On June 24, the US Supreme Court overturned the 50-year-old landmark Roe vs. Wade judgement, which made abortion a constitutional right in the country. An early draft of this was leaked back on May 3, which led to a social media uproar against the court. The overturning of this constitutional right has led to uprisings and protests across the country, with citizens and celebrities alike criticising the judgement by the Justices of the Supreme Court of The United States (SCOTUS).
US Singer Billie Eilish, performing her headline set at the Glastonbury Festival in England, paused her performance for a speech on the repealing. “Today is a really, really dark day for women in the US. I’m just going to say that because I can’t bear to think about it any longer.”
She continued by dedicating her song Your Power, a song about abuse by older men to those affected. The singer has also previously showed her support for abortion rights by protesting against the Texas abortion law in 2021.
Earlier in the night, Phoebe Bridgers also expressed her disappointment over the judgement. “This is my first time here. It’s surreal and amazing but I’m having a real s*** day,” she told the crowd. She had previously revealed that she had an abortion last October when the ruling had been leaked in May.
Olivia Rodrigo also expressed her opinion on stage in the Glastonbury concert by bringing out UK singer Lilly Allen as a surprise guest, and performing her 2009 anthem F*** You, saying she was dedicating it to the five Justices of the Supreme Court who voted for the overturn.
“I’m devastated and terrified that 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 s*** about freedom,” the young singer said.
Lily Allen also shared a post of her and Olivia performing at the event on Instagram, sharing the same opinion.
Apart from these singers, many other singers have also expressed their shock and disappointment over the court ruling through their social media accounts. This includes P!nk, Taylor Swift, Madonna, Lizzo, Kendrick Lamar and many others.
The court ruling reverses 50 years of progress since the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling in 1973, and the subsequent 1992 Casey v. Planned Parenthood verdict. Immediately after the overturn, 10 states in the US including Texas, Utah and Alabama had legislation ready to ban the procedure, while more states are expected to put the ban in place in the coming months.