On this page are some of the prominent people in various spheres who have spoken out against the June 24 Supreme Court decision that took away women’s right to abortion by overturning Roe v. Wade. This is just the beginning—many, many more people with voices that can reach millions need to speak out and act.
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Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Democratic congressperson, joining with chants led by Sunsara Taylor, co-initiator of RiseUp4AbortionRights.org and co-host of The RNL—Revolution, Nothing Less!—Show, in front of the Supreme Court right after the decision: This decision… ILLEGITIMATE! This decision… ILLEGITIMATE!... Into the streets! Into the streets!: https://www.instagram.com/p/CfMiB5HJkEp/
Maxine Waters, Democratic congressperson, on Twitter: Today, I stand in solidarity with the 36 MILLION women being stripped of their right to decide what is best for themselves. We WILL keep fighting!
Selena Gomez, singer and actor, on Twitter
Taylor Swift, singer, on Twitter: I’m absolutely terrified that this is where we are - that after so many decades of people fighting for women’s rights to their own bodies, today’s decision has stripped us of that.
Megan Thee Stallion, rapper, on Instagram: The court has failed us all — but we won’t back down. I’m going to keep fighting because everyone deserves access to the care they need. Join me and @PPact: http://BansOff.org. #bansoffourbodies
Olivia Rodrigo and Billie Eilish, singers, at June 24 concert in Glastonbury, UK (reported in the Guardian): Appearing before a crowd of thousands on the Other stage, Olivia Rodrigo said: “I’m devastated and terrified. So many women and so many girls are going to die because of this. I wanted to dedicate this next song to the five members of the Supreme Court who have showed us that at the end of the day, they truly don’t give a shit about freedom. The song is for the justices: Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch, Amy Coney Barrett, Brett Kavanaugh. We hate you! We hate you.” The song she referred to was "Fuck You," performed with its author, guest star Lily Allen.… Billie Eilish said: “today is a really dark day for women in the U.S.”
Phoebe Bridgers, singer, at a June 24 concert in Glastonbury, UK: Are there any Americans here? Who wants to say “Fuck the Supreme Court” on 3? One, two, three: “FUCK THE SUPREME COURT!!!” [Loud response from crowd chanting with Bridgers] Fuck that shit. Fuck America. Fuck you. All these irrelevant old motherfuckers trying to tell us what to do with our fucking bodies.
Billie Joe Armstrong, front man for the band Green Day, during a concert in London on June 24 (per report in the Daily Mail): 'F**k America. I'm f***ing renouncing my citizenship. I'm f**king coming here,' Armstrong told the London Stadium crowd Friday night."... "I'm f***ing renouncing my citizenship.".... Concertgoers claim he told the crowd 'f**k the Supreme Court of America' before playing American Idiot, which the band has previously said was written out of anger about not being represented by national leadership.
Halsey, singer, at a concert in Phoenix, Arizona, June 24 (from article at Stereogum.com): “This has been happening for a very long fucking time,” they began. “And I know that we want to sit at home and we want to wait for some revolutionary to come along and to make a difference, but no one is fucking coming. Nobody is fucking coming. It is up to every single one of you, myself, every single person in this building to do our fucking part to protect bodily autonomy and bodily integrity. To protect medical privacy.” From there, Halsey led the audience in a chant of “MY BODY, MY CHOICE.”
Keke Palmer, actor, on Twitter: I’m past disgusted w/ my country and their constant inability to protect one another’s right & keep their word. How u overturning the wrong things? So many things to overturn that make sense. But this is what you chose??
Danny DeVito, actor, on Twitter: Supreme Court my ass.
The band Rage Against the Machine, on Instagram: We are disgusted by the repeal of Roe v. Wade and the devastating impact it will have on tens of millions of people…. Like the many women who have organized sophisticated railroads of resistance to challenge these attacks on our collective reproductive freedom, we must continue to resist.
Jill Filipovic, author, in Guardian op-ed: As of 24 June 2022, the US Supreme Court should officially be understood as an illegitimate institution – a tool of minority rule over the majority, and as part of a far-right ideological and authoritarian takeover that must be snuffed out if we want American democracy to survive....
Bette Midler, singer and actor, on Twitter: Nuff said. Good night.
Cher, singer and actor, on Twitter: TODAY, TRUMPS RADICAL (REPUBLICAN) SUPREME COURT,BECAME RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DEATHS OF HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF AMERICAN WOMEN.THEY CAN’T BE PROSECUTED, BUT MAKE NO MISTAKE… “THEY ARE GUILTY”‼️ WHAT OTHER RIGHTS (WE TAKE 4 GRANTED) ARE NEXT⁉️ BE AFRAID BE VERY AFRAID‼️
Cyndi Lauper, singer (reported at Stereogum.com): Cyndi Lauper has shared a new version of her 1993 song “Sally’s Pigeons” in response to the US Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade… “Sally’s Pigeons” was originally inspired by a friend of Lauper’s who received a back-alley abortion after becoming pregnant and died as a result…. [Lauper said,] “If we don’t have control over our own bodies then we have no real freedom. We are second class citizens. We need to mobilize. We need to let our voices be heard.”
