Lizzo has pledged to donate half a million dollars from her upcoming tour to Planned Parenthood and abortion rights following the overturning of the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling. The donation has reportedly been matched by live entertainment promoter Live Nation, making it $1 million.
The Grammy Award-winning singer announced the news on her social media accounts on Friday (June 24). She posted, “I’m pledging $500k from my upcoming tour to Planned Parenthood and Abortion Rights. Live Nation agreed to match— to make it 1 MILLION dollars.”
“The most important thing is action & loud voices. @plannedparenthood @abortionfunds & organizations like them— will need funding to continue offering services to people who are most harmed by this ban,” the singer continued.
Lizzo also encouraged her fans to donate and sign the “Bans Off My Body” petition, which was organized by Planned Parenthood as a rallying cry for autonomy and equality. “Black women & women of color have historically had disproportionately less access to family planning resources— this is a great loss but not a new one,” she said. “Go to lizzolovesyou.com to donate, sign the Bans Off My Body petition and sign up to volunteer and take action.”
The United States Supreme Court’s decision to terminate the constitutional right to abortion in the country has caused outrage across the world. The decision went into effect immediately as Planned Parenthood locations across the country have begun canceling scheduled abortions. It has been reported that cancellations have already happened in Arkansas, Texas and Wisconsin, with the possibility that more states will do the same.
President Joe Biden blasted the ruling as “un-American” in a statement from the White House, adding it was a “sad day for the the country” and calling the move “wrong, extreme and out of touch.”