Actress Alyssa Milano defended her controversial “sex strike” Tuesday night, insisting that every “human on the planet” is pro-life while simultaneously advocating for abortion.
Last Friday, Milano made news when she launched what would become a viral campaign for pro-abortion women to stop having sex. The so-called “sex strike” was a reaction to the newly passed Georgia "heartbeat" law, which prohibits abortions once a heartbeat is detected, typically at around six weeks of pregnancy.
Political conservatives and pro-life activists quickly poked fun at the strike, with some enthusing that the self-imposed abstinence will ultimately result in fewer abortions. Liberals on the other hand were critical of the strike, claiming that it commodified women’s bodies, ignored the experiences of people identifying as LGBTQ, and didn’t take into account the possibility of sexual violence.
Appearing on CNN's "Cuomo Prime Time" Tuesday night, Milano granted that the reaction to her strike idea had indeed been "mixed," but expressed that she was pleased it brought attention to the anti-abortion legislation. Milano also acknowledged that the strike was primarily intended to be about "awareness," as opposed to something she would actually go on to implement.
"My purpose for sending out that tweet was simply, I felt like these bills were being ignored and sending out that tweet, look at me now, I'm on your show and we're talking about women's rights and how they're being rolled back," she told CNN's Chris Cuomo.
When Cuomo appeared to push back, pointing out that "a lot of women" are not pro-abortion but, in fact, actually pro-life-- including some of the "heartbeat" bill’s co-sponsors--Milano argued that she is "pro-life" as well.
"I don't think there's a human on the planet that is not pro-life. Nobody wants to get an abortion, nobody. We are all pro-life," Milano claimed, right before going on to defend abortion.
"But there are circumstances that we cannot avoid. There's mother's health, there's just not being ready, you know, and what that means financially and for someone's destiny. This is an economic issue. Just because there are women who don't believe in abortion, don't take away someone else's right."
Milano added that the various pieces of anti-abortion legislation would be "catastrophic" for both women of color and low-income women who can't necessarily afford to go out of state for an abortion.
The day prior, Milano had written an op-ed, co-bylined with activist Waleisah Wilson, headlined, “Why the time is now for a #SexStrike.” It was published on CNN’s website Monday.
“Calling for a sex strike as a way to protest restrictions on abortion has sparked a powerful response,” Milano wrote. “Sure, it's been a mixed reaction, but it got the country talking about the GOP's undeniable war on women.”
Following the response, Milano later tweeted: "The #SexStrike tweet has reminded people of the Republican war against women... These oppressive, regressive, forced-pregnancy bills are now being discussed in a serious manner on our national news cycle."
On Tuesday night, Milano told Cuomo the issue needs to be taken "incredibly seriously."
"These bills are ridiculous," she said. "In Georgia, the heartbeat bill, basically criminalizing abortion after six weeks. Most women don't know they're pregnant before eight weeks. I was eight weeks before I found out."