Phoebe Bridgers, Garbage, Questlove and more have reacted to the US Supreme Court’s private vote to overturn the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision which made abortion legal on a federal level.
Yesterday (May 2) Politico published a leaked draft opinion penned by Justice Samuel Alito which argued that Roe v. Wade was “egregiously wrong from the start” adding that “it is time to heed the Constitution and return the issue of abortion to the people’s elected representatives.”
Draft opinions can be subject to multiple drafts and vote-trading, sometimes until just days before they are shared, so the court’s decision is not final. If the court goes through with overturning the landmark case, however, abortion would no longer be protected as a federal right in the US, and each state would be able to decide individually whether to restrict or ban abortion.
The Supreme Court has voted to strike down Roe v. Wade, according to an initial draft majority opinion written by Justice Samuel Alito and obtained by POLITICO. “We hold that Roe and Casey must be overruled,” Alito writes. https://t.co/nl3JFLx9xg
Reactions to the potential rollback of abortion rights at the federal level have been shared on social media by figures in the entertainment and music industry since the news broke last night.
The Regrettes took to Twitter to share a link to abortion funds in every state, while writing “the fact that we’re here again having to defend our bodies against a majority male vote is frustrating and heartbreaking.”
They added: “You know where we stand. Abortion should be accessible to EVERYONE.”
the fact that we’re here again having to defend our bodies against a majority male vote is frustrating and heartbreaking. you know where we stand. abortion should be accessible to EVERYONE. here’s a link to abortion funds in every state https://t.co/OmfR7y6Ux3
Bridgers wrote a candid post to fans via her Instagram stories and Twitter, sharing her own experience before asking them to donate.
“I had an abortion in October of last year while I was on tour,” she wrote. “I went to planned parenthood where they gave me the abortion pill.”
The singer added: “It was easy. Everyone deserves that kind of access” before sharing a link to a list of abortion funds to donate.
I had an abortion in October of last year while I was on tour. I went to planned parenthood where they gave me the abortion pill. It was easy. Everyone deserves that kind of access. Here’s a big list of places you can donate to right now. https://t.co/jT0sk6CeNX
Questlove posted twice on Instagram in reaction to the vote. First, likening the Supreme Court vote to the country’s “Handmaids Tale era” before sharing a graphic asking his followers to “channel your rage into action”.
In the caption, he said, “Men we of all people need to rally behind this” before listing multiple rallies that would take place in New York City, D.C., and across the country today (May 3) in protest of the potential overturn of Roe v. Wade.
Garbage also shared a post on Instagram, with a graphic that read “You can’t ban abortion you can only ban safe abortions.” They captioned the post, “my heart breaks.”
View more reactions from the entertainment and music industry on the leaked Supreme Court vote to overturn Roe v. Wade below.
They just wanted slavery and to deny most people the right to vote. https://t.co/btUeaWgHaT
REPUBLICANS MAY HAVE FINALLY GOTTEN THEIR WISH.AFTER 49 YRS GOP SUPREME COURT POISED 2 STRIKE DOWN ROE V WADE. MY MOM SAID,”WHEN I WAS YOUNG,I HEARD, “KEEP EM BAREFOOT & PREGNANT,”A WOMANS PLACE IS IN THE HOME”, “WOMEN DONT HAVE ?’S 4 BUSINESS”. “DEATH DUE 2 BACK ALLY ABORTION”
Once more for the people in the back: WOMEN DON’T GET PREGNANT BY THEMSELVES! Why is there zero sense of shared responsibility?! It’s pathetic, and I stand with the masses of you who are enraged and want to fight back. Hand me my armor. #BansOffOurBodies
I support a woman’s right to choose, and @amandashires and I give to the Yellowhammer fund in Alabama. Please give if you can. https://t.co/X8Knk55bJD
pic.twitter.com/UGJxR45VsX
Fuck off https://t.co/VKeuyiETQa
they wage war on women we will fight back
Maybe now the true majority will RISE THE FUCK UP AND PUSH BACK! THIS is what happens when you let a bullying MINORITY run the show! https://t.co/8rmLbYRaq8
As the staggeringly partisan, right wing-dominated SCOTUS nudges America closer to Handmaids Tale status, the importance of voting in EVERY election becomes even more obvious. One would hope today’s news erases any further delusions that “both parties are pretty much the same.”
Even these two idiots know… pic.twitter.com/PhK6Jhf3bg
Make no mistake. A majority in this country are angry tonight. Not a small majority. A giant majority. I am seeing that rage. I am hearing that rage. I am feeling that rage. And to all scared women tonight, I will fight for you & with you. I will fight like hell. We all must.
the right to your body is yours and YOURS ALONE. every single one of you use your voice, donate, spread realisable information, SPEAK OUT!
Today’s responses follow multiple prominent figures speaking out against US legislation. Back in March, Lizzo spoke out against Texas’ anti-trans legislation and abortion policies during her SXSW keynote speech.
The Houston-raised singer – whose keynote address was centred around her forthcoming Watch Out for the Big Grrrls reality series – slammed the legislation when talking to host Angela Yee on Sunday (March 13).
“I’m proud to rep Houston but I’m not proud to rep Texan politics right now. There are very regressive laws being passed,” she told the audience.
She added: “They’re taking away the right for young children to have a chance to live authentically as themselves. It’s a violation of human rights. Trans rights are human rights.”
The singer also discussed Texas’ heavily restrictive laws around abortion.
“We got a lotta ugly babies y’all need to be handling instead of y’all being in people’s homes and telling them what to do with their bodies and being all up in their uteruses,” Lizzo said. “The abortion ban is atrocious as well. Mind your business. Stay out of my body.”
