Olivia Rodrigo Accepts Planned Parenthood Award & Urges ‘We Just Have to Fight' Even in ‘Hopeless' Political Climate

Yahoo

25-04-2025

Every night on tour, Olivia Rodrigo performs for countless women and girls – but when they all funnel out of the arenas and festival grounds at the end of each of her shows, she worries constantly for their futures.
That's why she's spent almost her entire career advocating for reproductive rights, using her platform to speak out against oppressive policy changes and raising money through her concerts for abortion funds. And on Thursday evening (April 24) at Planned Parenthood of Greater New York's Spring Into Action Gala in New York City, those efforts were honored by the organization with the designation of 2025's Catalyst of Change award to the 22-year-old pop star, who asked during her speech, 'When I play shows, I look out at crowds filled with young girls and the bond I feel with them is profound… I often wonder, 'What happens to those girls when they leave those venues? What are their dreams? What kind of world are they returning to?''
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Rodrigo was one of two guests of honor at the night's celebration at Cipriani South Street in lower Manhattan, with Amanda Zurawski — the Texas woman who sued her home state in 2023 after she nearly died due to pregnancy complications and was denied an abortion — also getting a moment of recognition as this year's Champion of Change award winner. Past winner Laverne Cox was on hand to present Zurawski with the honor, while the 'Vampire' singer's friend and fellow activist Lily Allen (with whom she chanted 'F–k you' to the Supreme Court at her Glastonbury set three years prior, shortly after Roe v. Wade was overturned), gave Rodrigo a heartfelt introduction.
'Olivia, my love, you're the realest,' the British singer-songwriter gushed after commending Rodrigo for not '[straying] from her values to make powerful people comfortable.' 'You use your platform because you actually give a s–t about reproductive freedom and justice. And in this world, genuinely giving a s–t is revolutionary.'
After taking the stage and giving Allen a hug, Rodrigo used her speech to highlight the work of Planned Parenthood and shout out Zurawski — 'You deserve this award far more than I do,' the singer said, singling out the activist in the audience — before paying tribute to Cecile Richards, the healthcare organization's former president who died earlier this year after battling brain cancer.
'It's a privilege to be here tonight to support an organization that, despite countless obstacles, continues to show up with compassion, hope and dignity for women,' Rodrigo told a crowd of donors and Planned Parenthood of Greater New York board members, who clung to every word. 'My greatest wish is that through organizations like Planned Parenthood and the action of everyday citizens, no woman will need to sacrifice her dreams, her health or humanity because of restrictive laws or lack of resources.'
'[Richards] led at a time of relentless attacks on care and constant efforts to silence and shame women into submission,' the three-time Grammy winner added. 'She reminds us that standing up for what's right doesn't mean we have to be fearless. We can be scared, we can be angry, we can feel hopeless. We just have to fight anyway.'
The event honoring her comes after years of Rodrigo being one of the most vocal and hands-on modern pop stars when it comes to advocating for reproductive freedom. Back in May 2022 at a Sour Tour concert in Washington, D.C., just after the overturning of Roe, she made headlines for telling her crowd, 'Our bodies should never be in the hands of politicians … I hope we can raise our voices to protect our right to have a safe abortion, which is a right that so many people before us have worked so hard to get.'
On her next tour in support of 2023 Billboard 200-topping sophomore album Guts, Rodrigo launched her Fund 4 Good, which funneled proceeds from her shows on the trek to local abortion funds. Through the initiative, the Grammy winner also had local abortion funds set up tables at her venues, allowing young fans to learn about reproductive health and resources. In December, she announced that she'd donated more than $2 million in ticket sales from her 2024 Guts Tour — which continues this year with shows in Latin America and Europe as well as a run of global festival dates — to 10 organizations around the world championing girls' education, reproductive rights and the prevention of gender-based violence.
Read Rodrigo's full speech at the 2025 Planned Parenthood Spring Into Action Gala below.
Um, first of all, huge thank you to Lily. I absolutely adore you and I'm so grateful that you're here tonight, thank you. And a huge thank you to Planned Parenthood of Greater New York for this incredible honor.
I feel very fortunate for so many things in my life and my career. Over the past few years, I've gotten to live out dreams that I had as a little girl. I've traveled the world, I've written music that inspires me, and I've met so many of the people I grew up worshiping, like Miss Lily, for example.
But perhaps the greatest privilege this career has given me is connection with women through my music. When I play shows, I look out at crowds filled with young girls and the bond I feel with them is profound. To be in a space where we can all feel safe to be wild, emotional and carefree is incredibly powerful, and even though we're not speaking one on one, those moments where we sing together and lock eyes, something real forms. It feels like we're part of each other's lives. I often wonder, 'What happens to those girls when they leave those venues? What are their dreams? What kind of world are they returning to?
We live in a world that politicizes our bodies and uses harmful ideologies to deny us safety and healthcare, and it breaks my heart to think that, because of oppressive laws and outdated policies, some of those girls may not get to follow their dreams the way I was able to follow mine. Just a year ago, fueled by heartbreak and anger over what was happening in the world, I launched my Fund 4 Good, a global initiative that supports local nonprofits, championing reproductive freedom, girls' education and the prevention of gender-based violence. A portion of my tour proceeds went to the fund, and I'm proud to share that we've raised and donated over $2 million to organizations around the world.
I'm so, so incredibly humbled to be here amongst so many real-life heroes in the fight for freedom of choice. Amanda, wherever you are – where are you? Oh, hi Amanda! I'm absolutely floored by your story. Your ability to turn something so heartbreaking and painful into such powerful activism is so incredibly inspiring. I'm just so in awe of you. You deserve this award far more than I do, and I'm just very honored to stand with you tonight and celebrate your bravery.
I can't express how much I admire Planned Parenthood and the life-saving work that they do. Providing affordable healthcare, cancer screenings, birth control, STD testing, and abortion care, amongst so many other things, gives women the autonomy to care for themselves and shape their futures. It's a privilege to be here tonight to support an organization that, despite countless obstacles, continues to show up with compassion, hope and dignity for women. My greatest wish is that through organizations like Planned Parenthood and the action of everyday citizens, no woman will need to sacrifice her dreams, her health or humanity because of restrictive laws or lack of resources.
Before I go, I want to honor Cecile Richards. She led at a time of relentless attacks on care and constant efforts to silence and shame women into submission, but Cecile stood her ground, and in doing so, she stood up for millions of us. I never got the chance to meet her, but her legacy of resilience and decency continues to impact me. She reminds us that standing up for what's right doesn't mean we have to be fearless. We can be scared, we can be angry, we can feel hopeless. We just have to fight anyway. Thank you again, so much.
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