Pop star Halsey is mobilizing their fans against the impending threat to abortion protections in the U.S., saying we all “have the right and responsibility to fight this” in a passionately worded plea on Tuesday.
The 27-year-old singer joined a handful of celebrities, including Amy Schumer, Phoebe Bridgers and more, expressing outrage over the leaked draft of a Supreme Court opinion that would end the constitutional right to abortions by overturning Roe v. Wade.
Reversing the landmark 1973 decision would result in a “catastrophic shift in our fundamental rights to bodily autonomy and reproductive health care,” Halsey wrote, encouraging their followers to immediately take action.
“This is one of the most significant events we will witness in our lifetimes,” they continued, noting that the draft is not “hypothetical” after Chief Justice John Roberts confirmed the leak. “The effects of this decision will spiral into lethal situations for our entire country. Most seriously impacting people of color, rural areas and socioeconomically impacted communities.”
Halsey went on to address the potential impact of the court’s decision in various states, where “trigger bans” would automatically go into effect and ban abortion should Roe be overturned.
“I know it seems like this conversation is happening constantly and many of us have lived with the mental security that we would never witness the revocation of this right. I know it seems like every time we worry, it’s a false alarm, but it’s not. That security comes from people like you,” they added, alongside links to the ACLU and the National Network of Abortion Funds, where fans could donate.
The Grammy nominee emphasized that while all 50 states currently provide access to abortions, those rights could be reversed as early as this summer in large swaths of the country.
“This is not a false alarm. Again. This is not a hypothetical,” they continued. “Many of those who seek abortion out of state will be at risk of persecution as well.”
“I cannot stress enough the implications of this moment in history. This is a cruel attack on our fundamental right to choose if and when to have a child,” they said. “I felt this way before I became a mother and I feel this way even more now after having my son.”
In July 2021, Halsey welcomed their first child with screenwriter and film producer Alev Aydin, a baby boy named Ender.
“Pregnancy and having a child is a dangerous and life altering experience, though one that can be beautiful if you are consenting and desiring of it,” they concluded. “Everyone deserves the right to choose and the right to make that choice safely. Please take action.”
Read their full statement below.