The Writers Guild Of America Encourages Hollywood To Boycott Pro-Life States
Hollywood is once again threatening to boycott states in America for the crime of rejecting progressivism.
The WGA West (Writers Guild of America West) is once again calling on Hollywood to not shoot films and TV shows in red states that ban abortions.
The move comes after a draft opinion was leaked to the press that signals the Supreme Court of the United States could overturn Roe v. Wade and return the issue of abortion to the states.
WGA West encouraged boycotts issuing a statement on Twitter, “In light of the leaked Supreme Court draft opinion on abortion rights, we want to reaffirm our Guild’s commitment to fighting on our members’ behalf against inequality and discrimination.”
The Guild’s board of directors added, “Women’s rights are human rights, and any laws that ban or limit a woman’s right to choose are dangerous and set a precedent for further erosion of our collective civil rights.”
“We call on our employers to consider the laws of each state when choosing production locations to ensure that our members will never be denied full access to reproductive healthcare,” they concluded.
WGA East followed suit with a similar statement calling on Hollywood to boycott red states. They tweeted, “The following is a statement from the Council of the Writers Guild of America, East regarding freedom of choice.
The statement begins, “The governing Council of the Writers Guild of America, East condemns the leaked draft of the Supreme Court opinion that would overthrow the Roe v. Wade decision and reaffirms our commitment to defending all of our members from inequality and discrimination.”
“As a union, it is our duty to protect workers’ access to quality medical care, including reproductive healthcare, in and out of the workplace. Reproductive rights are human rights, and laws that limit the right to choose place other fundamental rights at risk, including marriage equality and legal birth control. We call on our employers to carefully consider the laws of each state, especially bans on abortion, when choosing where they conduct business,” the statement concluded.
The Actors’ Equity Association, “the national labor union representing more than 51,000 actors and stage managers in live theatre” also issued a statement citing how vital the act of abortion is to those within the industry who need abortions to continue their careers.
Their statement begins, “Equity is appalled by the news that the federal rights enfranchised by the Supreme Court in 1973 may now be denied. Abortion is a necessary and often life-saving medical procedure that requires safe, legal and open access.”
“This ruling would most acutely affect multiple communities that are already marginalized in America, leaving them to bear the brunt of the disastrous effect of the court’s action,” it continues.
“This is also very much a workers’ issue,” the union added. “We stand in solidarity with health care workers, many of whom already risk assault for providing abortions and other reproductive services, and who stand to face more personal and legal danger in the light of this ruling.”
“Furthermore, theatre is an industry in which it is notoriously difficult to support a family, and in which pregnancy discrimination is all too common,” the statement reads. “Reproductive choice is an indispensable tool in determining one’s own fate. Choosing when and how to have a child is not a luxury, it is a human right.”
“The repercussions of this decision could be far-reaching. The reasonings applied to overturn Roe v. Wade could be deployed to undo much of the human rights progress of the last several decades, including the very rights for LGBTQ+ people that are already being attacked in states across the country. We support bodily autonomy for all. We stand opposed to any efforts by the Supreme Court, or any other body, to roll back human rights. We stand opposed to oppression. We stand in solidarity,” the statement concluded.
This is not the first (or last) time Hollywood has threatened to boycott states over this issue. Last month, WGA West recommended Hollywood boycott the state of Florida over the Parental Rights in Education bill which banned the teaching of sexuality and transgenderism to children between kindergarten through third grade.
They stated, “Any narrative that chooses to erase sexuality and gender identity ignores the existence and the basic humanity of LGBTQ+ persons.”
The statement continued, “This is true when talking about the fictional stories created by our union’s members, and equally true when talking about the real-world legislation emerging in multiple states around our country…
“…laws that seek to muzzle educators from even mentioning the word ‘gay’ without risking a lawsuit, and others that seek to criminalize parents who wish to affirm their child’s gender,” they added.
“We urge all WGA signatory companies to reassess not only their political giving but also where they choose to spend their production dollars,” the guild said on March 15th. “Show, don’t tell, that you value the LGBTQ+ community.”
It was signed by Meredith Stiehm, Michele Mulroney and Betsy Thomas.
In 2019, WGA West & WGA East proposed a boycott of the state of Georgia after HB 481, a heartbeat bill that bans the act of abortion when a fetal heart beat is detected, was passed in the state.
In 2015, the Georgia State House and Senate passed a Religious-liberty bill that would have allowed individuals to not be required to perform marriage ceremonies in violation of their legal right to free exercise of religion. But once outsider companies like Disney and the NFL said they would boycott the state for approving a bill in their state legislatures, Governor Nathan Deal vetoed the bill in favor of a Super Bowl for the city.
Hollywood has a long history of taking advantage of the cheaper costs and tax breaks of red states to the point where California is no longer the home of film production. However, Hollywood then weaponizes their position in these states to strong-arm state politicians and local elections to support the progressive agenda under the threat of a Hollywood boycott.
However, they have have not been good at actually pulling the trigger on their threats. Democrats in red states are against boycotts as the result would lead to Democrat voters to not only losing their jobs that are connected to the film industry, but leaving the state altogether which would deal a great blow to left-wing politicians campaigning in local elections.
Hollywood’s presence in states like Georgia and Louisiana has helped sway local elections in the state towards Democrats and boycotting those states would deal a significant political blow to them, especially with the 2022 midterms around the corner.
What are your thoughts on WGA West and WGA East calling on Hollywood to move their operations to Democrat majority states in America?
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