The Supreme Court has shown its hand with all signs pointing to the government completely obliterating a woman’s right to choose abortion care. On May 2, a draft opinion written by Justice Samuel Alito, which suggested that a woman’s right to an abortion should be left up to the states, was leaked. Since then, states across the country have been gearing up to restrict or obstruct a woman’s right to choose altogether. But Taraji P. Henson is not here for any of it. The actress, who has never had a problem speaking her mind, has partnered with Planned Parenthood to star in a video that encourages people to have open and honest conversations about a woman’s right to make decisions about her body.
Planned Parenthood released the video entitled “How to Talk About Abortion” on May 10. Henson keeps it real about what is at stake if the Supreme Court overturns Roe V. Wade. “If you’re anything like me, you don’t want politicians all up in your uterus deciding what you can and cannot do with our bodies and making decisions about our families for us,” she says in the two-minute video. The Empire star goes on to lay out the facts, like 40 percent of abortions are completed at home with a two-pill combo, and 1 in 4 women have had an abortion. Henson also encourages people to talk about their own experiences openly and to remind their friends and loved ones that medical decisions should be made by a woman and her doctor.
Henson closes the video with a serious call to action – to tell the government to “Take your bans off our bodies.” She also sends them to the website bansoffourbodies.org. The Planned Parenthood site includes a petition against abortion bans. Visitors can also find information about May 14 “Bans Off” rallies happening in their communities.