‘By emboldening the right wing through vitriolic rhetoric, the Donald Trump administration has become the UV light in sleazy motel rooms that illuminates these hidden stains on our democracy.’
That’s NBA Hall-of-Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar adding his voice to those across the country opposing recent bills to ban abortions.
And by stains, Abdul-Jabbar is referring to Alabama, Missouri, Georgia and any other states passing restrictive abortion legislation.
In a column for the Hollywood Reporter, Abdul-Jabbar says the U.S. is getting sucked “back to a time when pretty much everyone who wasn’t a straight, white Christian male was considered a second-class citizen whose rights and future depended on the patriarchs’ whims and largesse.”
He says he believes the best way for Americans to defend the Constitution would be to boycott the offending states.
Read: Alabama Public Television refuses to air cartoon gay marriage
“A boycott is a clear statement that we value conscience over commerce. It means stop doing business with or in these states,” Abdul-Jabbar wrote. “For Hollywood, stop making films there. For businesses, stop buying their products or holding conventions or building there. For the average person, don’t visit. No tourism dollars.” The boycott, he urged, must continue “until legislators reverse the policies or are removed from office.”
Abdul-Jabbar isn’t the first celebrity to speak out on the issue. Sean Penn, Alec Baldwin, Mia Farrow, Don Cheadle, Jason Bateman and Ben Stiller are just some of the high-profile names that have signed a boycott petition.
Georgia Republican Gov. Brian Kemp over the weekend reportedly mocked “C-list celebrities” vowing to boycott over the state’s “heartbeat” abortion law. The Republican Party is the “party of freedom and opportunity,” he said. “We value and protect innocent life — even though that makes C-list celebrities squawk.”
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