Like most of us, Janelle Monáe is fed up at the Supreme Court’s decision last week to overrule Roe v. Wade, the landmark case that once promised abortion access under the United States constitution. The musician brought her rage all the way with her to the BET Awards last night (June 26th), proclaiming “fuck you, Supreme Court,” from the stage during the live ceremony at Los Angeles’ Microsoft Theater.
Monáe made the statement as the evening’s first presenter. Armed with a middle finger, she wasted no time acknowledging those who will inevitably be most impacted by SCOTUS’ attack on reproductive rights: “I’d like to give a special, special shoutout to Black women, to Black queer artists, to Black nonbinary artists,” she added. “These artists making art on our own terms, owning our truths and expressing ourselves freely and unapologetically in a world that tries to control and police our bodies, my body, and our decisions, my decision.”
Monáe went on: “Fuck you, Supreme Court. I know we are celebrating us right now, as we should — we absolutely deserve to celebrate especially now. We must celebrate our art by protecting our right and our truths.”
Monáe wasn’t the only BET attendee to address the court’s recent ruling. Following Lizzo’s opening performance of “About Damn Time,” host Taraji P. Henson used part of her introductory monologue to share gratitude for the rapper/singer’s recent $500,000 pledge to Planned Parenthood.
“Thank you, Lizzo, for pledging one million dollars to Planned Parenthood,” Henson said. “And you’re damn right — it’s about damn time. It’s about damn time we step into our power. It’s about damn time we talk about the fact that guns have more rights than a woman. It’s a sad day in America.”
