Maria Shriver calls out 'girl dads' in abortion rights fight: 'This is your revolution, too'
Maria Shriver is speaking out in the wake of the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
The 1973 decision, which ruled that the U.S. Constitution protected a pregnant person's right to an abortion, was overturned on Friday.
The former first lady of California, who identifies as Catholic, took to Twitter after the Supreme Court ruling to share her thoughts. In a series of tweets, she began, "I'm heartbroken by this decision. It makes millions of women unsafe, unseen, unprotected as we now are. It makes me feel as though all of our progress has been rolled back in an instant. Make no mistake, this is a devastating blow to women's rights."
I’m heartbroken by this decision. It makes millions of women unsafe, unseen, unprotected as we now are. It makes me feel as though all of our progress has been rolled back in an instant. Make no mistake, this is a devastating blow to women’s rights. https://t.co/8QKUWXvPzg
— Maria Shriver (@mariashriver) June 24, 2022
She went on to say, "This decision rocks my world. This decision is devastating. It makes me feel like we women are unprotected in every way. This court has just lit a fire, started a revolution. We cannot accept a decision that makes us invisible, unprotected, which this does. This decision is also out of step with the vast majority of Americans."
The Just Who Will You Be? author, mother and grandmother also reminded people that "who you vote for president matters."
"To my sisters, it's OK to feel heartbroken, devastated, scared, stunned. It's right to feel all of that and more. But my sisters, we cannot give in or give up. We must rise up, speak up, and stand up. We must ask others to join in this revolution of dignity for women's rights," she continued. "Calling all girl dads, calling on all who love women, care about them, respect them. This is your revolution, too. We need you."
She also pointed out that women were "never" truly equal, writing, "Make no mistake, we aren’t free and equal. Never were, now even less so. Remember, this isn’t about abortion. This is about having the right to choose, having the right to decide what was right for you and your family. This is about keeping women unequal and unsafe."
Make no mistake, we aren’t free and equal. Never were, now even less so. Remember, this isn’t about abortion. This is about having the right to choose, having the right to decide what was right for you and your family. This is about keeping women unequal and unsafe. @neal_katyal https://t.co/kbI7iqcPbW
— Maria Shriver (@mariashriver) June 24, 2022
Shriver also retweeted a follower who wrote, "I love my Mom. She is a traditional Catholic. I finally got through to her yesterday [about] what this decision would mean. She finally got it. It is now too late. Our Daughters and Granddaughters are now 2nd class citizens and will not have competent medical care in reproductive issues."
In a 2019 interview with People, Shriver clarified her stance on abortion, saying "I've always been pro-choice. And I think it's a woman's right to decide what to do with her body and to have access to that."
"I always make the distinction pro-choice is not pro-abortion. It's pro a woman's right to choose. To choose what to do with her body, her life, what job to take. I'm not pro-abortion," she explained at the time. "Not everybody who is pro-choice is pro-abortion. It's pro a woman's right to choose. We had a very long time in our history where we didn't have the right to vote, to own property, to get finances, to have your name on the deed of your house, to get divorced. There are a lot of things women have not had a choice about that have been changed in my lifetime by women raising their voices."
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