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Marie Stopes

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Sex Researcher

The Resume

    (October 15, 1880-October 2, 1958)
    Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
    Paleobotanist
    Wrote 'Married Love' (1918) and 'Wise Parenthood' (1918)
    Opened the first birth control clinic in England (1921)
    Founded the National Birth Control Council

Why she might be annoying:

    She was a respected scientist, but it took several months of research at the British Library before she realized her first marriage was foundering because her husband was impotent.
    She wrote to Pope Pius XI that they should join forces since they were both fighting 'the evil practice of abortion.' When he later issued a papal bull condemning artificial contraception, she took it as a personal attack.
    She was such a fanatic about eugenics that she cut her son out of her will because he married a near-sighted woman.

Why she might not be annoying:

    She wrote 'Married Love' because she was appalled by her own ignorance about sex and figured other women were equally in the dark.
    She helped break down taboos about sex.
    She advocated equality between the sexes, writing 'Man will find at his side not only a mate, free and strong, but a desirable friend and an intellectual comrade.'
    She campaigned to stop the practice of firing female teachers when they married.

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 9 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 2 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 9 Votes: 77.78% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 4 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 5 Votes: 40.0% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 2 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 5 Votes: 60.0% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 5 Votes: 60.0% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 5 Votes: 40.0% Annoying
    In 2014, Out of 11 Votes: 54.55% Annoying
    In 2013, Out of 10 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2012, Out of 12 Votes: 58.33% Annoying
    In 2011, Out of 6 Votes: 16.67% Annoying
    In 2010, Out of 41 Votes: 56.10% Annoying
    In 2009, Out of 20 Votes: 45.00% Annoying
    In 2008, Out of 39 Votes: 38.46% Annoying
    In 2007, Out of 107 Votes: 46.73% Annoying