Pop singer Olivia Rodrigo will no longer allow pro-abortion rights groups to hand out emergency contraceptives and condoms at shows on her “Guts” tour after facing intense public backlash.
Organizers told Variety that local abortion organizations were notified late last week of the change in plans following images of a care package that included boxes of Julie, a pill similar to Plan B, going viral following a St. Louis concert stop.
Three sources reportedly told Variety that Rodrigo’s team made the decision. The National Network of Abortion Funds, which partnered with Rodrigo, reportedly said Rodrigo’s team requested abortion rights advocates stop distributing lube, condoms, and emergency contraceptives at the tour stops because “children are present at the concerts.”
Jade Hurley, communications manager for the DC Abortion Fund, expressed her frustration with Rorigo’s policy change.
“The reality is that youth have sex, and youth need access to birth control and emergency contraception,” she told Variety. She also claimed that “extremists are causing a moral panic over something they don’t even understand.”
The chair of the Prairie Abortion Fund, Destini Spaeth, agreed, saying, “There is something really positive about a 16- or 15-year-old having a Plan B and a few condoms in her dresser to use as she needs it.”
She continued, “Sex and sexual health tools — whether that be abortion, Plan B, condoms — are villainized because you’re [seen as being] promiscuous. We don’t look at it as a sign of responsibility. … If the kids aren’t getting the education that they need in school, at least they can rely on reproductive health organizations in their communities to get that information and resources to them.”
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Spaeth also mentioned that her organization plans to continue distributing promotional materials at Rodrigo’s shows.
All of the abortion rights activists interviewed by Variety said they were still proud of Rodrigo for taking a stance supporting their cause.
DC Abortion Fund also promised to continue handing out Plan B on the sidewalks outside Rodrigo’s upcoming shows.
“Little do these decision-makers know: We have no issue handing out Plan B, free of charge, on the public sidewalk outside the venue,” the organization shared on X. “#GUTSWorldTour ticket-holders OR NOT: See you July 20th outside Capital One! We take care of us.”
