Celebrity Busy Philipps joined forces with the American Civil Liberties Union today, lending her voice to fight against the passage of restrictive abortion bans in states around the country.
The ACLU announced an ad narrated by Philipps that will appear on national cable broadcast shows in MSNBC and CNN, including The Rachel Maddow Show, All In with Chris Hayes, CNN Tonight with Don Lemon, and Anderson Cooper 360, and on digital platforms as part of a six-figure buy that will air through next week.
Philipps, an actor, talk show host, and activist, centered the message “You Know Me,” a hashtag she helped elevate to amplify the voices and stories of people who had abortions in rejection of state government attacks on abortion access. Building on the work of advocates and storytellers across the country, #YouKnowMe sparked an emotional outpouring of support on Twitter, with more than 87,000 users sharing personal abortion stories and the importance of reproductive freedom in their lives.
“You know me. You know someone like me,” Philipps says in the ad. “I had an abortion. It was my decision. Today, it’s my right. But states are trying to take that right away by taking on Roe v. Wade, and Trump is making it possible. He’s appointing anti-choice judges on the federal courts and the Supreme Court. The ACLU is fighting to stop abortion bans and restrictions in Alabama and in 13 other states. Join us. Speak up. It’s no time to sit on the sidelines.”
ACLU Executive Director Anthony D. Romero said, “This is the most recent front in a war to protect civil rights and civil liberties from a hostile Trump administration that has also enabled ideologues to push the same agenda at the state level. In the fight to safeguard abortion, this is our Alamo. The ACLU is grateful to Busy for using her voice to bring even more attention to this crucial moment in the ongoing fight for our abortion rights. The voices of Americans around the country are essential to fight back in this moment. Abortion is a constitutional right, and we will continue to fight for it, in every way we can.”
The paid media campaign comes as the ACLU sued against recent state abortion bans in Ohio and Kentucky, and is preparing to challenge the bans in Alabama and Georgia. These efforts are part of a decades-long fight to protect the right to abortion for all. The ACLU mobilized its over three million members to join partner organizations at nearly 500 events across the country with tens of thousands of people in attendance to protest the attack on abortion rights.
