Billie Eilish to donate portion of Atlanta festival fee to Planned Parenthood

'I still can't believe we are even having this conversation in 2019'

Sabrina Barr
Saturday 14 September 2019 12:12 EDT
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(Getty Images)

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Pop star Billie Eilish has said she will donate a portion of the fee she receives for performing at an Atlanta music festival to Planned Parenthood - non-profit reproductive healthcare organisation

Eilish is due to perform at the Music Midtown festival in the Georgian city this weekend.

The singer announced her plan, on her Instagram Story, along with a message outlining her opposition to the US state's anti-abortion legislation.

"Atlanta. One of my favourite places in the world, to be in, and play shows. But I do not love the state's lawmaker's decision to take away women's rights," Eilish wrote. "I can't believe we are even having this conversation in 2019."

The 17-year-old added: "I'm dedicating my performance and donating a portion of my guarantee tomorrow to @plannedparenthood. We need this organisation more than ever."

Billie Eilish
Billie Eilish (Instagram)

Planned Parenthood replied with a tweet, saying: "Thank you, @billieeilish for donating your proceeds from @musicmidtown to Planned Parenthood Southeast! #IStandWithPP."

Eilish also shared a link to the "I Stand With Planned Parenthood" campaign, an initiative which involves musicians "standing up against the abortion bans sweeping the country".

In May, Georgia governor Brian Kemp signed the state's controversial "heartbeat" abortion ban into law. It could lead to women could be sent to prison for life if they have a termination after six weeks of pregnancy.

The law will not come into effect until January. It does include exemptions for cases involving rape, incest or if the mother's health is in danger.

However, in cases involving rape or incest, women will only be allowed an abortion if they are less than 20 weeks pregnant and if they have filed a police report.

California-born Eilish has publicly condemned the newly-introduced US abortion bans in the past.

In May, the musician told Variety magazine that the abortion bills made her "red" with anger, and women "should say, should do and feel and be exactly what they want".

She added: “There should be nobody else telling them how to live their life, how to do s***. It just makes me so mad that if I start talking about it, I won’t stop. Men should not make women’s choices - that’s all I have to say.”

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