Elizabeth Banks Helps Raise $2.7 Million for the Center for Reproductive Rights at 30th Anniversary Gala

10.26.22 (PRESS RELEASE) —The Center for Reproductive Rights raised $2.7 million Tuesday night at its 30^th anniversary gala in New York, with special guest Elizabeth Banks. The event was held just four months after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, setting in motion a wave of abortion bans that have left millions without abortion access. Proceeds from the event will fuel the Center’s legal efforts to protect abortion rights in states where they’re under attack, to deepen legal protections wherever possible, and to expand access to abortion and maternal health care around the world. In the U.S., the Center is currently litigating more than 30 cases to protect reproductive rights across 15 states.

Nearly 500 people attended the fundraiser held at Jazz at Lincoln Center, including notables like actress Busy Philipps and activist Maya Wiley. The annual event raised more funds for the Center this year than any year prior.

Elizabeth Banks’ new movie, Call Jane, will be released on October 28 and tells the pre-Roe story of a woman who is unable to get a legal abortion, and the community of women who help her.

“I’ve been supporting the Center for Reproductive Rights for many years, but the fight has never felt more urgent or more personal,” said Elizabeth Banks. “The Supreme Court has done the unthinkable and taken away one of our most basic rights. Everyone deserves the freedom and dignity to make decisions about their own body and future. Call Jane is based on events from 60 years ago, but now people are facing that same, dehumanizing reality once again. We must reestablish the right to abortion in the U.S., and the Center is on the frontlines of that fight.”

“The vast majority of Americans support the right to abortion, and tonight’s outpouring shows once again that people will not stand by while our fundamental rights are trampled,” said Nancy Northup, President & CEO of The Center for Reproductive Rights. “The Supreme Court has unleashed a public health crisis, and the real human suffering will only get worse as more states ban abortion. Just as we have for the past 30 years, the Center will not back down in this fight. We are thankful to Elizabeth and other advocates who help fuel our work to protect abortion rights in the U.S. and around the world.”

Abortion is currently illegal in 12 states—a number that is expected to grow when state legislatures reconvene in January. At least 66 clinics have closed or stopped providing abortion services since Roe was overturned in June. Meanwhile, most Americans support the right to abortion and 60% of Americans think Congress should pass a law guaranteeing access to legal abortion nationwide.

*EVENT PHOTOS FOR MEDIA USE: https://reprocomms.canto.com/b/QMB8V (Credit: Getty Images for The Center for Reproductive Rights)

About the Center for Reproductive Rights:

The Center for Reproductive Rights is a global human rights organization of lawyers and advocates who ensure reproductive rights are protected in law as fundamental human rights. Since its founding in 1992, the Center’s game-changing litigation, legal policy, and advocacy work has transformed how reproductive rights are understood by courts, governments, and human rights bodies around the world. Through its work on five continents, the Center has played a critical role in securing legal victories before national courts, United Nations Committees, and regional human rights bodies on reproductive rights issues including access to life-saving obstetrics care, contraception, maternal health, and safe abortion services, as well as the prevention of forced sterilization and child marriage.

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