‘Freedom Should Be Protected’: Sports (And Others) React To Roe v Wade Decision
Saturday, June 25, 2022 at 12:39AM NYSJ Sports-Entertainment Business News Service
June 25, 2022: NBA commissioner Adam Silver and WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert issued the following statement regarding the June 24 decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.
“The NBA and WNBA believe that women should be able to make their own decisions concerning their health and future, and we believe that freedom should be protected.
“We will continue to advocate for gender and health equity, including ensuring our employees have access to reproductive health care, regardless of their location.
“We stand in solidarity with those who fear for the repercussions of the Supreme Court decision today and remain committed to our 2022 WNBA season focus on civic engagement.”
• WNBPA issued the following statement:
"This decision shows a branch of government that is so out of touch with the country and any sense of human dignity.
"We must recognize that when we cast a ballot it is to elect officials and to connect the dots to policies and legislation that align with our values."
• From the NWSL and commissioner Jessica Berman:
“The Supreme Court’s ruling today denies individuals in this country the full liberty and equality that is the cornerstone of a just society. Reproductive rights are human rights. Until every individual has the same freedoms as their neighbor, our work is not done.
“We will continue to make our voices heard. The NWSL is more than just a soccer league; we are a collective who will stand up every day for what is right.”
• Megan Rapinoe, soccer star, businesswoman and human rights advocate:
"I wish that we could just talk about soccer today, but obviously with the ruling on Roe vs. Wade that takes precedence over everything is hard to put into words.
"How sad a day this is for me personally, you know, for my teammates, for just all of the people out there who this is going to affect.
"We know that the lack of abortion does not stop people from having abortions. It stops people from having safe abortions. I would encourage people to understand all of the different aspects that overturning Roe v. Wade will have on so many, actually on everyone in the entire country.
"I just can't understate how sad and how cruel this is. I think the cruelty is the point, because this is not pro-life by any means."
• Bille Jean King, tennis icon, businesswoman and human rights advocate:
"The Supreme Court has struck down Roe v. Wade, which for nearly 50 years has protected the right to abortion. This decision will not end abortion. What it will end is safe and legal access to this vital medical procedure. It is a sad day in the United States.”
• NWSL's Orlando Pride put out a joint statement with MLS Orlando City:
“Access to safe reproductive health care and having autonomy over one's body are basic, nonnegotiable human rights, and our club deeply objects to today's Supreme Court decision.
“Today’s reversal of Roe V. Wade is one that will not only put many at risk, disproportionately those in BIPOC and underserved communities, but is one that opens the door for future discrimination and civil rights violations of other marginalized groups.”
• WNBA star Brianna Stewart:
“The consequences of this decision would be a blow not just to women, but to all of us who believe that in a free society, there are limits to how much the government can encroach on our personal lives.”
• LeBron James, NBA star, businessman and human rights advocate:
“It’s ABSOLUTELY ABOUT POWER & CONTROL!!”
• President Barack Obama
“Today, the Supreme Court not only reversed nearly 50 years of precedent, it relegated the most intensely personal decision someone can make to the whims of politicians and ideologues — attacking the essential freedoms of millions of Americans.
“The consequences of this decision would be a blow not just to women, but to all of us who believe that in a free society, there are limits to how much the government can encroach on our personal lives.”
• The U.S. Conference of Mayors. the official nonpartisan organization of cities with populations of 30,000 or more. There are more than 1,400 such cities in the country today, and each city is represented in the Conference by its chief elected official, the mayor.
"The conservative majority of the Court has decided women should end today with one less constitutional right than they had this morning, that government should get a veto over the healthcare decisions of a woman and her doctor, that judges should advance agendas without regard for settled law, that politics comes before health care.
"The consequences of this decision will be felt in cities nationwide, where women will suffer from the loss of access to critical healthcare services, where they face state abortion bans that do not include exemptions for rape or incest. Mayors and their cities will do all that they can to support women's ability to make their own health care decisions.
"This also cannot be the last word on this matter. The United States Conference of Mayors calls on Members of Congress to swiftly pass legislation to codify a woman's right to choose, and we urge governors and state legislatures to protect women's access to healthcare and individual freedoms."
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