Austin/ Health & Lifestyle
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Published on March 11, 2024
Activists Leverage SXSW Stage in Austin to Spotlight Texas Abortion Law FightSource: Unsplash/Gayatri Malhotra

A wave of activism has swept through Downtown Austin with South by Southwest (SXSW) as a stage, where a moving billboard truck broadcasts messages about abortion rights, confronting attendees with the stark realities brought about by anti-abortion laws in Texas and nationwide. Art and digital media combine in a bid by organizations like Plan C, Fight for the Future, and Women on the Web to shine a light on the restrictive measures and the tactics used by big tech companies that may inadvertently hinder access to abortion resources.

Designed to provoke thought and action, the truck's screens flash pointed messages like "You traveled to Texas for SXSW, but some Texas counties are trying to stop people from traveling out of the station for an abortion," highlighting the irony of movement freedoms in contrast with reproductive rights, according to KVUE. One message calls out "Big tech is fueling abortion surveillance," urging these companies to cease mining data that could be used against those seeking abortions, this activism coincides with high-profile legal actions challenging the restrictions, namely the Zurawski versus the State of Texas case.

Martha Dimitratou of Plan C spotlighted the complicity of tech giants like Google, stating to KVUE, "There is a lot of information that people are searching that is either taken down, and we know that there is a lot of anti-abortion, fake clinics content that is, you know, still available on Google." She further emphasized the responsibility of tech companies in safeguarding abortion access. Rebecca Pauline Jampol, of the collaborative initiative Body Freedom for Every(Body), echoed Dimitratou's sentiments, stating "Abortion is so stigmatized and it absolutely should not be" and explaining the vital role of art in fostering discourse on reproductive healthcare and gender-affirming rights.