It all struck in a cascading wave of shit. As states throughout the country passed exceedingly restrictive abortion bans, lawmakers on Capitol Hill bandied casual remarks about defunding Planned Parenthood, and Donald Trump re-declared his interest in prosecuting women who have abortions and the doctors that perform them. Despite Brian Kemp’s election, it was tempting to believe that thanks to Atlanta, Georgia was too progressive to fall under the sway of such draconian measures. But on May 7, when Kemp signed the fetal heartbeat bill barring abortion as early as six weeks into pregnancy, we discovered that belief was grossly misplaced.
Enter musician Meghan Dowlen (Material Girls), entrepreneur Karen Knight (BitchMade), and artist Katie Drake. After hearing about the passage of the law, the three women came together to form My Illegal Body, an organization which functions as a grassroots fundraising campaign for Planned Parenthood and Feminist Women’s Health Center, as well as an outlet to empower anyone horrified by the actions taken at the state level, but are unsure how to fight back.
Even though the passage of Georgia’s abortion law was the catalyst for the creation of My Illegal Body, the organization has a holistic mindset of creating proactively safe spaces for women. The driving goal is to ensure that all aspects of women’s healthcare are easily accessible. “If you’re feeling lost and don’t know what to do, you’re not alone and that’s exactly what we’re here for,” Dowlen elaborates. “This is the time that everyone needs to come together and start taking serious action. Whether that means throwing fundraisers, reaching out to your community [and] loved ones, or actively working to remove these people of their power. It’s all progress and it all matters.”
The heart and soul of My Illegal Body are their benefits, the second of which takes place this Sat., Sept. 28. Though the event is literally a way to dance in the face of those who wish to silence women, it’s also a microcosm of how the organizers view the ongoing battle against the abortion ban and threats to Planned Parenthood. Local artists Rose Hotel, Riboflavin, Rated Age, Taves & Weatherly, and TAYLOR ALXNDR will perform with support from DJs Aja Arnold and Kale Svvick. For this event, My Illegal Body partnered with Irrelevant Music and the Mainline, a new independent music and culture publication created by Arnold.
In addition to the music, there will be multiple booths providing information on women’s health and voting rights. Staci Fox, CEO of Planned Parenthood Southeast, and Hillary Holley, Organizing Director of Stacey Abram’s brainchild Fair Fight Action, will be speaking and encouraging concrete action to ensure safe and legal abortions throughout Georgia. Even though the benefit is currently laser-focused on the abortion ban, the organization may expand in the future in an effort to better serve the community at large. As Knight explains, “My Illegal Body as a whole is not limited to reproductive rights. There are many people in this country who have ‘illegal bodies.’ This is just the first step.”
My Illegal Body takes place Saturday, September 28 at 529. Featuring performances by Rose Hotel, Riboflavin, Rated Age, TAYLOR ALXNDR, and Taves & Weatherly + DJs Aja Arnold & Kale Svvick. Doors open at 8 p.m. Suggested donation $10-20. 21+ to enter.
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Facebook: @MYILLEGALBODY
Instagram: @myillegalbody