Halsey screened a video about Roe v. Wade during the first show on their ‘Love And Power’ tour in Florida on Tuesday (May 17).
The pop star has always been vocal about their support of abortion rights, especially in light of a leaked draft opinion from the Supreme Court that recently suggested the landmark 1973 ruling would be overturned, threatening the status of legal abortion in the US.
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“Abortion is one of the safest medical procedures performed today, more than 99 per cent safe in fact,” read a title screen in a video of protest footage that played behind Halsey as they performed ‘Nightmare’. “Nearly 8 in 10 Americans oppose overturning Roe v. Wade. Black women suffer from maternal mortality at rates three times higher than white women.
“So far this year, 1,991 total provisions related to sexual and reproductive health and rights have been introduced across 46 states,” it continued. “In Oklahoma and Texas, abortion is banned at six weeks, before many know they’re pregnant. 89 per cent of US counties don’t have an abortion provider. There are now 16 states where 95 per cent of counties do not have an abortion clinic. Six out of every 10 women who have abortions are already mothers. Nearly 1 in 3 women will have an abortion in their lifetime.”
EVERYONE SAY THANK YOU @halsey#hasley #LoveandPowerTour #AbortionRightsAreHumanRights pic.twitter.com/MTp1DfPbSj
— vic / stageworks | fortnite era (@StageWorks_) May 18, 2022
The video’s messaging then flashed up the words “So save me your prayers” one by one as Halsey sang the corresponding lyric. Watch fan-shot footage of the moment above now.
When the Supreme Court draft opinion was first leaked earlier this month, Halsey shared a statement in support of abortion rights.
“This is one of the most significant events we will witness in our lifetimes,” she said. “The effects of this decision will spiral into lethal situations for our entire country, most seriously impacting people of colour, rural areas and socioeconomically impacted communities. The time to take action is now.”
She added: “This is a cruel attack on our fundamental right to choose if and when to have a child. I felt this way before I became a mother and I feel this way even more now after having my son. 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. Everyone deserves the right to choose and the right to make that choice safely. Please take action.”
The star was one of a number of figures from the entertainment world to sign a letter denouncing the potential plan to overturn Roe v. Wade. The letter was shared as part of Planned Parenthood’s #BansOffOurBodies campaign and also included signatures from Billie Eilish, Phoebe Bridgers, Megan The Stallion, Olivia Rodrigo and more.
The post Halsey screens Roe vs Wade video during tour-opening show appeared first on NME.