Actress Busy Phillipps was detained while demonstrating for abortion rights in front of the Supreme Court in Washington, D.C. Following the announcement of the Roe v. Wade decision on June 24, demonstrators from all over the country have come to the streets to protest the repeal of the almost 50-year-old legislation that provided legal rights for abortion. In a video posted by Vice Media, Philipps can be seen being led by female police officers. When asked about attending the protest, the ‘Girls5eva’ star retracts, responding, ‘For equality.’
The 43-year-old has been outspoken on the right to an abortion. She had previously talked about her own teen abortion experience. She discussed her abortion experience on her now-cancelled talk show, Busy Tonight, in 2019, when abortions lasting longer than six weeks were outlawed in Georgia. Later that year, while speaking on the threats to reproductive rights in the nation before a House Judiciary subcommittee, Philipps revealed her experience.
Sharing her decision to get an abortion at the age of 15, Philipps before the Judiciary Committee said, ‘I am so sad that we have to sit here in front of a row of politicians and give deeply personal statements.’
‘I am so sad that we have to sit here in front of a row of politicians and give deeply personal statements,’ she said at the time. ‘Because the ‘why’ doesn’t matter. It should not matter. I am a human being that deserves autonomy in this country that calls itself free, and choices that a human being makes about their own bodies should not be legislated by strangers who can’t possibly know or understand each individual’s circumstances or beliefs.’
‘I will not give in. I’ll encourage abortion,’ She made this statement while being held for obstructing traffic at the demonstration site, where she had joined officials and activists from Planned Parenthood in denouncing the court’s ruling on abortion.
Later, Philipps uploaded the video of her arrest to Instagram with the caption:
‘Until there is equality for all Americans, we will not back down, we will not concede, and we will not stop fighting.’
‘I can think of no better way to use my privilege and voice than to amplify the message that bodily autonomy IS a human right, as it is ACTUALLY the same thing as the promise of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. We must ensure that it applies to all of us,’ she added.
The actress expressed her pride at having participated in the demonstration with other activists from the Working Families Party, Poor People’s Campaign, Mi Familia Vota, Catholics for Choice, National Council of Jewish Women, NARAL Pro-Choice America, and the Center for Popular Democracy.
In addition to supporting reproductive rights, Philipps warned her people last week that ‘abortion rights won’t go down without a battle.’ ‘You guys, this is the fight of a lifetime.’
Post Your Comments