A major component of the erosion of this taboo is that pro-choice politicians failed to act against this practice when they could have done so. Why the failure? Because the perception that conceding any criterion that could justify restricting early abortions might then set a precedent for other criteria and ultimately, a blanket ban on abortions altogether.

Such fear is in fact cowardice. There is a clear distinction between aborting defective fetuses and aborting healthy fetuses for gender preference. It is the pro-choice politicians who need to make the case for this distinction, since anti-abortion politicians are hamstrung by ulterior motive.

Speaking for myself, I favor abortion on demand, but not when the gender of an otherwise healthy fetus is willfully known before the fact. Then, it's criminal feticide.