Celebrities Speak out Against Texas's Abortion Ban
The Texas Heartbeat Act went into effect on September 1, 2021. The law is the first six-week abortion ban in the United States; any member of the public can sue anyone who performs or helps perform an illegal abortion for a minimum of 10,000 dollars in statutory damages. Since the law commenced, dozens of celebrities have spoken out against the Ban on social media, some even joining together to attend protests.
Two of these celebrities are stand-up comedian Amy Schumer and actress Jennifer Lawrence, who were seen together at a protest on Freedom Plaza in Washington, D.C., on October 2nd. Schumer, who held a Center for Reproductive Rights sign that read: "Abortion is Essential," posed for an Instagram photo with Lawrence, whose sign read: "Women can't be free if they don't control their bodies." The picture, posted by Schumer, received praise from several other stars, including actresses Sharon Stone and Kate Hudson.
Other celebrities took to Twitter to voice their solidarity and support. Under the hashtag #BansOffOurBodies, actress Reese Witherspoon tweeted: "I stand with the women of Texas who have the Constitutional right to make decisions about their health and their own bodies." Bette Midler–American singer, songwriter, actress, and comedian–tweeted: "I suggest all women refuse to have sex with men until they are guaranteed the right to choose by Congress." Midler then continued: "This isn't about guns, speech, money or war. It's about women, their lives, their bodies, and their autonomy. That's what allowed the court to do shoddy work, with careless disregard, because who's going to stop it? They did the thing in the dead of night without care or effort because they genuinely believe that they're only women, and they deserve what they get."
Lizzo–American singer, rapper, songwriter, and flutist–took to Instagram Live to speak on the Ban, saying: "I'm here to talk about people, human beings and their bodies, and the autonomy that people should have in making decisions for their own fucking bodies." Lizzo then continued her live, saying she was "disturbed" at the law signed by Gov. Greg Abbott and that she "wished that we had some sort of leadership right now and that people actually just cared about people, cause I feel like people are more concerned with pushing their political agendas than taking care of people."
The Ban is being challenged by academics, healthcare providers, women's rights activists, the public, and even the United States Department of Justice (DOJ). On September 9, 2021, the DOJ filed a civil action against the State of Texas on the basis that "the law is invalid under the Supremacy Clause and the Fourteenth Amendment, is preempted by federal law, and violates the doctrine of ingovernmental immunity." DOJ lawyers then filed an emergency motion for a temporary blocking of the Ban on September 15, 2021; U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman granted the motion and denied Texas's request to pause the execution of the ruling.
Even though the DOJ has temporarily blocked the Ban, members of the Texas state government are confident that the law will prevail. Texas Republican state Sen. Brian Hughes, who wrote the law, spoke to The Daily Signal on October 7th: "Under the heartbeat law as we passed it, it specifically says that if this law is blocked or enjoined by a court, and then that injunction is later reversed, any abortions that were performed during the period the injunction was in effect are illegal, and doctors can still be held accountable for them." Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton also spoke out against Judge Pitman's ruling, tweeting: "We disagree with the Court's decision and have already taken steps to immediately appeal it to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals."