Earlier today, the Supreme Court of the United States officially issued a 5-4 decision overruling Roe v. Wade, the case that cemented abortion rights in 1973. Telegraphed for weeks now thanks to a leaked draft opinion from the desk of Justice Samuel Alito, what was long-feared by abortion-rights activists, and long-awaited by pro-life advocates, has now come to pass. In the wake of the political and cultural landscape-shifting decision that undid years of legal precedent, the film industry has overwhelmingly responded with fury.
In the majority ruling, Alito followed the same lines of the lower courts, going so far as to call the continuation of Roe "an abuse of judicial authority" while Justice Clarence Thomas turned his attention to other issues including Obergefell v. Hodges, which legalized gay marriage, Griswold v. Connecticut, which legalized contraceptives, and Lawrence v. Texas in his concurring judgment. Alito and Thomas were joined by three of their fellow Conservative justices in Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett - while liberal justices Stephen Breyer, Elena Kagan, and Sonia Sotomayor dissented. Chief Justice John Roberts agreed in upholding the Mississippi law which started this, but was not in favor of overturning Roe.
For millions of Americans, the ruling will have immediate ramifications. As many as 13 states have trigger laws that would ban abortion with the fall of Roe. A total of 22 states have some form of legislation that inhibits the ability to receive or provide an abortion. With one of the main concerns becoming travel costs for women seeking abortions either in states that allow the procedure or outside the U.S. altogether, several companies are looking to cover the expenses for any of their employees who need help.
Among those speaking out are Disney, Netflix, and Comcast, all of whom have promised to cover the costs for employees. Paramount's CEO Bob Backis also reiterated the company's health policies will remain the same and that reimbursement for travel will be covered. The same goes for Warner Bros. Chief People and Culture Officer Adria Alpert Romm who announced the company would expand its benefits to accommodate those in states with bans. With the leaked draft opinion, companies have had time to prepare and some even made promises to their employees at that time including UTA's Jeremy Zimmer. Disney released a letter to everyone in the company after the decision was announced which can be read below:
As expected, major unions in the industry are also chiming in on the decision. Deadline currently has a running list of those that have sounded off which includes IATSE, Actor's Equity Association, and SAG-AFTRA. Check out their statements below.
IATSE and its Women's Committee both offered statements condemning the decision, fearing for the members who will be affected by the ruling:
Make no mistake, this will directly harm the welfare of our union sisters and kin, and therefore we must respond strongly. We know well the catastrophic consequences that follow when authoritarians legislate control over our wombs, bodies, and lives. Taking away the option to receive compassionate reproductive care in the form of safe, legal abortions will disproportionally harm working-class people, force unwilling parents into poverty, worsen the already unacceptable maternal mortality crisis, imprison innocents for their biological functions (including miscarriages), and cut short far too many bright careers and lives.
The Women's Committee also called out the hypocrisy of those who appropriated "My Body, My Choice" for their own agendas while attacking women and their right to choose:
Let’s not forget that just a few short months ago we saw many Americans stealing the pro-choice slogan ‘My Body, My Choice’ when it was convenient for them. Our bodies are no less valuable. Our contributions to this country are no less valuable. Our choices are equally significant. This is about controlling women. The Women’s Committee is primed to take back that slogan and stand with the 70 % of Americans who support choice. We will stand together with our sisters, brothers, and kin to ensure …liberty and justice for all.
Actor's Equity expressed its disdain for the decision while promising to fight for its members facing an uncertain Roe-less future, saying:
So much in the future is uncertain, as some states have already set into motion legislation that not only criminalizes abortion, but outlaws even providing care related to abortion access. Access to reproductive care is a labor issue, and a safe and sanitary workplace is not possible without the right to bodily autonomy. We are determined to find ways to protect our members, many of whom tour the country to earn a living, or who live or work in states that are about to become far more dangerous for those needing reproductive care. This will include connecting them to whatever resources are available that will help them secure abortions when they need them.
SAG-AFTRA published an official statement on their website calling the ruling "archaic and dangerous" and offering resources to help members navigate the new landscape:
Anyone who believes in the right of women to make their own healthcare decisions should be outraged with today’s archaic and dangerous ruling. Every American deserves and is entitled to an equal right to healthcare choice. Today, the United States Supreme Court abandoned that principle in a ruling that empowers states to enact draconian restrictions on healthcare choice and destroy lives, if we allow it. We will continue to fight to ensure the overwhelming majority voice of the people is heard in state and federal legislative bodies. We have the collective power to make certain today's decision does not overcome the will of the people. SAG-AFTRA will fight to protect women's right to choice and self-determination that has been recognized for decades.
Finally, producer and distributor NEON tweeted out their support for abortion rights while offering a link for those who wish to help in the fight for equity in abortion access: