This weekend sucked. It felt like a wound that just kept getting reopened. It was hard to process the number of feelings brought on by the Dobbs decision. We attempted to get to some of the bigger protests in Los Angeles, but if you don’t live downtown, it was almost impossible. So we went to some smaller one closer to our home. It felt futile, though. I realize we have to fight, I won’t give up, but it does feel hopeless right now. Fortunately, I have people like Lizzo to inspire me into getting back out there. Ahead of her Special Tour, Lizzo pledged $500K to Planned Parenthood and Abortion Rights. Live Nations agreed to match her funds, bringing the total to $1M.
In her social media post, Lizzo reminded everyone that black women and women of color have always had challenges when it came to healthcare and family planning. So while this is a huge blow to everyone, it’s not a new fight to much of the female population.
I’m pledging $500k from my upcoming tour to Planned Parenthood and Abortion Rights. Live Nation agreed to match— to make it 1 MILLION dollars.
The most important thing is action & loud voices. @plannedparenthood@abortionfunds & organizations like them— will need funding to continue offering services to people who are most harmed by this ban
Black women & women of color have historically had disproportionately less access to family planning resources— this is a great loss but not a new one.
[From Instagram]
I’ll say what Lizzo is politely not saying: white women need to join the fight that has been fought by the women of color in this country for centuries. Not take over the fight. Not redirect it – join it. We need to do what we should have been doing the whole time. If you have been, good. I salute you. If, however, you or your foremothers protected their interests and forgot to see how those votes affected the women who lived on either side of the fence, then get to work. As Kaiser has been pointing out, Roe was only with us for 49 years. It came and went in my lifetime. Just think how many other decisions we will mourn before this court is through. Get mad and stay mad and every time you feel defeated, find a way to fight harder. Send a letter, write a check, boost an organization’s signal. And for the love of whatever you worship – vote. Los Angeles almost turned its keys over to a follower of Trump’s playbook for mayor because people like Kim Kardashian and Katy Perry endorsed him?! Do you know what that will do to the true blue California? Fortunately, we got a run-off out of it and the person who should be mayor has pulled ahead.
Good for Lizzo. The money sends speaks volumes and her written statement is powerful. Following in Lizzos’s footsteps, Rage Against the Machine is raising funds after making an equally empowering statement. Taylor Swift also made a statement and Phoebe Bridgers spoke out at Glastonbury where both Megan Thee Stallion and Olivia Rodrigo did the same. I’m sure we’ll continue to hear from celebrities on this and good on them. But let not wait. Here’s a link to regional abortion funds you can donate to.
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- LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, USA – JUNE 26: American singer Lizzo wearing a custom Gucci feathered gown arrives at the BET Awards 2022 held at Microsoft Theater at L.A. Live on June 26, 2022 in Los Angeles, California, United States.,Image: 703204788, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Lizzo, Credit line: Xavier Collin / Image Press Agency / Avalon
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- LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, USA – JUNE 26: American singer Lizzo wearing a custom Gucci feathered gown arrives at the BET Awards 2022 held at Microsoft Theater at L.A. Live on June 26, 2022 in Los Angeles, California, United States.,Image: 703204857, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Lizzo, Credit line: Xavier Collin / Image Press Agency / Avalon
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- LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, USA – JUNE 26: American singer Lizzo wearing a custom Gucci feathered gown arrives at the BET Awards 2022 held at Microsoft Theater at L.A. Live on June 26, 2022 in Los Angeles, California, United States.,Image: 703204924, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Lizzo, Credit line: Xavier Collin / Image Press Agency / Avalon
Photo credit: Avalon Red and Instagram
Another reason to love lIzzo.
That’s awesome of her. I am grateful for anyone who takes a stand on this and helps in any way they can.
Good for her. Very cool. Will help alot of ladies.
After fans reached out, she also decided to donate to abortionfunds.org!
https://twitter.com/lizzo/status/1540475079292702720?s=21&t=5oOUEo3uz9PzblIHe3kyBQ
Look, I don’t do the #notallwhitewomen thing, but it has been a rough couple of days for us all. So can we please use words like “more” women of color or “fewer” white women? I spent so long getting up at the crack of dawn to get screamed at by psychos while trying to help patients get into clinics, and I would be doing it still if my health didn’t suck. Please, don’t talk like I don’t exist at all. Please.
I see you and I appreciate you, GR.
Like she wasn’t awesome enough! (love her)
Also, women need to get over the idea that abortion rights have anything to do with “murdering babies.” If baby murder was the issue, there wouldn’t be an AR-15 left in the United States. If you want to stop abortions and support women having children, vote for people who make contraception easy to access and cheap, provide quality cheap healthcare to pregnant women, help with quality childcare, and pay a livable wage. In other words, vote for people who will create a society where having a child doesn’t destroy a woman’s life–and possibly her other children’s as well. “Give your baby up for adoption” is not the answer. There are hundreds of thousands of kids in US foster care. Those people just want to pick a newborn who they can easily imprint with their Christian extremism.
Slow claps for this comment.
I second the slow claps!!!
Perfectly stated.
Just back from a protest in front of the American Embassy where I live (EU). Given that I live in the tiniest of countries, it was quite a croud-women and men.
We stand with you!
This made me cry. Thank you!
Thank you Lizzo.
That is awesome.
Meanwhile, FB and Instagram are removing posts about accessing the abortion pill while posts about buying and selling guns and weed remain.
The right is forcing kids who were raped to give birth while guaranteeing that their abusers have access to an AR-15.
Leave cannabis out of this please. Cannabis never killed anybody.
My point is that it’s not legal at the federal level. So, it can stay. I’ll keep weed as part of the discussion.
I’ve been a smoker, lived with growers, and have no moral objections to pot.
If a company is going to facilitate access to a substance that is illegal at the federal level, there is no justification for banning discussion about access to abortion pills, which are legal and FDA approved.
I appreciate this. As usual, Black women and other women of color will be hit hardest by this. Margaret Atwood wrote Handmaid’s Tale inspired by the forced breeding and reproductive harm done to Black and indigenous women over centuries (part of the reason abortion funds and organizations right now are really trying to push back on the Handmaid imagery people keep repeating in response to this, although it’s understandable).
There’s a reason Rep. Mary Miller “slipped” and called it a victory for “white life”.
Did she ever claim that was a slip? I thought she looked pleased with herself when she said it.
They say she “meant” to read “right to life”, but how you make that mistake isn’t clear, and as others have stated, the crowd didn’t bat an eye and cheered when she said it, so I fail to see the difference.
1) A portion of Republicans wants to turn the US into an evangelical Christian theocracy. Take a look at Pakistan for how great theocracy works for women and religious minorities.
2) Republicans are so worried about white people being replaced by minorities — I am convinced that criminalizing abortion is their way of disenfranchising women — especially WOC. Just like harsher drug penalties have disenfranchised countless men of color.
Of course. It is all purposeful- the subjugation of women in general, but also to make maternal mortality rates for WOC EVEN WORSE, and force WW into increasing the white population. It’s so fucking evil I just cannot wrap my mind around it.
It has brought me to one simple conclusion, though… anti-social personality disorder prevalence HAS to be greater than the 4% of society experts quote. And our government attracts them, because POWER.
Thank you, Lizzo and Live Nation!!! 💜
I don’t even live in the US and I’ve felt so sad all week. My spirits are crushed.
The right wing in Canada is getting louder and louder too.