Joseph Lee "Joe" Burrow, an American football quarterback for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League, sends a powerful message about abortion on Instagram after the United States Supreme Court overturned the landmark Roe v. Wade.
The professional athlete shared a post advocating for abortion rights on Monday after the Supreme Court's decision and after a six-week abortion ban became law in Ohio. The Bengals quarterback shared another user's post on his Instagram Story but did not add any text.
Joe Burrow on Abortion
The post read that he was not "pro-murdering babies" but instead was pro-women, especially those who were either the victims of sexual abuse or physical disorders. The athlete's post continued to list some scenarios and added that he was choosing to be pro-life, specifically, women's lives.
Bengals QB Joe Burrow shared his this post on IG about the Supreme Court’s ruling in the Dobbs case on abortion: pic.twitter.com/h9ZNANh7YV
— Ben Baby (@Ben_Baby) June 27, 2022
Hours after the reversal of Roe v. Wade on Friday, a federal court judge lifted the injunction on Ohio's abortion ban, which criminalizes abortions after a fetal cardiac activity is detected, which is roughly six weeks into a pregnancy. The law has an exception in the case of saving the life of a patient but makes no exceptions for rape or incest, as per USA Today.
The ruling to overturn Roe v. Wade was leaked last May and sparked a controversial debate between supporters and opponents of the decision. The decision means that the Constitutional right to abortion in the United States is now stripped away, and states will have the power to enact their own abortion laws without getting into conflict with the rule.
It also comes as many states in the country have trigger laws that will automatically come into effect after the overrule. While many supporters of the decision said that it prevents the killing of babies, Burrow noted that many overlook the issue regarding the impact of the decision beyond just the "pro-life" argument.
According to Clutch Points, instead of condemning the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, Burrow argued that it took away women's rights and emphasized how it could make life much more difficult and potentially dangerous in the long run. The athlete is not alone in his perspective and joins several NBA and NFL players who have also taken a stand against the Supreme Court's ruling.
Supreme Court's Ruling
The situation comes as a Louisiana judge on Monday temporarily stopped the state from enforcing Republican-backed laws banning abortion that were set to take effect following the Supreme Court's decision. The state is one of 13 which passed trigger laws that ban or severely restrict the procedure.
On Monday in New Orleans, a Parish civil district court judge, Robin Giarrusso, issued a temporary restraining order that blocks the state's ban. Hope Medical Group for Women in Shreveport, which is one of three abortion clinics in Louisiana, was responsible for bringing the case to Giarrusso, who is a Democrat.
The Louisiana lawsuit is one of several that are challenging Republican-backed abortion laws under state constitutions. In Utah, a branch of Planned Parenthood sued on Saturday over a trigger ban. In Ohio, abortion rights advocates plan to challenge a ban on abortions six weeks into a pregnancy, The Guardian reported.
Related Article: Joe Biden, Democrats Launch Fundraising in the Wake of Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade Reversal as Protests Spark, Clinics Close Across US
