Khushboo Malhotra

Are we entering a “new era” or stepping into the “dark future?” On 24 June, the United States Supreme Court reversed Roe v. Wade, a seminal ruling from 1973 that had established national reproductive rights for over five decades, and decimated the right to abortion in the United States.

Abortion has long been a controversial topic in the US, causing a divide among its citizens. According to a recent court decision, the nation’s law-abiding individuals no longer have a fundamental right to end a pregnancy. At least 26 states are expected to ban it immediately or as soon as they practically can.

“abortion is no longer a constitutional right”

Although the decision does not make abortion illegal nationwide, it solidifies the fact that abortion is no longer a constitutional right, meaning that individual states will decide whether to ban the practice or set tighter restrictions.

The Guttmacher Institute found that, in 2020, the abortion rate (US) increased for the first time in three decades—with one in five pregnancies ending in abortion.

Many Republican-run states celebrated the news

Democratic-led states are likely to reinforce protections for the procedure while Republican-run states are set to ban abortion in about half of the states.

One of the states immediately affected by the ruling is Texas and the Republican attorney general of Texas, Ken Paxton took to Twitter to celebrate the implications of the ruling.

While fighting for abortion rights on a national level is always important, one of the actual threats to abortion access lies in many conservative states. According to The Cut, 13 Republican-run states expect to enact “trigger laws” to outlaw abortion as soon as Roe v. Wade is overturned.

Joe Biden’s Response

“With your vote, you can act. You can have the final word. This is not over.”

“The Supreme Court expressly took away a Constitutional right from the American people that it had already recognized. They simply took it away. That’s never been done to a right that is so important to so many Americans,” said US President Joe Biden.

“This decision is a culmination of deliberate efforts over decades to upset the balance of our law,” Biden further added. “I’ve warned about how overturning Roe risks a broader right to privacy for everyone. The right to make the best decisions for your health. The right to marry the person you love. With your vote, you can act. You can have the final word. This is not over.”

Celebrity reactions

Many public figures, politicians and celebrities addressed abortion rights and voiced their opinions on social media after the Supreme Court’s ruling.

Less than an hour after the announcement by the Supreme Court, the former first lady, Michelle Obama, issued a statement online to share her thoughts.

“I am heartbroken today. I am heartbroken for people around this country who just lost the fundamental right to make informed decisions about their own bodies,” wrote Obama. “I am heartbroken that we may now be destined to learn the painful lessons of a time before Roe was made law of the land — a time when women risked losing their lives getting illegal abortions.

Former US President Barack Obama also responded to the overturn of Roe v. Wade via a Twitter thread, stressing the importance of abortion as a solely personal decision that human rights activists have been fighting for for years.

 

Harry Styles stated that he was “heartbroken”; Taylor Swift said she felt “absolutely terrified” of the decision and what it meant for women. Padma Lakshmi made the point that “this will only prevent safe, legal abortions from taking place.” With hundreds of tweets and messages surfacing from public figures and celebrities in response to the announcement, the mass outrage at the unsettling verdict is certainly clear.

Image courtesy of Harrison Mitchell on Unsplash. Image license can be found here. No changes were made to this image.

These reactions did not just end on social media. Amanda Seyfried stood up for abortion rights and emphasised the power of women during her acceptance speech at Variety’s Power of Women event saying: “We need to be the unstoppable force.”

“Women’s safety and security, as we have just been reminded, is far too often negotiable. And it’s not negotiable to me.” Seyfried simply stated. “There’s no better moment, not just to celebrate the power of us women, but to use it. In these very desperate times where theocrats are diligently working to eradicate our most basic right, we need to be the unstoppable force that creates and sustains community and who make the future better than the present.”

“My body, my m*therf*cking choice”- Megan Thee Stallion

Megan Thee Stallion blasted the Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe vs Wade during her Glastonbury set on Saturday evening. “You guys know it wouldn’t be me if I don’t take a second to call out these stupid damn men, I mean Godd*mn, what else do you want?” she hypothetically asked, before finishing with the statement: “My body, my m*therf*cking choice.”

Image courtesy of James Genchi on Unsplash. Image license can be found here. No changes were made to this image.

Olivia Rodrigo also took a moment to address abortion rights and expressed her frustration and hatred toward the Supreme Court, overturning Roe vs Wade, and encouraging everyone to use their voices. She invited Lily Allen onto the stage for a rendition of Allen’s song “F*** You” that they dedicated to the Supreme Court Justices.

The decision by the court has not been taken lightly, which is why groups and companies are doing what they can in assisting a women’s decision to have an abortion.

Major US companies have pledged to cover their staff travel expenses for abortions—these include Disney, Paramount, Comcast, Netflix, Meta, Amazon, Yelp and JP Morgan. Other firms that have said they will take similar steps include Levi Strauss, Conde Nast, Uber and Lyft.

Donate to an abortion fund

Social media users mobilised to share abortion access resources following the Supreme Court’s ruling overturning Roe v. Wade. Various links to abortion funds and online abortion services went viral on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok in the days following the ruling.

Online communities have cropped up to offer guidance, medical advice, practical resources and support to those seeking abortion services in the post-Roe world.

Here’s a list of legitimate abortion funds. If you wish to provide financial support for abortion clinics and funds, please consider donating to the organisations here. If you are interested in finding out where exactly a fund operates and any more information, visit the website.

Khushboo is a Twitter Editor at Empoword Journalism. She is an Award-nominated lifestyle and pop culture journalist, writer, and budding entrepreneur aiming to break down the boundaries of cultural stigma and shame attached to mental health and sexual health and bring marginalised topics to light. Send your stories, tips, and press announcements to khushboomalhotrafreelance@gmail.com

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