Musicians in the world of guitar have their say on abortion rights

Last week, US Supreme Court overturned the ruling of Roe V. Wade which protected the right to have an abortion, should someone choose to. Many musicians in our guitar sphere have weighed in on the shocking news since it broke.

Whilst many artists took to the internet to express their frustration, some even took to the stage at Glastonbury festival in the UK over the weekend to bring attention to the issue before the crowds.

One of those artists had previously spoken of having an abortion herself – Phoebe Bridgers. During her set she stood before the mic, stating, “Fuck America. Like, fuck you. All these irrelevant old motherfuckers trying to tell us what to do with our fucking bodies.” She also led the audience on a “fuck the Supreme Court” chant.

Watch footage from a tweet by Dino Sofos:

“All these irrelevant old motherfuckers trying to tell us what to do with our fucking bodies”. @phoebe_bridgers calls out the US Supreme Court on stage at Glastonbury. She had an abortion last year. What a moment. pic.twitter.com/cKBNZdhhNr

— Dino Sofos (@dinosofos) June 24, 2022

Rage Against The Machine revealed their disgust on a post to social media where they wrote, “We are disgusted by the repeal of Roe V. Wade and the devastating impact it will have on tens of millions of people. Over half of the country (26 states) is likely to ban or seriously restrict abortion very soon, if not immediately, which will have a disproportionate impact on poor, working class and undocumented BIPOC communities.”

They continued, “To date, our fans have raised $475,000.00 from the sale of our charity tickets at Alpine Valley and the United Center. We are donating that money to reproductive rights organisations in Wisconsin and Illinois.”

Guitarist Tom Morello also spoke of how his great grandmother died from an illegal and unsafe abortion, an issue which many people are now concerned will rise again.

My great grandmother, Mary Maude Fitzgerald, died from an illegal, unsafe abortion. Her widower, Thomas Fitzgerald, an itinerant worker, couldn’t raise their 3 kids alone & sent them off to families that took them as servants. He died alone of TB in a work camp. #WeWillNotGoBack https://t.co/K41PkCmB1I

— Tom Morello (@tmorello) June 25, 2022

David Crosby said he was “disheartened” by the decision, sharing a statement to Twitter in which he apologised to the women in his country.

For tonight anyway ….I am discouraged …..maybe disheartened is better ….I love this country ….I believe in democracy ….I believe all of us ….all …have that right to life , liberty , and the pursuit of happiness
…and I personally apologize to all the women in this country

— David Crosby (@thedavidcrosby) June 25, 2022

Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day expressed his anger in London during a show on the Hella Mega Tour, where he said: “Fuck America, I’m fucking renouncing my citizenship. I’m fucking coming here. There’s just too much fucking stupid in the world to go back to that miserable fucking excuse for a country.”

See footage from Twitter user friendly neighborhood clikkie:

#GreenDay #RoeVWade #hellamegatour
billie joe’s statement on roe vs wade at london hella mega tour last night pic.twitter.com/6cJx4oa6I1

— oz | wanna be in sløwtøwn (@armstr0ngtyler) June 25, 2022

The list of artists coming forward to express disappointment at the ruling continues to grow, with many signposting resources and charities. Further musicians include Hayley Williams, Jack White, Jason Isbell, Debbie Harry, Mark Hoppus and more.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jack White (@officialjackwhite)

If you’re gonna talk about how divided we are as a nation, you’ll want to mention SCOTUS decisions like this one, handing power to state reps in crazy-ass gerrymandered districts and completely ignoring the will of the majority of US citizens. This is not what the people want.

— Jason Isbell (@JasonIsbell) June 24, 2022

No one, not the government, not politicians, not the Supreme Court should prevent access to abortion, birth control, and contraceptives. People should have the FREEDOM to choose. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/zo67xyzex5

— Pearl Jam 🇺🇦 (@PearlJam) June 24, 2022

https://www.instagram.com/p/CfMhh7Tptd2/

For those struggling with the recent news, support and advice can be found at the Abortion Support Network.