This is not to say that the music world has turned its back on the news that abortion will no longer be protected in the US. Tweets poured in from Taylor Swift to Madonna, from John Legend to Mariah Carey. The stars commented on the news on their social networks: Harry Styles spoke about “a truly black day in the history of America.” Then there were the performances at Glastonbury, and everyone reminded us in one way or another of the importance of the right to have an abortion. Olivia Rodrigo and Lily Allen dedicated fuck you Supreme Court Justice Billie Eilish said she couldn’t think of anything else, Megan T Stallion asked the audience to repeat the slogan “My body, my fucking choice.” But is this enough? Rock stars did much more in the 1990s.
To remember that this is an article Los Angeles Times wondering if that’s not the case with take a cue from Rock For Choice concerts organized after the Supreme Court under President George W. Bush gave states the power to severely restrict abortion. Then, little by little, the real mobilization began, starting with the most underground and coolest rock scene.. The initiative began with the female grunge group L7 in collaboration with a journalist from Los Angeles Weekly Sue Cummings and the Feminist Majority Foundation. The idea was to run benefit concert series to raise funds for Pro Choice bands and clinics, provide information about abortion, and encourage people to vote. The premiere took place on October 25, 1991 at the Hollywood Palace in Los Angeles. They played L7, but also Nirvana., one step away from global success. “Keep your laws away from my sister’s body,” shouted Kurt Cobain from the stage.
In the meantime, there were those who collected registrations for the elections (Sofia Coppola, who appeared there and was recruited), and those who distributed leaflets, and those who simply discussed the problem. “It was what the great poet, activist and scholar Audre Lorde recommended,” recalled Courtney Love, “to sit and talk together like women in a room.”. “We wrote down how many abortions we had, put them in a jar, then read the numbers,” he added. “We discussed the circumstances, who was sad, who was happy. Were there any regrets? None. We shared with all the same point of view to our right to safe abortion”.
The Rock For Choice concerts began and legendary bands such as Soul Asylum, Soundgarden and Pearl Jam played there., but also Rage Against the Machine le Bikini Kill, creators of the feminist movement riot grrrl, Bad Religion, Free Kitten, King Missile, White Zombie and Stone Temple Pilots. Non-rock options were also born, such as “Rap of your choice” and “Rave of your choice” in New York. “We’ve raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for abortions,” says L7’s Donita Sparks. “In 1992, more women were elected than ever before. That same year, Bill Clinton was elected president and then signed into law in our favor, “he adds, for example, the 1994 Free Access to Clinics Act.”
We know it music can make a difference and many artists even today have already mobilized concretely: Katy Perry, Ariana Grande and Lizzo, for example, have pledged generous donations to Planned Parenthood. But to bring people together so that they feel involved in the cause means to put heart and constant commitment into this cause. But has the power to make a difference: the history of Rock For Choice may remind us of that.
Source: Elle