This week, Georgia became the latest state to sign into law a controversial new bill prohibiting abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected. Some members of the entertainment have sought to protest the bill by calling for a boycott of Georgia. (Georgia has become an increasingly popular filming location in recent years, hosting such high-profile productions as The Walking Dead, Stranger Things, and Avengers: Endgame.)
Already, production companies owned by the Duplass brothers and The Wire creator David Simon are refusing to shoot in Georgia until the bill is repealed. Now, actress Alyssa Milano has gone one step further by calling for a sex boycott.
Milano launched the initiative on her social media, tweeting: “Our reproductive rights are being erased. Until women have legal control over our own bodies we just cannot risk pregnancy. JOIN ME by not having sex until we get bodily autonomy back. I’m calling for a #SexStrike. Pass it on.”
In another tweet, Milano wrote, “History shows that a #sexstrike is surprisingly effective,” linking to a Quartz piece documenting previous sex strikes staged throughout history.
Our reproductive rights are being erased.
Until women have legal control over our own bodies we just cannot risk pregnancy.
JOIN ME by not having sex until we get bodily autonomy back.
I’m calling for a #SexStrike. Pass it on. pic.twitter.com/uOgN4FKwpg
— Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) May 11, 2019
Milano has also threatened to quit her Netflix show Insatiable if its production remains in Georgia. “I will do everything in my power to get as many productions as possible — including Insatiable — to move out of this state which continues to put forth oppressive, hurtful policy that contradicts everything the entertainment industry stands for,” she told TheWrap.
“Obviously, those who are already contractually obligated to be there, should fight to get their show out of Georgia while continuing their contractual obligation. I have to be there for another three weeks but you can be sure I will fight tooth and nail to move Insatiable to a state that will protect our rights. And if it doesn’t move to another state, I will not be able to return to the show if we are blessed with a third season. This is my leverage. I will use it for the betterment of society and our great country.”
One of those other shows, HBO’s Lovecraft Country has chosen to follow through with its plans to film in Georgia, but producers J.J. Abrams and Jordan Peele say they’ll donate their own profits to advocacy groups fighting the bills:
“In a few weeks we start shooting our new show, Lovecraft Country and will do so standing shoulder to shoulder with the women of Georgia. Governor Kemp’s ‘Fetal Heartbeat’ Abortion Law is an unconstitutional effort to further restrict women and their health providers from making private medical decisions on their terms. Make no mistake, this is an attack aimed squarely and purposely at women. We stand with Stacey Abrams and the hardworking people of Georgia, and will donate 100% of our respective episodic fees for this season to two organizations leading the charge against this draconian law: the ACLU of Georgia and Fair Fight Georgia. We encourage those who are able to funnel any and all resources to these organizations.”