Last weekend in Edina, Minnesota, a group called “Stop Having Kids” protested having children.
The protest took place on 50th and France in Edina, where people were seen holding signs that said things like, “Women can be whole without becoming a mom” and “Normalize antinatalism.”
The group’s platform describes itself as “antinatalist,” meaning they believe it is morally wrong to have children. The group “acknowledges that there is an unconscionable amount of needless suffering and death in the world, with birth serving as the catalyst for it all,” according to their website.
Stop Having Kids regards having children as selfish. “Humans who want biological children can only justify it for reasons that are egocentric and self-focused, not out of rational interest for that future child and the collective world,” their website reads. The organization views having children as nothing but creating harm for the child, yourself, others, and the planet.
This argument, the group says, stems from the idea that children cannot consent to being born and do not consent to live in a world where their “life is suffering.”
Additionally, the group believes that a human life produces more harm and damages than if that life were to never exist. The group describes themselves as “pro-choice all the way.”
Stop Having Kids also depicts parenting in negative ways, calling parenting an “epidemic” of regret.
On the group’s website, they provide a list of benefits for people who are “childfree.” The list includes the following, among many other points:
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“Having actual days off.”
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“More sleep (uninterrupted too) and relaxation.”
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“Not having to deal with crying, screaming, changing diapers, messes, etc.”
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“Not having to teach someone SO many things.”
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“No pretending to be interested in what one’s children are saying or doing.”
“Having children is unethical and irrational,” according to Stop Having Kids.