Texan Megan Thee Stallion stands up for abortion rights: 'Bans off our bodies'
Megan Thee Stallion had words for those seeking to restrict abortion rights.
The “Sweetest Pie” rapper, 27, took home the Artist of the Year award at the May 16th Webby Awards, where she used her platform to speak about one of the most charged topics in American politics.
“They say keep it short and sweet, so, real hot girl s***,” she began. “So, I’mma just say, take the bans off our bodies.”
The issue of abortion rights has come into the forefront after a draft of the majority opinion was leaked, indicating that the Supreme Court intends to overturn Roe v. Wade. The 1973 ruling protects a pregnant person’s freedom to choose to have an abortion without excessive government restriction.
However, it's not the only threat to abortion rights America has seen in recent months. Texas, Stallion's home state, made nearly all abortion illegal in 2021 due to a restrictive law that blocks the medical procedure after six weeks of pregnancy — before many even know they are pregnant.
A clip of Megan’s Webby Awards speech was shared on the Miss Representation Instagram page, where the Grammy winner received lots of support in the comments for her timely message.
“I did not need another reason to love her,” one follower wrote. “But now I have one.”
Another added, “That is what using your power and influence to support human rights looks like.”
Stallion, who graduated from Houston's Texas Southern University last year with a degree in health administration, has spoken out about this issue before. Earlier this month the “Hot Girl Summer” artist, along with 160 others including Miley Cyrus, Kendall Jenner, Olivia Rodrigo and Billie Eilish, signed her name to Planned Parenthood’s #BansOffOurBodies campaign.
“The Supreme Court is planning to overturn Roe v. Wade, taking away the constitutional right to abortion,” the letter read. “Our power to plan our own futures and control our own bodies depends on our ability to access sexual and reproductive health care, including abortion. We are Artists. Creators. Storytellers. We are the new generation stepping into our power. Now we are being robbed of our power. WE WILL NOT GO BACK — AND WE WILL NOT BACK DOWN.”
Alexis McGill Johnson, the president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, said of the campaign, “So many of us — who grew up with the understanding that Roe was settled law — could have never imagined that our own children would have fewer rights and less freedom over their own bodies and futures. What we see in young people from all walks of life is that they aren’t backing down — not today, not ever. Like the artists who signed on to this ad, their resolve to keep bans off their bodies is a source of hope during a dark time, and we are determined to keep fighting alongside them, for them.”
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