After the US Supreme Court reversed Roe v. Wade on Friday, Lizzo pledged to donate $500,000 (£407,000) to organizations that defend abortion rights.
The historic decision, issued on June 24, overturns a nearly 50-year US precedent that had deemed abortion a constitutional right.
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Politicians, women’s rights organizations, foreign leaders, and other prominent personalities have all criticized the choice, with US President Joe Biden calling it a “tragic blunder” that endangers the health and lives of women.
After Friday’s decision, there is no longer a federal constitutional right to an abortion, according to CNN.
The judgment, which was reached by a 5-4 majority of the justices, will have a significant impact on women’s reproductive health nationwide since it will allow each state to unilaterally define its own abortion laws, barring congressional intervention.
Justice Samuel Alito wrote in his majority opinion:
“Roe was egregiously wrong from the start. Its reasoning was exceptionally weak, and the decision has had damaging consequences. And far from bringing about a national settlement of the abortion issue, Roe and Casey have enflamed debate and deepened division.”
The singer of “About Damn Time” used Twitter to make a rather significant commitment in response to the announcement.
“I’m pledging $500k from my upcoming tour to Planned Parenthood and Abortion Rights,” Lizzo typed, adding: “Live Nation agreed to match — to make it 1 MILLION dollars.”
The entertainment company also posted a tweet of its own, writing: “WE STAND WITH WOMEN:
“We are covering travel expenses for our employees who need access to women’s healthcare services outside their home state.
“We are supporting community activism and will cover bail expenses if any of our employees are arrested for protesting peacefully.
“We are partnering with artists on support, including matching Lizzo’s donation to Planned Parenthood and Abortion Rights.
“Our Live Nation Women team is working on initiatives to support voter registration and turnout.”
Planned Parenthood has also tweeted its response to the overturn, writing: “We know you may be feeling a lot of things right now — hurt, anger, confusion. Whatever you feel is OK. We’re here with you — and we’ll never stop fighting for you.”
It added: “If you need an abortion, help is available to make sure you get the care you need. Call 1-800-230-PLAN or visit http://AbortionFinder.org.”
Numerous US-based businesses, including Live Nation, Disney, and others have vowed to support their employees’ access to safe abortions.
Source: vt.co