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American singer-songwriter and rapper Janelle Monae flipped off the US Supreme Court at the BET Awards, which took place on Sunday, June 24, in the backdrop of the recent overturning of the Roe v. Wade ruling. Janelle Monae was presenting Jazmine Sullivan with this year’s trophy for Best Female R&B/ Pop Artist when they gave a special shoutout to black women, queer artists, and black non-binary artists. The artist held up her middle finger on the BET Awards stage and said,
“F**k you, Supreme Court.”
Hinting at the recent overturning of the five-decade old Roe v. Wade ruling, Janelle Monae said:
“[We are] artists making art on our own terms, owning our truths and expressing ourselves freely and unapologetically in a world that tries to control and police our bodies … and our decisions.”
Janelle Monae further added:
“I know we’re celebrating us right now, as we should – we absolutely deserve to celebrate. Especially now, we must celebrate our art by protecting our rights and our truths.”
Shortly after, Jazmine Sullivan took to the stage to accept the award, and said:
“As always, I do this for the women – for my sisters, especially. It’s a hard time right now for us, and I want to speak directly to the men. We need y’all. We need y’all to stand up – stand up for us, stand up with us…”
Adding to the statement, Sullivan said:
“If you’ve ever benefited from a woman making one of the toughest decisions of her life, which is to terminate a pregnancy, you need to be standing with us. This is not just a women’s issue, this is everybody’s issue, and we need your support more than ever. Okay fellas?”
Netizens react to Janelle Monae speaking against Roe v. Wade overturn during BET 2022
Netizens reacted to the way Janelle Monae stood up for women's rights during BET 2022. Some took to Twitter to express their appreciation for Janelle Monae by sharing positive memes directed at her.
Celebrities speak against the overturning of Roe v. Wade during BET 2022 awards
The host of the BET awards, Taraji P. Henson, also highlighted her disappointment during the BET 2022 awards. Speaking about the overturning in her opening statement, Henson said,
“It’s about damn time we step into our power. It’s about damn time we talk about the fact that guns have more rights than a woman. It’s a sad day in America. A weapon that can take lives has more power than a woman who can give life – if she chooses to.”
Further adding to her point, Henson said:
“It’s a sad day in America. A weapon that can take lives has more rights than a woman that can give life — if she wants to.”
Latto, who won the Best New Artist award, said during her acceptance speech:
“It’s giving pro-choice. It’s never giving a man policing my body.”
Sharing their thoughts on the issue, the cast of Tyler Perry’s Sistas before presenting Billy Porter’s performance said,
“In light of the recent reversal of Roe v. Wade, it’s time for sisters across the world to lift our voices.”
More about the overturning of Roe v. Wade ruling
The Supreme Court on June 24 overturned Roe v. Wade ruling, which will deny women in the US the guaranteed federal constitutional protection of abortion rights. The decision to make abortion illegal now lies with the states. As per reports, 23 states are likely to make abortion illegal. As of now, five states have already made the provision illegal and eight more are in the process of finalizing anti-abortion laws.
