West Side Story star Ariana DeBose slammed the US Supreme Court in a new interview.
On 24 June, the court delivered a devasting blow to human rights when it overturned the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade – which legalised abortion nationwide.
“The Constitution does not confer a right to abortion; Roe and Casey are overruled; and the authority to regulate abortion is returned to the people and their elected representatives,” the Supreme Court wrote in a document.
Alongside the harmful decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, Justice Thomas also wrote that the Supreme Court should “reconsider” various landmark decisions such as the right to contraception, same-sex relationships and same-sex marriage.
In a recent interview with Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show, DeBose condemned the court and Justice Thomas for their recent actions.
“You know, we can talk a lot about how the Supreme Court has just waged war on women’s reproductive rights, but the reality is Clarence Thomas was very clear on what his plan is,” the Tony winner said.
“He’s not just coming for women. They already came for voting rights, they’re going to continue. But they’re coming for marriage equality.”
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DeBose also expressed the importance of fighting back against the onslaught of conservative attacks and encouraged people to “get involved.”
“I’m Black, I’m Afro-Latina, I’m a woman, and I’m queer. My country is at war with me, and that’s hard. Oh my god, that’s hard,” she continued.
“But the only thing I can do is hold on to my joy and make a difference at a local level. So, I want to encourage folks to research, get involved. But do your part, because this is not about one set of rights. It’s about human rights.”
Alongside her passionate speech regarding the overturn of Roe v. Wade, DeBose also bestowed encouraging words for the LGBTQ+ community.
“I just want to remind, you know, my all my LGBTQIA+ brothers and sisters, like don’t stop being you,” she said.
“You know, fight for your dreams, fight for your joy and remember, like, you are, you’re valid. I say it a lot, but it’s important.”
You can watch Ariana DeBose’s complete statement below.
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