The Supreme Court has announced its decision to overturn Roe v Wade, with the regressive ruling expected to strip 36 million US women of the right to abortion care.
“The Supreme Court has overturned Roe, and decimated the right to abortion in the United States,” posted the National Network of Abortion funds following the verdict. “With this ruling, SCOTUS is allowing Mississippi to enforce its harmful 15-week ban on abortion and is opening the door for state legislatures to further restrict and ban abortion.
“Roughly half of states will outright ban or significantly limit abortion in the next year, and some have plans for immediate restriction.”
The days since have seen mass protests across the globe, with politicians and high profile figures speaking out against the regressive decision and encouraging people around the world to fight it.
From Olivia Rodrigo and Lily Allen dedicating their Glastonbury performance of “Fuck You” to the five Supreme Court Justices who ruled against Roe, to Michelle Obama’s heartbreaking statement about the loss of rights, these are the high profile figures using their platforms to call out the ruling.
Politicians and celebrities call out Roe v Wade verdict
Michelle Obama
“I am heartbroken that we may now be destined to learn the painful lessons of a time before Roe was made law of the land — a time when women risked losing their lives getting illegal abortions… When we don’t understand our history, we are doomed to repeat its mistakes.”
Hillary Clinton
“Most Americans believe the decision to have a child is one of the most sacred decisions there is, and that such decisions should remain between patients and their doctors. Today’s Supreme Court opinion will live in infamy as a step backward for women’s rights and human rights.”
Kamala Harris
“Millions of women in America will go to bed tonight without access to the health care and reproductive health care they had this morning. Without access to the same health care or reproductive health care their mothers and grandmothers had for 50 years.”
Alicia Keys
“This decision is about more than abortion, it’s about who has power over you, who has authority to make decisions for you, and who is going to control how your future turns out.”
Sophie Turner
“Overturning Roe v. Wade is setting us back 50 years, this isn’t going to save any lives. It’s going to kill and endanger millions of women who are going to end up getting backstreet abortions, dangerous back street abortions, and end up dying from it. And if this was actually about saving lives, if anyone cared about saving lives, then after any of the mass shootings that have happened here in the United States we would have gun control. It’s not about saving lives, it’s about controlling a woman’s body and controlling a woman’s right to choose and it’s absolutely fucking disgusting.”
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
“Overturning Roe and outlawing abortions will never make them go away. It only makes them more dangerous, especially for the poor + marginalized. People will die because of this decision. And we will never stop until abortion rights are restored in the United States of America.”
Barack Obama
“Today, the Supreme Court not only reversed nearly 50 years of precedent, it relegated the most intensely personal decision someone can make to the whims of politicians and ideologues – attacking the essential freedoms of millions of Americans.”
Nancy Pelosi
“Because of Donald Trump, Mitch McConnell, the Republican Party and their supermajority on the Supreme Court, American women today have less freedom than their mothers. While Republicans seek to punish and control women, Democrats will keep fighting ferociously to enshrine Roe v Wade into law… But make no mistake: the rights of women and all Americans are on the ballot this November.”
Taylor Swift
“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.”
Meghan Markle
“Men need to be vocal in this moment and beyond because these are decisions that affect relationships, families and communities at large. They may target women, but the consequences impact all of us. My husband and I talked about that a lot over the past few days. He’s a feminist too. And his reaction last week was guttural, like mine. I know that for so many women right now, there is a sentiment of despair. But again, we have to band together and now wallow. We have to do the work.”
Jameela Jamil
“The past 6 years has been terrifying and somehow keeps getting worse. These fucking evil bastards know that this never ends abortion, it only ends safe abortion. PRO LIFE, but only saying abortion has to be decided state by state, but gun laws are protected nationwide… fucking hundreds of mass shootings this year and it’s only June.”
Jessica Biel
“I am enraged. What happened today is not only a disgusting step backward for women – undermining our ability to make decisions for our own bodies… but it’s also dangerous. You didn’t ban abortion, you banned access to SAFE abortion.”
Halle Berry
“I’m outraged! What the supreme court has done is BULLSHIT. Something has to be done! Guns have more rights than women. Stop this war on women & keep your laws off of our bodies. We have to ban together & NOT accept this! We can’t just post about it, we must DO SOMETHING about it.”
Bernie Sanders
“Overturning Roe v. Wade and denying women the right to control their own bodies is an outrage and in defiance of what the American people want. Democrats must now end the filibuster in the Senate, codify Roe v. Wade, and once again make abortion legal and safe.”
Sophia Bush
“They will never end abortion. Only safe abortion. This is not about life. It’s about control. Those motherfuckers.”
Busy Philipps
“It doesn’t end here. Fuck this sham. Fuck these people. If you’re a single issue voter and your issue is your taxes, fuck you too. This Supreme Court is on you.”
Charli XCX
“Just because you’re not an American citizen does not mean the overturning of Roe V Wade is none of your business. if you support women’s rights and human rights you NEED to be vocal about how drastic and appalling the overturning of the constitutional right to an abortion is.”
Justin Trudeau
“The news coming out of the United States is horrific. My heart goes out to the millions of American women who are now set to lose their legal right to an abortion. No government, politician, or man should tell a woman what she can and cannot do with her body.”
Elizabeth Banks
“This is devastating news for families – Men and women – who believe the government should not decide when and with whom they become parents. This is not the end of this fight for human rights.”
Keke Palmer
“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??”
Jonathan Van Ness
“This is about controlling bodies and keeping people in systemic poverty for generations. It’s heartbreaking that this personal medical decision has been made by people enforcing their evangelical beliefs on all of us.”
Viola Davis
“And so it goes… Gutted. Now more than ever we have to use our voice and power! WE the people.”
Mariah Carey
“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.”
Patricia Arquette
“This Supreme Court is an absolute disaster. From giving people the right to carry guns to taking away Womens rights of autonomy over their own bodies. We weren’t being reactive we saw it coming.”
Ellen DeGeneres
“Throughout history, women haven’t been trusted. Not to vote, or to decide who they marry, and now to make their own decisions about their bodies. But you can trust we will not let this stand, that we will be heard, and we will get the rights we deserve.”
Padma Lakshmi
“People will still get abortions. These procedures won’t stop just because Roe v. Wade is overturned. This will only prevent safe, legal abortions from taking place.”
Bette Midler
“They did it. THEY DID IT TO US! #SCOTUS has overturned #RoevWade, enshrined in the Constitution as settled law for over 50 years. How dare they? This #SCOTUS is absolutely tone-deaf to the will and even the actual needs of the American people. #WakeUpAmerica”
Amy Schumer
“Give us our dignity or we will take it. This is why we fight. See you out there ladies. Foley square at 5”
Madonna
“Now the Supreme Court has decided that Women’s rights are no longer constitutional rights.
In fact we have less rights then a gun. I am scared For my daughters. I’m scared for all women in America. I am just plain scared. I Guess God Put this on our shoulders right now because he knew that we were strong enough To bear the weight. Strong enough to FIGHT! Strong. enough to overcome. And so We Shall Overcome! We will find a way to make It A Federal Law to Protect Abortion Rights! Ladies are you ready……..,……….💪🏻💪💪🏽💪🏾💪🏿. To Fight?”
Josh Gad
“You don’t need 280 characters today. Just one word: Rage”
Sara Bareilles
“Once more for the people in the back: WOMEN DON’T GET PREGNANT BY THEMSELVES! Why is there zero sense of shared responsibility?! It’s pathetic, and I stand with the masses of you who are enraged and want to fight back. Hand me my armor. #BansOffOurBodies”
We will continue to update this story.