Olivia Rodrigo was in New York last night to accept the Catalyst of Change award at the Planned Parenthood gala. Olivia is one of the pop music’s most outspoken and high-profile advocates for reproductive freedom.
There are countless examples of how she’s used her platform to call attention to the ways that women’s rights are being infringed upon, their choices being taken away – on tour, at her shows, she’s made a point of making her fans, so many young women, aware of what’s at stake, and how they can seek help and care. In 2022 she told the audience at her concert in Washington, DC:
“Our bodies should never be in the hands of politicians … I hope we can raise our voices to protect our right to have a safe abortion, which is a right that so many people before us have worked so hard to get.”
It was Lily Allen who presented to Olivia and part of Olivia’s acceptance speech was about her connection to her fans, a community of women, to whom she dedicates her efforts.
She also included the work of Planned Parenthood in her remarks, naming the essential services that the organisation provides to women:
“I can’t express how much I admire Planned Parenthood and the life-saving work that they do. Providing affordable healthcare, cancer screenings, birth control, STD testing, and abortion care, amongst so many other things, gives women the autonomy to care for themselves and shape their futures. It’s a privilege to be here tonight to support an organization that, despite countless obstacles, continues to show up with compassion, hope and dignity for women. My greatest wish is that through organizations like Planned Parenthood and the action of everyday citizens, no woman will need to sacrifice her dreams, her health or humanity because of restrictive laws or lack of resources.”
It IS life-saving work. It DOES shape women’s futures. And it is incredibly important for someone like Olivia, with her reach, and for whom she’s able to reach, to continue to speak up, step up, and show up for the basic human right of bodily autonomy. To support Planned Parenthood please click here.
