Planned Parenthood President to Open 2022 SXSW Conference with Keynote on Reproductive Freedom and Civil Rights

Busy Philipps to join Alexis McGill Johnson in talking about abortion rights in Texas and beyond

Austin, TX — Tomorrow, March 11, Planned Parenthood President and CEO Alexis McGill Johnson will kick off the 2022 SXSW Conference with a keynote conversation on the national threat to reproductive freedom and civil rights, moderated by author, actorand abortion rights advocate Busy Philipps. 

Happening at 1:00 pm CST in Ballroom D of the Austin Convention Center, the keynote will focus on the role everyone can play — from celebrities to content creators to corporate leaders — to shift culture through the stories they tell and how they invest in places and people. 

Statement from Alexis McGill Johnson, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Federation of America and Planned Parenthood Action Fund

“Everyone’s asking, ‘What’s happening with Texas?’ For more than six months, abortion has been banned at around six weeks of pregnancy, forcing thousands of people to leave the state to get an abortion or carry a pregnancy against their will. For years, politicians have been on an unrelenting and unpopular spree to undermine reproductive freedom and other rights. 

“This is happening right now, in Texas and in other states — to you, your sisters, your friends, your neighbors. And by this summer, a Supreme Court decision in another abortion ban case could mean that we will continue to see state after state strip people of their right to control their own body, and put abortion access out of reach in 26 states across the country for over 36 million women and other people who could become pregnant. We all have a role to play in protecting access to abortion, and I look forward to joining Busy at SXSW to talk about how each one of us can make freedom our business.”

This conversation comes at a critical time as Texas just marked six months of the S.B. 8 abortion ban being in effect, and the Supreme Court considers a case that could overturn or undermine Roe v. Wade — the landmark decision that has guaranteed the right to safe, legal abortion for nearly 50 years. While only one-third of Americans believe that Roe could be overturned, may statehouses across the country have been emboldened by that possibility and by the court’s refusal to block Texas’s abortion ban — introducing over 300 bills attempting to restrict abortion across 41 states in 2022 alone. 

And it doesn’t start or end with abortion rights: Texas and other state politicans have also targeted trans youth and their support systems, prevented sex education and discussions about the history of race and identity in schools, and undermined voting rights. 

Busy Philipps is no stranger to using her voice and influence to speak truth to power around threats to abortion rights. In 2019, she shared her abortion story and started #YouKnowMe in response to the Georgia Senate’s vote to ban abortion, encouraging thousands of people to do the same. Later, Busy testified before the U.S. House Judiciary Committee to speak out against the growing number of abortion bans introduced across the country that year. Busy is also a devoted advocate for LGBTQ+ rights and youth. 

Statement from Busy Philipps, actor and abortion rights advocate 

“I am thrilled to join Alexis at SXSW. This conversation couldn’t be happening at a more crucial time: We are at a crisis point and our rights are on the line. The fundamental freedom to control our own bodies is non-negotiable, yet politicians in Texas, Florida, and many more states across the country are hellbent on stripping us of our bodily autonomy. The fact is, everyone knows and loves someone who’s had an abortion — and when politicians attack reproductive freedom, they’re attacking all of us. We are in the fight of our lives, and everyone has a critical role to play in the effort to defend our rights.”

Throughout Weekend 1 of the conference, join Planned Parenthood and special guests for a full slate of activations:

• On Saturday, March 12 from 4:00-8:00 p.m. CST stop by our Condoms On. Bans Off. ice cream truck for free treats, condoms, and Planned Parenthood swag. There may be special celebrity guests joining the team!
• From 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. CST on Saturday, catch the Our Bodies, Our Futures, Our Abortions. light show cruising around Austin with an important public service announcement about our reproductive rights. 
• On Sunday, meet us from 12:00-12:30 p.m. CST at The Female Quotient's SXSW Equality Lounge for our panel: “How Businesses Can Support Reproductive Health Care Access and Rights,” moderated by Nadia Khamis, director of corporate engagement at Planned Parenthood Federation of America. Hear from business leaders, including Melissa Hobley, chief marketing officer of OkCupid, Sabrina Stratton, first vice president of commercial banking at Amalgamated Bank, and Ronda Carnegie, chief innovation officer of The Female Quotient, who will speak to how businesses across industriess can take action to protect and provide affordable, essential sexual and reproductive health care access for their workforce, consumers, and communities. 
• Later on Sunday from 1:00 – 1:30 p.m. CST, join Latinx House for a conversation on Texas’s abortion law between Alexis and Annie Gonzalez, actor from Netflix’s Gentefied.

For more information about the 2022 SXSW Conference, visit www.sxsw.com/conference/. 

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Planned Parenthood is the nation’s leading provider and advocate of high-quality, affordable sexual and reproductive health care for all people, as well as the nation’s largest provider of sex education. With more than 600 health centers across the country, Planned Parenthood organizations serve all patients with care and compassion, with respect, and without judgment, striving to create equitable access to health care. Through health centers, programs in schools and communities, and online resources, Planned Parenthood is a trusted source of reliable education and information that allows people to make informed health decisions. We do all this because we care passionately about helping people lead healthier lives. Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that supports the independently incorporated Planned Parenthood affiliates operating health centers across the U.S.

Planned Parenthood Action Fund is an independent, nonpartisan, not-for-profit membership organization formed as the advocacy and political arm of Planned Parenthood Federation of America. The Action Fund engages in educational, advocacy, and limited electoral activity, including grassroots organizing, legislative advocacy, and voter education.