It’s a hard time right now.
The Amazon is burning in real-time. Global warming is causing environmental disaster after environmental disaster. Pollution is contaminating our oceans and eroding our ozone. Babies are being separated from their families at the border. Horrible mass shootings and acts of hate continue to plague the country. Big tech has lost control of its platforms and fake news is everywhere. It’s hard to know what’s real and what’s propaganda. The country feels divided and in flux. It’s clear to me why our collective mental health seems like it’s at an all-time low.
How can you not feel the weight of the world on your shoulders? I’m constantly asking myself, what’s important to me right now? What can I uniquely do to make a positive impact? Where should I focus my energy for good?
We take social impact marketing very seriously at Nue. We’ve been involved with several choice organizations over the years, one of which is Planned Parenthood. They are fighting such an important fight. Under the current administration, reproductive laws are changing for the worse. These laws affect us all, but they impact communities with limited resources the most. When I heard what happened in Georgia, it really scared me.
Social media isn’t my forum of choice for tackling personal rights issues because I feel that space is already cluttered and I can be more impactful in other ways. We like to work our strengths and influence to make a difference where we can most.
So when I heard about the #BansOffMyBody campaign that PP is doing, I knew I had to be involved. I’m such a big believer in their work. I was happy to get in the war room with them and to do outreach on their behalf. Proudly, we can say that nearly 140 artists from across the industry have banded together in support of abortion access and a woman’s right to choose, urging their fans to fight back against restrictions on reproductive health care. A new full-page ad in Billboard features these artists, which span every genre, making the message clear: the music industry opposes restrictions on safe, legal abortion and declares its strong support for reproductive health and rights.
The artists signed on to the “Band Together, Bans Off” ad — which appears in this week’s issue of the magazine — include LIZZO, Ariana Grande, Lady Gaga, Beck, Billie Eilish, Bon Iver, John Legend, Nicki Minaj, Demi Lovato, G-Eazy, HAIM, Sara Bareilles, Troye Sivan, Macklemore, Hayley Kiyoko, Megan Thee Stallion, Miley Cyrus, Kacey Musgraves, Carole King, Dua Lipa, Meghan Trainor, and more. Those who signed on are urging their social media followers to take action against these bans and to learn more about the threat to safe, legal abortion access in communities across the country. Specifically, the artists are asking their supporters to add their name to a national petition calling for an end to the abortion bans, with a goal of collecting half a million signatures by the anniversary of Roe v. Wade in January 2020. Over the next few months, Planned Parenthood will also join music festivals like Philadelphia’s Made in America and Music Midtown in Atlanta to educate fans about these harmful abortion bans. They will drive action to support access to sexual and reproductive healthcare and be working with a number of artists in new and innovative ways as they tour the country encouraging their fans to speak out.
This outpouring of support from the artist community is further evidence that the American people do not support restricting access to safe, legal abortion. Nearly 1 in 4 women will have an abortion in their lifetime, and a record-high 77 percent of Americans don’t want to see Roe vs. Wade overturned.
Add your name to the #BansOffMyBody petition and learn more at BansOffMyBody.org.