Blair is not a legal scholar or an ethicist. She is a mother of six with a flair for design who lives in France.
She had to say that men need to be more responsible with their sperm so that women aren't confronted with abortion.
Blair's 63-post thread is now relevant after a leaked Supreme Court opinion suggested that the highest court in the land could upend the landmark 1973 decision.
The thread has gotten 37 million impressions on the social media site, and that's not counting those who find it on Facebook, Medium or her blog. Blair wrote a book called "Design Mom: How to Live with Kids: A Room-by-Room Guide" in 2015.
She tells USA TODAY that there hasn't been a day since it was published that it hasn't been commented on.
She still sounds surprised. It could be in the works.
Is Blair's original motivation for commenting? It was sheer frustration.
I was thinking that we were putting all the work on women and blaming them for all the unwanted pregnancies as if men were not part of this equation.
Blair was convinced that no one would want to hear her take on how unfair it is that women have to endure the hassle and physical pain of birth control when condoms are readily available.
Who was she? Who would listen?
No one is likely. Blair let go. Her talk was typical.
A woman who loves having orgasms all day long and all night long is the sluttiest slut in the world.
Sex does not equal abortion or unwanted pregnancies. Sex and irresponsible ejaculations cause unwanted pregnancies and abortion.
The thread came out of her in the summer. She sat on it. She grew tired of hearing men talk about women's bodies during the confirmation hearings for the Supreme Court of the United States. She published her take.
Some of her followers might see the posts. She would just take them down.
I’m a mother of six, and a Mormon. I have a good understanding of arguments surrounding abortion, religious and otherwise. I've been listening to men grandstand about women's reproductive rights, and I'm convinced men actually have zero interest in stopping abortion. Here's why…
— Gabrielle Blair (@designmom) September 13, 2018
The no-nonsense delivery instantly rang bells that still echo.
The thread has been translated into many languages. It has been featured in TikTok posts, including a video that shows a man reading the entire thread.
Blair says she has been warned of references made to her in college textbooks. Two of her children, who range in age from 12 to 24 years old, heard their mother's posts while in class at the University of California at Berkeley.
She says that most of the comments are supportive.
One of the women was married and the other was on an IUD. That's a no-brainer. He can bank his sperm if he thinks he will need it later.
Her thread on social media is often passionate and has a reply to Blair on it.
It takes two, a responsible man would wear a condom if both were present.
His comment was immediately countered by annavrmac: "Why is it the woman's choice?" I think men should get written consent from women that they are willing to procreate and understand the risks of sex before having sex. For a long time, women have taken all the risk. It is time for men to take responsibility.
Blair says that there are always people who are less polite.
Blair may have more to say on the topic. She says she was approached by a publisher to talk about turning the thread into a book, diving deeper into some of the topics and themes, and expanding on the debate over male responsibility.
Blair is likely to talk about male vasectomies.
In 1729, Jonathan Swift wrote "A Modest Proposal." In her thread, she presents an outrageous idea.
Blair has a suggestion, which is to give all young boys a vasectomy at puberty so they can have children with their loved one. Cured of unwanted pregnancies.
It's not a real thing, but it's my way of pointing out how unwilling we are to ask sacrifice of men. It one day might be possible for a man to have a vasectomy that is easily and effectively reversed.
Blair doesn't see herself as a culture warrior. I want to change the conversation about condoms, which is a great way to prevent unwanted pregnancies and keep women healthy.
She says her stance is not motivated by religion.
She decided to mention her Mormon faith at the beginning of the thread to disabuse people of the idea that all Mormons are conservative.
She says there are many of us who are more liberal.
Someone in the cultural conversation is doing it from overseas. She and her husband, Ben, decided to use their remote worker status to find a less expensive place to raise their children.
Blair got a degree in graphic design from a Utah university. We wanted a place that was more affordable and a new adventure.
She wants to return to the U.S. one day. She looks back at her home country with concern because of the recent abortion news.
She says that America feels very unstable right now.
Blair pauses.
She says she is angry about the news these days.
If you want to reduce abortions, you have to start with unwanted pregnancies. That's all I'm saying.
People are listening.
The article was originally published by USA TODAY.
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