Contraception: That’s why the morning-after pill was free at Olivia Rodrigo’s concert

2024-03-19 11:51:13

Opinion contraception

That’s why the morning-after pill was free at Olivia Rodrigo’s concert

As of: 12:51 p.m. | Reading time: 3 minutes

Singer Olivia Rodrigo on stage

Quelle: Getty Images for Acrisure Arena/Kevin Mazur

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Political protest takes many forms. You can sing it, write it on posters – or give it away. Singer Olivia Rodrigo chose the latter option when free morning after pills were available to take home during her concert in Missouri. What the action is all about.

After pop singer Olivia Rodrigo’s concert in Missouri this week, fans were able to take home a very special souvenir. Instead of sweets or fan merchandise, there were condoms and free pills afterwards. What could be misunderstood as advertising for unprotected sexual intercourse at the after-party or as early sexualization of teenagers (the 21-year-old singer has a very young fan base) is directed against the abortion ban that the Republicans have implemented in Missouri and many other American states as a result of the repeal of Roe v. Wade prevailed.

Emergency contraceptive hormonal tablets, which are to be taken after sexual intercourse (and are therefore often the only contraceptive option in cases of rape), cost around $50 in the USA. Rodrigo, founder of the Fund 4 Good campaign, supports women’s reproductive rights with part of the proceeds from her concerts.

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It is one of the more original answers to the question of how political artists, singers, actors or writers should be. And not just within her art, but also beyond it, for example during Oscar award speeches or in Instagram posts. Taylor Swift, they say, could decide the next presidential election. But so far she has only advised her fans to vote, but refrained from recommending who they should vote for. Billie Eilish wore a red “Cease Fire” pin during the Oscars, the exact meaning of which is disputed.

Other stars spurn places that don’t align with their values. But by visiting the states that criminalize abortion, Rodrigo avoids the typical problem with boycotts, which is that they often target the wrong people, namely those who are already suffering under their state’s laws. Instead, she brings her help to where it is needed most. Although abortions and the morning-after pill are not directly related to each other, the morning-after pill can help you avoid getting into a situation in which the abortion ban becomes relevant – because thanks to levonorgestrel, pregnancy does not even occur .

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The question of whether Rodrigo’s action is a negligent trivialization of hormonal medications does not arise. Not even considering the startup brand handed out at the concert according to a report in the Guardian aims to change the image of the morning-after pill as “sweet and colorful, not like the more clinical-looking options”. Because Missouri has again left behind the stage of development at which criticism of the over-presence of hormonal substances seems appropriate. Here young women are fighting like old-school feminists again. Perhaps looking across the ocean will help us to reconcile ourselves with the little pill instead of generally demonizing it as an instrument of women’s oppression, as is increasingly happening in this country.

“It’s a bad idea, right?” is one of Rodrigo’s songs, which often revolve around love, relationships and breakups. Another is called “F*** you”, a cover of the Lily Allen song that the two performed together at the Glastonbury Festival in 2022 and dedicated to the US Supreme Court justices who “don’t give a damn about freedom”: “I am shocked. So many women and girls will die because of this.”