Billie Eilish made her feelings clear about Texas’ restrictive abortion law during her headlining set at Austin City Limits 2021 on Saturday night. In addition to speaking up against the anti-abortion legislation, the pop star revealed that she initially thought about protesting the law by canceling her appearance at the festival, but didn’t want to let down her fans.
“When they made that shit a law, I almost didn’t want to do the show because I wanted to punish this fucking place for allowing that to happen here,” Eilish said in fan-shot footage. “But then I remembered that it’s you guys that are the fucking victims, and you deserve everything in the world.”
“We need to tell them to shut the fuck up,” Eilish added, as “Bans Off Our Bodies” appeared on the screen behind her. She then called for fans to put up their middle fingers before exclaiming, “My body, my fucking choice.” See the fan-shot clip below.
Shortly before midnight on Wednesday, September 1st, the Supreme Court refused to block a Texas abortion law, known as SB 8, that will put an end to almost all medically-assisted abortions in the state. Numerous artists spoke up in its wake, including Lucy Dacus, Amanda Shires, and Missy Dabice of Mannequin Pussy.
In other festival news, Eilish will become the youngest solo headliner at Glastonbury when the UK festival returns in 2022. She is the first headliner confirmed for next year’s event, which follows two years of COVID-related cancellations.
Later this month, Eilish will star as Sally in Danny Elfman’s The Nightmare Before Christmas Live-to-Film concert. Prior to taking the stage at ACL, she recently performed at Life Is Beautiful and Governors Ball. In 2022, Eilish will embark on a massive world tour.
Billie Eilish speaks out against Texas’s new abortion law during her set at Austin City Limits:
“When they made that shit a law, I almost didn’t want to do the show, because I wanted to punish this fucking place for allowing that to happen here… My body, my fucking choice!” pic.twitter.com/U84pNYtN7G
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) October 3, 2021
