, but it makes exceptions if there’s a “serious health risk to the unborn child’s mother.” The proposal directly challenges Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court case that made abortions legal across the nation.

The legislation quickly received widespread backlash on social media, and many began to compare the passed measure to rules in the popular TV series, which is set in the totalitarian society of Gilead — which used to be the United States.

In the show, the few fertile women left are forced into servitude, becoming Handmaids who are forced to give birth to children.

On Twitter, one person shared a photo of the 22 Alabama senators who voted against making rape or incest reasons for exceptions to the abortion ban. Above the picture, she wrote, “Gilead is being brought to you by the following people.”

Gilead is being brought to you by the following people: https://t.co/LrUT6dkbp7

— Caitlin Moran (@caitlinmoran) May 15, 2019

Another wrote, “Dear legislators – Handmaid’s Tale is a cautionary tale, not a manual for how to arrange society.”

Dear legislators – Handmaid’s Tale is a cautionary tale, not a manual for how to arrange society.

— Susan Bro (@SusanBro7) May 14, 2019

Ivey, who has previously expressed anti-abortion views, has six days to sign or veto the bill.