Taylor Swift condemns the end of US abortion rights: ‘I’m absolutely terrified’
Taylor Swift has denounced the Supreme Court’s decision to roll back the rights of American women, by overturning of Roe v Wade.
The US Supreme Court announced on Friday (24 June) that Roe v Wade has been overturned, meaning that there is now no constitutional right to abortion in the country.
It is the most consequential reversal in the Court’s history and will have an immediate impact on reproductive health. The landmark 1973 case previously ensured the right to abortion in America, though individual states have continually passed laws designed to erode access.
“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,” Swift wrote on Twitter.
She also re-tweeted a lengthy post by Michelle Obama, who shared her “heartbreak” over the decision.
They were joined by a raft of celebrities and activists who posted to publicly condemn the Court’s actions, including Hillary Clinton, Bette Midler, Elizabeth Banks, and Padma Lakshmi.
Swift has spoken previously about her decision to be less guarded with her politics as she’s gotten older. In a 2018 interview with Vanity Fair, the singer explained: “As a country musician, I was always told it’s better to stay out of [politics]. The Trump presidency forced me to lean in and educate myself. I found myself talking about government and the presidency and policy with my boyfriend [actor Joe Alwyn], who supported me in speaking out.”
The Court’s majority decision was written by Justice Samuel Alito. “Roe was egregiously wrong from the start,” he concluded on behalf of the Court. “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.”
A draft of the Court’s opinion was released in May 2022 in an unprecedented leak. At that time, more celebrities, including Rosanna Arquette and Amber Tamblyn, posted in protest.
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