In response to the overturning of Roe v. Wade, Halsey shared their own abortion story and reaffirmed their support of abortion rights in a personal essay for Vogue.
Halsey wrote, "My abortion saved my life and gave way for my son to have his."
Prior to the birth of Halsey’s son Ender on July 14, 2021, Halsey said she miscarried three times before turning 24. "One of my miscarriages required 'aftercare,' a gentle way of saying that I would need an abortion," Halsey detailed. Feeling "afraid" and "helpless," they added, "I was desperate to end the pregnancy that was threatening my life."
Halsey went on to write that she thought back to the life-saving procedure when giving birth to her son. After "years of blood and pain and misery from near-perilous and unwanted pregnancies," they now felt "the euphoria of chosen motherhood." Still, because of Halsey’s previous life-threatening pregnancies, she had "prepared for the worst," prompting her to rewrite her will in the third trimester of her pregnancy with her son.
Halsey reflected on the irony of opting to donate organs if they were to be declared brain-dead with a beating heart when the overturning of Roe v. Wade allows life to be defined by just a beating heart. She said, "How funny that while my own heart would amount to nothing more than a series of involuntary movements on an operating table, a beating heart in my womb could mean I couldn’t consent to saving my own life."
Though some expected motherhood to change Halsey’s view of abortion, her belief that every person should have access to an abortion is stronger than ever. Halsey wrote, "I will hold my son in one arm, and fight with all my might with the other."
Halsey has shown their commitment throughout their tour, using the stage to push back against the rolling back of abortion access. Since their Love and Power tour began in May, she has taken time out of each performance to speak out in favor of abortion rights, share statistics and lead chants of "my body,” followed by fans shouting "my choice."
After their June 26 performance, when fans in Phoenix reportedly left their concert when they gave a speech condemning the overturning of Roe v. Wade, Halsey was unbothered. Halsey continues to defend their advocacy and show no sign of backing down for their tour that continues through September.
\u201cI\u2019ve had abortion statistics in my show since my tour started in May and 16,500 people came to my last show. I\u2019m gonna be fine because my fans are on the right side of history. There\u2019s an empty forum inside your skull.\u201d— h (@h) 1656568499
\u201cThe \u201cpeople pay to see you sing not hear your views\u201d argument is so dumb. No, you paid to see me use a stage as a form of expression in the manner that I choose. Sorry you lack the critical thinking to realize that the rhetorical power of music doesn\u2019t always serve your escapism.\u201d— h (@h) 1656526739
\u201cdownside of doing outdoor venues: no door to hit them on the way out \ud83d\udc4b\ud83c\udffc\u201d— h (@h) 1656377990
Photo via Getty
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