Phoebe Bridgers pledges portion of tour proceeds to abortion charity
Phoebe Bridgers has pledged a portion of proceeds from her upcoming North American tour to an abortion charity.
The singer-songwriter announced her decision on social media earlier today (May 6), a week before the tour kicks off in Las Vegas.
The move follows the leak of an initial draft opinion written by Justice Samuel Alito that suggested the US Supreme Court is prepared to overturn Roe vs. Wade. Chief Justice John Roberts has since confirmed the authenticity of the document, but has said the draft “does not represent a decision by the Court or the final position of any member on the issues in the case”.
Draft opinions can be subject to multiple drafts and vote-trading, sometimes until just days before they are shared, so the court’s decision is not final. If the court goes through with overturning the landmark case, however, abortion would no longer be protected as a federal right in the US, and each state would be able to decide individually whether to restrict or ban abortion.
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“Tour starts in seven days,” Bridgers wrote on Instagram. “A dollar of each ticket will go to The Mariposa Fund, who work to provide abortions, specifically for undocumented people who already face huge systemic barrier when trying to obtain safe reproductive health services.”
The musician also added some new shows to her itinerary, including one at New York’s Forest Hills Stadium. Sloppy Jane, Charlie Hickey, Claud, MUNA and Christian Lee Hutson will join her at various stops on the tour. Remaining tickets are available to purchase here.
Bridgers’ action follows her speaking out against the potential of Roe vs. Wade being overturned earlier this week. While doing so, the star shared her own experience with abortion, saying: “I had an abortion in October of last year while I was on tour. I went to planned parenthood where they gave me the abortion pill. It was easy. Everyone deserves that kind of access.”
Earlier today, Rage Against The Machine joined the voices from the entertainment world speaking out in support of abortion rights. “Criminalising access to abortion will only add to the suffering disproportionately felt by poor, BIPOC and undocumented communities,” the band wrote in a statement shared on social media.
“The constant rightward shift of both major parties should alarm us all – a wake up call that we desperately need to organise radical people power against a warfare state that continues its assault on people’s lives.”