Update: Prominent Voices Speak Out Against the Supreme Court Decision Overturning Roe
V (formerly Eve Ensler), playwright and activist, writing in the Guardian, “I reject the US abortion ruling. I vow to defend the sovereignty of women’s bodies.”
Jazmine Sullivan - R&B singer/songwriter Jazmine Sullivan, spoke out on stage at the BET Awards. Holding her award for Best Female R&B-Pop Artist, Sullivan said, “For my sisters especially, it’s a hard time right now for us. And I want to speak directly to the men: we need y’all to stand up, stand up for us, stand up with us. If you’ve ever benefited from a woman making one of the toughest decisions of her life—which is to terminate a pregnancy—you need to be standing with us.” Sullivan, with more than 2 million followers on Instagram, was met with cheers and applause.
Mariah Carey, singer and songwriter: “It is truly unfathomable and disheartening to have to try to explain to my 11 year old daughter why we live in a world where women’s rights are disintegrating in front of our eyes.”
Chuck D, rapper and frontman for Public Enemy, put it simply, calling the decision "F a s c i s m."
Eminem, rapper, on Twitter: “As a father it pisses me off that women have fewer rights 2day than just a few days ago… we r fuckin goin backwards.”
Pink, singer and songwriter, on Twitter: Let’s be clear: if you believe the government belongs in a woman’s uterus, a gay persons business or marriage, or that racism is okay - THEN PLEASE IN THE NAME OF YOUR LORD NEVER FUCKING LISTEN TO MY MUSIC AGAIN. AND ALSO FUCK RIGHT OFF. We good?
Brittany Howard – lead singer of Alabama Shakes and solo artist, on Twitter: “And now they not only want to reach into our pockets, but also into our bodies. Why try to disguise it as a state rights issue when we can all see it stems from their religious extremism? Don't insult us.... Overturning ROE V WADE is criminal against women and ominous for our other human rights. I wish I were numb to it but I'm not. I am so angry. Anger on top of anger on top of anger on top of anger. This system has failed us again.”
From the Sports World
Sha’Carri Richardson, top world-class track athlete, on Twitter: Why would I want to represent a country that has no respect for their women the only reason that all of them that make these “laws” exist ?!!!
Megan Rapinoe, one of the top soccer players in the world: It’s hard to put into words how sad a day this is for me personally, for my teammates, for just all of the people out there who this is going to affect…. It will completely exacerbate so many of the existing inequalities that we have in our country….
OL Reign, women’s pro soccer team in Seattle: OL Reign fiercely opposes the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade…. This directly opposes our values at OL Reign and we are committed to fighting for equality. During this time, we encourage fans and members of our community to take action and make our voices heard.
Billie Jean King, former world #1 tennis player: The Supreme Court has struck down Roe v. Wade, which for nearly 50 years has protected the right to abortion. This decision will not end abortion. What it will end is safe and legal access to this vital medical procedure. It is a sad day in the United States.
Coco Gauff, rising world-class tennis player, on Twitter: Incredibly disappointed by the decision made today. The sad part is this will not stop abortions from happening… this will only increase illegal and unsafe abortions. Today is a very sad day for our country and I cannot believe once again history is repeating itself.
LeBron James, NBA star, on Twitter: It’s ABSOLUTELY ABOUT POWER & CONTROL!! (In response to a tweet from a lawyer/writer saying “If this was about babies, there would be universal healthcare. Free education. Free daycare. Southern states would be doing all they can to drop the Black maternal mortality rate. This is about power and control.”
Devin Cannady, NBA player for the Orlando Magic, on Twitter: Let me be EXTREMELY clear - this decision is not about a difference between being “pro-choice” vs “pro-life”… This is about governing women’s BODY’S. Stripping women of their RIGHTS. A POWER grab over WOMEN. our women today are more unsafe than they were yesterday… I’m sick
Stan Van Gundy, former NBA coach and current TV sports analyst, on Twitter: A dark day for women and those who love women. Not only will half the women in this country no longer have full bodily autonomy (which every man takes for granted), but miscarriages and those who treat them will be suspect, compounding the grief and loss.
NBA and WNBA commissioners: The NBA and WNBA believe that women should be able to make their own decisions concerning their health and future, and we believe that freedom should be protected. We will continue to advocate for gender and health equality, including ensuring our employees have access to reproductive health care, regardless of their location.
Dalton Kellett, Canadian IndyCar race driver, on Twitter: I’m pro-choice for many reasons. One that I keep coming back to is the hypocrisy of this situation, as a man. If the roles were reversed, it wouldn’t even be up for discussion. We would never give up control of our bodies. Women shouldn’t have to give up control of theirs.
Shannon Sharpe, member of NFL Hall of Fame, TV analyst, on Twitter
Carol Hutchins, University of Michigan softball coach and winningest coach in softball history, quoted by ESPN News: "...Women's rights are human rights, and in general, human rights in this country are under siege in my opinion. I'm concerned for people's rights to life, liberty and happiness."
Nancy Armour, sportswriter for USA Today: Without Roe vs. Wade giving women the power to control their bodies and decide their own destinies, Title IX [federal law on equality for women in sports] would have been a shell of itself. And now it will be in half of America… We lost more than just Roe on Friday. Across much of the country, we lost the opportunities that Title IX provides, and we will all be the worse for it.