Organisers and artists on the Abortion Access Benefit Series: “We will continue to fight throughout Trump’s presidency and beyond”
Ground Control Touring, NOISE FOR NOW and Model/Actriz have spoken to NME about the third annual Abortion Access Benefit Series and the significance of community-based events following President Donald Trump’s inauguration.
The boutique booking agency Ground Control have teamed up with NOSIE FOR NOW, a non-profit organisation that specialises in reproductive justice, for the third year of the Abortion Access Benefit Series – a music showcase designed to raise funds and awareness for reproductive rights.
The events will take place on Saturday (January 25) in eight cities – Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Austin, Washington D.C. and Raliegh – featuring live music and festivities such as raffles in support of abortion funds, community, and bodily autonomy. All of the proceeds will go directly to NOSIE FOR NOW, which they will then allocate to local independent abortion clinics and funds in each region.
This year, the event will occur five days after Trump was sworn into office for his second term, making him the first ex-President to go back to the role in more than 130 years.
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According to the Center For Reproductive Rights, Trump had “promised to appoint Supreme Court justices who would overturn Roe v. Wade, demolishing the long-protected right to abortion,” during his first term as president of the United States. In 2022, the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade leading 17 states to ban abortion or restrict it. His administration went on to defund over 1000 Title X clinics which helped provide reproductive healthcare to low-income people.
At the time of the overturn, many figures of the entertainment world shared their reactions to the Supreme Court’s decision. The likes of Taylor Swift and Pearl Jam spoke out about the decision, with the former sharing “I’m absolutely terrified that this is where we are. That after so many decades of people fighting for women’s rights to their own bodies, today’s decision has stripped us of that,” to her socials.
Many acts performing at Glastonbury that year also responded to the news, including Lorde, Phoebe Bridgers – who lead a chant of “fuck the Supreme Court” – and headliner Billie Eilish.
Olivia Rodrigo also brought out Lily Allen to sing a rendition of the latter’s song ‘Fuck You’, after giving a speech dedicating the song to five Supreme Court justices, while Kendrick Lamar chanted “godspeed for women’s rights” in the wake of the decision.
Threats to reproductive health and access are still going strong with Trump entering his second term. Shortly after his inauguration on Monday (January 20), Reproductiverights.gov – a website created back in 2022 by the US Department of Health and Human Services which made information on health and rights accessible – was shut down. According to an archived press release, the site featured accurate details about reproductive rights as well as a Know-Your-Rights patient fact sheet to help both patients and providers.
Nancy Northup, President and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights shared a statement that read: “Donald J. Trump’s election to become the 47th president of the United States is a deadly threat to the democratic values of liberty and equality, the rule of law, and reproductive health, rights, and justice in the United States and around the globe.
“Anti-rights extremists will soon be back in charge of the White House and the U.S. Senate, wielding power to the detriment of vulnerable populations and seeking to undermine decades of progress on gender equality, a linchpin of which is the ability of individuals to make decisions about their reproductive lives and have access to reproductive health care.”
Northup continued by addressing Trump’s previous actions while in office, sharing: “A second Trump administration will compound these harms with new, potentially far worse ones. It will seek to stop the availability of medication abortion by mail, which has been a lifeline in post-Roe America. It will attempt to gag all organizations, including U.S.-based ones, from advocating for abortion law reform or providing abortion care abroad, even with their non-U.S. funds.”
Speaking to NME about the Abortion Access Benefit Series, Ground Control Touring’s Abortion Access Benefit Representatives opened up about the significance of access to reproductive health highlighting that it “is an issue that touches everyone regardless of gender, race, or class.”
They continued: “Everyone knows someone who’s been affected by reproductive health issues, whether they’re aware of it or not. As a result of the past years of restrictive legislation, more and more people are dying all over the country because they can’t access proper care. It’s been over 50 years since Roe was codified in 1973 and we want to make it loud and clear that we shouldn’t go back in time.”
They also discussed why events like the Abortion Access Benefit Series are needed now more than ever. “While [Trump’s] return to office intensifies the collective uncertainty over the future of reproductive rights, this issue isn’t solely specific to Trump,” they explained. “Roe was overturned in 2022 with a Democrat in the White House.
“In the aftermath, there was an onslaught of outrage and attention surrounding abortion access and fundraising, but transparently, donations have dwindled over the years since. As a result, abortion funds are running dry and many independent clinics have been forced to close. These events have been an important annual reminder that the fight is not over, and we will continue to fight throughout Trump’s presidency and beyond.”
Amelia Bauer, NOISE FOR NOW’s Executive Director also opened up about the significance of community events creating awareness and donating funds to these organisations.
“Abortion has always existed and always will,” Bauer told NME. “Our focus remains on getting accurate, vetted resources out to audiences everywhere and making sure people can be a resource in their communities.”
She continued: “We maintain a comprehensive Resources page on our website and we send cards and stickers with a QR code out on tour with musicians so that this information is in the hands of audiences everywhere. We will stay loud and we will not back down from this fight. We save us.”
Over the past three years, the Abortion Access Benefit Series has raised over $110,000 (£89,180) for abortion access, however, Ground Control Touring have cited their biggest achievement as being able to unite “communities together all over the country around this issue.”
They continued: “Each year we’ve been able to grow the event to new cities (we started with three and have now expanded to eight cities!) and we’re continually overwhelmed by the support from artists, promoters, and venues nationwide.”
The bill for the New York City show is comprised of local and indie acts such as Cherry Glazerr, Gift, Guerilla Toss, Sex Week, Boy Harsher’s Augustus Miller, NME Cover alumni Model/Actriz and more.
“I don’t see myself or my values represented in the administration that is being that is entering office, and the best way to ground myself is to focus on things and spaces and communities you know within reach that do remind me that there is a world that I want to be a part of and can proliferate into the future and is worth fighting for,” Model/Actriz frontman Cole Haden told NME.
He continued, explaining how joining the line-up for the event felt like a no-brainer as “The sons of mothers and that alone should make one like be privy to supporting women’s reproductive rights.”
Model/Actriz drummer Ruben Radlauer also chimed in on the significance of community building: “That’s been something that we’ve wanted to make a part of our lives since the band started and figure out how to use whatever platform we have to build those spaces or contribute, or at the very least, add our voice to a chorus of support”
This year, the event will also be sharing its support for those affected by the LA Wildfires and will be donating a portion of the proceeds from the LA show to Baby2Baby’s Disaster Relief and Emergency Response as well as selling shirts for LA Fire Relief in every city.
Elsewhere, following Trump’s inauguration, the President immediately set about issuing a series of executive orders, including one declaring that the country would only recognise two genders: male and female.
The policy has prompted widespread criticism, including from Lucy Dacus, who has pledged $10,000 for trans surgeries for followers and has encouraged others to donate similarly.
Ground Control Touring and NOISE FOR NOW’s third annual Abortion Access Benefit Series will take place this Saturday (January 25). Visit here to purchase tickets.
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