The recently signed Alabama billbanning nearly all abortions, including those for victims of rape or incest, has stirred intense reaction across the country and many celebrities are speaking out.
“It is an outrage to ban abortion in Alabama period,” Gaga, 33, beganin a post, “and all the more heinous that it excludes those that have been raped or are experiencing incest non consensual or not.”
“This is a travesty and I pray for all these women and young girls who will suffer at the hands of this system,” Gaga wrote.
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Chris Evansalso tweeted his disapproval of the new law, which is set to take effect in six months though it will likely be halted while the courts weigh in.
The ban is designed to push the Supreme Court into overturning its landmarkRoe v. Wadedecision nearly 50 years ago. The ban’s supporters, echoing longstanding criticism of abortion, say they want to protect all pregnancies.
Evans, 37, linked the latest anti-abortion efforts to larger political trends.
“This is absolutely unbelievable,” he wrote on Twitter. “If you’re not worried about roe v wade, you’re not paying attention. This is why voting matters!!”
Sophia Bushalso took a broad view of the issue. Sharing a sentiment fromAlyssa Milanoearlier this year, Bushwrote on Instagram: “Health care is a human right. Reproductive health care is a human right. I stand against the latest attack on reproductive health care. Period.”
Andy Cohenexpressed his anger at the lawmakers who approved the bill, tweeting, “there is a cold place in hell for the Alabama Senate.”
Similarly,Rihannaposted a photo of some of the male lawmakers who voted for the ban. “These are the idiots making decisions for WOMEN in America,”she wrote. “Governor Kay Ivey…SHAME ON YOU!!!!”
Busy Philipps, who recentlyrevealed she had an abortion,called for other women to make their abortions public as a way of humanizing the issue.
“Many people think they don’t know someone who has, but #youknowme,” she wrote on Twitter. “So let’s do this: if you are also the 1 in 4: let’s share it and start to end the shame.”
Lena Headeyfollowed Philipps’ lead, Instagramming her initial tweet and captioning it “youknowme #noshame.”
Other stars such as Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Ben Feldman andSarah Silvermanalso tweeted their anger with the abortion ban, while Milano shared a photo of her holding her daughter, writing, “this is my daughter. Her rights are human rights.”
The Alabama ban makes performing or attempting to perform an abortion a felony, penalizing the doctor with up to 99 years in prison. The woman seeking an abortion would not be prosecuted.
Abortion at any stage is outlawed under Alabama’s ban, except where the pregnancy poses a serious health risk to the woman.
In a statement Wednesday, Gov. Ivey called the ban “a powerful testament to Alabamians’ deeply held belief that every life is precious and that every life is a sacred gift from God.”
But she acknowledged the legal fight ahead.
“No matter one’s personal view on abortion, we can all recognize that, at least for the short term, this bill may … be unenforceable. As citizens of this great country, we must always respect the authority of the U.S. Supreme Court even when we disagree with their decisions,” she said.
source: people.com
