Actress Alyssa Milano ignited social media with a tweet on Friday night calling for women to join her in a sex strike to protest against strict abortion laws in the US.
The former star of Charmed and Melrose Place urged women in her tweet to stop having sex “until we get bodily autonomy back”.
Her tweet came days after Georgia became the fourth state in the US this year to ban abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected, which can be as early as six weeks, before many women know they are pregnant.
“We need to understand how dire the situation is across the country,” Milano told The Associated Press on Saturday.
“It’s reminding people that we have control over our own bodies and how we use them.”
Our reproductive rights are being erased.
Until women have legal control over our own bodies we just cannot risk pregnancy.
JOIN ME by not having sex until we get bodily autonomy back.
I’m calling for a #SexStrike. Pass it on. pic.twitter.com/uOgN4FKwpg
— Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) May 11, 2019
Milano faced some criticism for her idea but also received support from fans and fellow actress Bette Midler, who joined her in also calling for a sex strike with her own tweet.
I hope the #womenofGeorgia stop having sex with men until these indignities are overturned.
— Bette Midler (@BetteMidler) May 11, 2019
Milano said the criticism did not bother her and that her tweet was having her desired effect, “which is getting people to talk about the war on women”.
She said she fears one of the laws could eventually be decided by the conservative-leaning US Supreme Court, which Republicans hope will overturn the 1973 Roe v Wade decision legalising abortion.
“That is absolutely horrifying to me,” Milano said. “Anyone who is not completely and totally outraged by this and doesn’t see where this is leading, I think is not taking this threat seriously.”