Apple and Netflix are being urged by Hundreds of TV writers to Enhance Safety Protocols in Anti-Abortion States
To Disney, Amazon, and other Hollywood behemoths, more than 400 creators and showrunners made comparable demands.
To demand stronger rights for employees in states that oppose abortion, 411 TV showrunners, creators, and writers wrote letters to CEOs at streaming services and other significant Hollywood businesses. In a letter to Netflix, they stated, "We have great concerns regarding the lack of particular production rules in place to protect people at work for Netflixin anti-abortion jurisdictions. "Asking anyone to choose between their employment and human rights is unacceptable."
Similar letters were sent to companies like Apple, Disney, Warner Bros., Discovery, NBC Universal, Paramount, Lionsgate, Amazon, and AMC, according to Variety, which broke the story first. Well-known creators like Issa Rae, Lilly Wachowski, Lena Waithe, Amy Schumer, Shonda Rhimes, Mindy Kaling, Ava DuVernay, and Lena Dunham are among the signatories. After the US Supreme Court reversed Roe v. Wade last month, they are demanding special safety safeguards for individuals working on projects in states that have prohibited abortion.
The group has demanded that the businesses respond within 10 days with information on their safety preparations for abortion. The writers request information on a variety of topics, including travel reimbursements for abortions, treatment for prenatal difficulties (such as ectopic pregnancies), and legal safeguards for employees who support a studio's abortion policies or assist another person in getting an abortion. Additionally, they pleaded with the businesses to stop "any political contributions to anti-abortion candidates and political action committees" right away.
Although many were already filming before the Supreme Court decision in late June, a Bloomberg report this week noted that studios are spending billions on projects in states that have prohibited or restricted abortions. For instance, Georgia provides large tax advantages to productions, which has contributed to the state's emergence as a TV and movie powerhouse. A new law was implemented in the state last week. It effectively outlawed the majority of abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, when the majority of women are unaware that they are pregnant.
Over 400 TV producers and writers, including Lena Dunham and Shonda Rhimes, have asked CEOs to defend abortion rights.
In an open letter to industry leaders following the US Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark decision that granted women the constitutional right to an abortion, the creator of "Girls" and the head of Shondaland listed their "grave concerns" for staff taking the "grave risk" of working in states that have outlawed abortion. They also outlined the steps they want to see implemented.
The latter, which also included the signatures of Issa Rae, Amy Sherman-Palladino, Chelsea Handler, Amy Schumer, Mindy Kaling, Natasha Lyonne, and Ava DuVernay, said, in part, "We, the undersigned, are 411 show creators, showrunners, and head writers who currently work across every network and streaming platform in the industry today, including those controlled by Netflix.
