Following Georgia’s recent lead, states with Republican-controlled legislatures around America have drafted their own bills effectively banning abortions at various stages of pregnancy. As the outcry against them mounts, “Basketball Wives” star Tami Roman has added her voice to the chorus.
The actress on Thursday posted a series of memes that she said “sums up” her thoughts on the so-called “heartbeat” bills, one of which was signed into law last week by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and another was passed in Alabama Wednesday.
Roman’s post included photos of pro-choice messages, including one of a protest sign that read “I can’t believe I still have to protest this f–king s—” and a photo of a woman with a t-shirt that had a coat hanger on it. It read, “never again.” One of the arguments against abortion bans is that they will lead to unsafe abortion practices.
“This about sums it up! Why are we traveling back in time? A woman should have the right to choose what is best for her life PERIOD! Swipe 👈🏽 so many powerful images that express my disdain for what is happening in the Land of the Free…” Roman said in the caption. She accompanied it with the hashtags #ProChoice and #YourRighttoChoose.
In response, several fans backed up the star.
“I’m definitely angry! Thanks for posting T😘😘😘😘💕💕💕”
“I wonder what the Law Makers will do if a Minority rapes one of their daughters?”
“PERIOD.”
May 7 marked the day that Kemp signed into law an order that bans abortion as soon as six weeks into pregnancy once a heartbeat can be detected. It also means the medical professionals who perform the procedure can face up to a decade in prison. Georgia passing the six-week law follows similar ones being passed in Ohio, Kentucky and Mississippi earlier this year. Alabama just passed a near-total ban on abortion at any stage of pregnancy — and cases of rape or incest are not exempt. Other states, including Missouri, which has a proposed eight-week abortion ban, are mulling similar bills, Vox reported.
Roman herself has been open about her public abortion experience. When she appeared on season 2 of MTV’s “The Real World,” she famously documented the effort on television.
“When I decided to show that journey, for me, it was dealing with all the emotional roller coaster of ‘should I do this should I not do this’ … and ultimately the best decision for me was to terminate the pregnancy,” she explained on TVOne’s “Uncensored.” And I wanted to show people by example: be responsible. Because this is hard to go through. You don’t want to have to terminate your child. You want to be ready for that process.
“I took a lot of flak for doing that,” she went on. “Because it’s always been a closed, behind-the-door topic. Nobody really wanted to discuss it and address it and I put it right out there on front street.”
Still, proponents of the bills state it protects those who can’t yet advocate for themselves.
“To the bill’s many supporters, this legislation stands as a powerful testament to Alabamians’ deeply held belief that every life is precious and that every life is a sacred gift from God,” Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey said in a statement after signing the legislation.
