When it comes to reproductive rights, Olivia Rodrigo and her team aren’t backing down.
Earlier this week, Rodrigo played St. Louis, Missouri as the latest stop on her Guts World Tour. Outside the show, the Missouri-based reproductive rights group Right By You set up tables with information and resources for reproductive healthcare, including abortion care. Right By You also handed out free emergency contraception.
Also tabling at Rodrigo’s St. Louis show was Missouri Abortion Fund, which provides abortion clinics near Missouri with funds to provide abortions to patients without financial means to pay themselves. Currently, abortion is banned in Missouri except in medical emergencies, meaning that people seeking most abortions must travel out of state.
Rodrigo has made abortion rights and reproductive healthcare a cornerstone of the Guts World Tour. Last month, on the day of the tour’s first show in Palm Springs, California, Rodrigo announced her new initiative Fund 4 Good, which supports reproductive rights. “The Fund 4 Good works to support all women, girls and people seeking reproductive health freedom,” Rodrigo explained in a TikTok video she posted before taking the stage. “The fund will directly support community based non-profits that champion things like girls’ education, support reproductive rights, and prevent gender-based violence.”
Rodrigo has been partnering with local reproductive rights groups across North America, many of them affiliated with the National Network of Abortion Funds. In Texas, Rodrigo worked with the Texas Equal Access Fund, which pays for abortions for low-income patients in northern Texas. In Florida, Rodrigo worked with Florida Access Network, which provides funding, rides, and other support for people seeking abortion. Abortion is banned in both Texas and Florida, making these efforts especially crucial for people who need abortion care.
The Guts World Tour is currently in its North American segment, traveling across the U.S and Canada before heading to Dublin to kick off its European shows. The tour will conclude in August in Inglewood, California.
(via NPR, featured image: Jason Kempin/Getty Images for ABA)
Published: Mar 14, 2024 02:49 pm