Olivia Rodrigo has once again used her platform to speak out about reproductive rights, and say that bans on abortion are not about being “pro-life”, but rather about being “pro-control”.
The singer held an in-depth conversation with the Center For Reproductive Rights about the restrictions on reproductive rights ahead of the first edition of her star-studded Daisy Chain Fields Festival.
That festival will take place on August 29 at Great Park in Irvine, California and feature an all-female line-up including Chappell Roan, Bikini Kill, Doechii, Garbage, Stevie Nicks, Mitski and more. Along the way, the one-day festival will be raising awareness and funds for organisations that support women’s rights.
In a new discussion, Rodrigo sat down with Center for Reproductive Rights President and CEO Nancy Northup, as well as legal and policy experts Meetra Mehdizadeh, Autumn Katz and Nimra Chowdhry.
Together, they explored the dire consequences of abortion restrictions across the US, and encouraged people to educate themselves on the 2022 Supreme Court Dobbs decision and the importance of public education.
At one point in the discussion, Rodrigo said that laws restricting reproductive rights were often “terrifying”, and most likely more “pro-control” than “pro-life”.
The panel also discussed why some states continue to have such restrictive laws despite high maternal mortality rates, as well as the case of Amanda Zurawski – whose pregnancy led to life-threatening circumstances and sparked a debate about why anti-abortion restrictions need to be reevaluated.
At the Daisy Chain Fields festival, the Center For Reproductive Rights will be one of 10 nonprofit partners working alongside Rodrigo for the event, and will have an on-site location where they provide visitors with more information about their efforts and aims.
Olivia Rodrigo has long used her platform to speak out in defence of reproductive rights and against anti-abortion laws. In early 2024, she launched a reproductive rights initiative “to support all women, girls and people seeking reproductive health freedom”, and confirmed that “a portion of all of the proceeds from ticket sales of the ‘Guts’ world tour” would go to the fund.
That year also saw her make headlines for handing out contraceptive kits with condoms, Plan Bs, and information for abortion access at her shows in Missouri, which banned almost all abortions in 2022.
However, the move angered several Republican figures, including a “horrified” Missouri State Senator Bill Eigel, who said Rodrigo “should be ashamed” for “championing abortion”. Local abortion organisers later said they were no longer allowed to hand out contraceptive kits at the concerts.
Before then, Rodrigo used her performance at Glastonbury 2022 to bring out Lily Allen to dedicate ‘Fuck You’ to the US Supreme Court Justices – which overturned a 50-year-old law that guaranteed women in the US the right to terminate a pregnancy – and said that “our bodies should never be in the hands of politicians”.
Last month, Rodrigo discussed her decision to be outspoken on political issues, saying her “goal [isn’t] to be liked by all”.
As well as her new festival, Rodrigo is set to showcase songs from her new album ‘You Seem Pretty Sad For A Girl So In Love’ on her massive ‘Unraveled Tour’.
The trek will see her joined by Wolf Alice, The Last Dinner Party and more. Dates include multiple stops at The O2 in London, where more shows have been added due to huge demand. Visit here for UK tickets and here for international tickets.
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