VIA PRESS RELEASE | A new full-page ad in Billboard features nearly 140 musicians from genres across the industry opposing restrictions to safe, legal abortion and declaring their strong support for reproductive health and rights.
As part of Planned Parenthood’s #BansOffMyBody campaign, the artists signed on to the “Band Together, Bans Off” ad—which appears in the August 24 issue of Billboard—to raise awareness about the harm of sweeping bans on access to safe, legal abortion and affirm that no one is free unless they control their own body. The ad is supported by nearly 140 artists, including LIZZO, Ariana Grande, Lady Gaga, Beck, Billie Eilish, Bon Iver, John Legend, Nicki Minaj, Demi Lovato, G-Eazy, HAIM, Troye Sivan, Macklemore, Hayley Kiyoko, Megan Thee Stallion, Miley Cyrus, Kacey Musgraves, Carole King, Dua Lipa, Meghan Trainor, and more. Those who signed are urging their social media followers to take action against these bans, and learn more about the threat to safe, legal abortion access in communities across the country. Specifically, the artists are asking their supporters to add their name to a national petition calling for an end to the abortion bans, with a goal of collecting 500,000 signatures by the anniversary of Roe v. Wade in January 2020.
Over the next few months, Planned Parenthood will also join music festivals like Made in America in Philadelphia and Music Midtown in Atlanta to educate fans about these harmful abortion bans and drive action to support access to sexual and reproductive healthcare. Planned Parenthood will also be working with a number of artists in new and innovative ways as they tour across the country this year, encouraging their fans to speak out against attacks on reproductive health and rights, including safe, legal abortion.
Statement from Alexis McGill Johnson, Acting President and CEO, Planned Parenthood Federation of America | “Abortion access and reproductive health and rights are under attack like never before, and we need everyone to fight back. These bans do not represent the will of the American people, which is why so many powerful, diverse voices are speaking out against them. Planned Parenthood is grateful to these artists for using their incredible platforms to declare that our bodies are our own—if they are not, we can never be truly free or equal. With their help, Planned Parenthood and our supporters will keep fighting to ensure that our patients—and people across the country—can still access reproductive and sexual health care, no matter what.”
Statement from Billie Eilish, Singer-Songwriter | “I’m proud to be standing up for Planned Parenthood as they fight for fair and equal access to reproductive rights. We cannot live freely and move fully in the world when our basic right to access the reproductive health care we need is under attack. Every person deserves the right to control their body, their life, and their future.”
These musicians join many celebrities and influencers who have spoken out against these bans in recent months, including: actors on the red carpet at the Tony Awards; Travis Scott’s generous donation of all of the profits from his Alabama Fest merchandise sales to Planned Parenthood following the state’s abortion ban; Tumblr founder David Karp’s $1 million donation to Planned Parenthood; Ariana Grande’s donation of part of the proceeds of her Atlanta, Georgia concert to Planned Parenthood; and a chilling public service announcement put together by the cast of The Handmaid’s Tale.
In June, the CEOs of 180+ companies, including Yelp, Warby Parker, H&M U.S., Amalgamated Bank, Eileen Fisher, Glossier, Postmates, Bloomberg L.P., Square, Zoom, Atlantic Records, Blavity, among others also took out a full-page ad in The New York Times calling for an end to abortion bans.
Sweeping bans on access to safe, legal abortion in states have put abortion access at risk for far too many people in the United States. Already in 2019, more than 300 bills restricting abortion access have been filed in states across the country, and states have enacted 26 bans on abortion.
Abortion restrictions hit hardest among people of color and those who are struggling to make ends meet—people who already face barriers to accessing good health care. Already, 1 in 3 women of reproductive age lives in a state where abortion could be outlawed if Roe is overturned. That’s over 25 million people. This includes more than 4.3 million Hispanic or Latino women, nearly 3.5 million Black or African American women, more than 800,000 Asian women, and nearly 300,000 American Indian or Alaska Native women of reproductive age.
The bans also come at the same time that President Trump’s administration is destroying access to affordable birth control and other reproductive health care services. Just this week, the Trump administration forced Planned Parenthood and other providers out of the Title X program through the unethical gag rule. Planned Parenthood has been in the program since it was created nearly 50 years ago, and has been the largest provider, serving 40 percent of all Title X patients.
The #BansOffMyBody campaign seeks to center the people who are impacted by these draconian restrictions on reproductive health and freedom, and encourages people to join together—and with Planned Parenthood—to take action and fight back.
This outpouring of support from artists is further evidence that the American people do not support restricting access to safe, legal abortion. Nearly 1 in 4 women will have an abortion in her lifetime, and a record-high 77 percent of Americans don’t want to see Roe v. Wade overturned.
Add your name to the #BansOffMyBody petition, and learn more at BansOffMyBody.org
