Lewis Hamilton is the latest sportsperson to speak out after the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade on Friday.
In 1973, the Roe v Wade case granted women in the US the right to terminate a pregnancy. On Friday, nearly 50 years since the ruling by the US Supreme Court, that right was reversed.
All US states now have the right to ban abortions. Twenty-six are expected to do so immediately, while some democratic states, such as California and New York, are not.
Lewis Hamilton airs his views
Following Friday’s ruling, seven-time Formula 1 champion Hamilton took to Instagram to share his disgust. His post reads:
“Disgusted by the decision made by the Supreme Court in the US today. I don’t understand why some in power pushed and continue to push to strip rights away from millions of people. This decision will impact the most vulnerable among us. Women, people of colour, members of the LGBTQIA+ community and so on. The following organizations provide resources to protect the people that need it and fight to ensure people’s rights to choose.”
Hamilton followed this post with links to non-profit organisations Planned Parenthood and the American Civil Liberties Union, which are fighting against banning abortions.
The 37-year-old also encouraged his followers to donate to help the fight.
Lewis Hamilton the activist
This is not the first time Hamilton has spoken out about something he believes in. There have been other occasions when the driver’s activism has helped others.
In March 2022, Hamilton revealed he received a letter from a 14-year-old boy on death row, reiterating his intention to use his profile to improve the human rights record in states such as Saudi Arabia.
He said: “We don’t decide where we go. But I think we are duty-bound to try and do what we can while we are here.”
In addition, the 37-year-old has long been a vocal critic of social inequality. Along with other Formula 1 drivers, Hamilton supported the Black Lives Matter movement in 2021 and continues to do so.
In an interview with Sky Sports in 2021, Hamilton said: “It was just before the beginning of the season, and I was thinking, we’ve gone through a period, Black Lives Matter, taking a knee, what’s the next step and how do we continue to spark conversation?”
The Mercedes driver continues to use his profile for social and political change. Given his reaction to the Roe v Wade ruling, it looks likely that Hamilton will continue to do just that.
Featured image credit: Getty
