The Writers Guild of America East (WGAE) and the Writers Guild of America West (WGAWest) are suggesting the film and television industry will boycott Georgia if the state signs into law legislation that would ban abortions after a fetal heartbeat can be detected.
In a tweet Tuesday, the two guilds wrote, “This draconian anti-choice law would discourage people in our industry from working in Georgia and could harm the state’s vibrant film and television industry.”
The groups added a potential threat of a boycott should the abortion bill become law:
This law would make Georgia an inhospitable place for those in the film and television industry to work, including our members … If the Georgia Legislature and Governor Kemp make HB 481 law, it is entirely possible that many of those in our industry will either want to leave the state or decide not to bring productions there. Such is the potential cost of a blatant attack on every woman’s right to control her own body.
The cost would be most deeply felt by the residents of Georgia – including those who directly work in the film and television industry, and those who benefit from the many millions of dollars it pours into the local economy.
The remarks by the writers guilds come just days after actress Alyssa Milano called for Hollywood film companies to boycott the state after its Senate approved the heartbeat abortion ban.
“There are over 20 productions shooting in GA & the state just voted to strip women of their bodily autonomy,” Alyssa Milano, star of Netflix’s Insatiable, tweeted Friday. “Hollywood! We should stop feeding GA economy.”
“Governor Kemp, Speaker Ralston and the Georgia House of Representatives have it within their power to avert what is both an affront to women and potential economic harm to their constituents,” the writers guilds said. “They should prevent HB 481 from becoming law, not only to protect the vibrant film and television industry in their state, but because it is the right thing to do.”
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican, said after the bill passed the state Senate on Friday that the body had “affirmed Georgia’s commitment to life and the rights of the innocent unborn.”
According to Fox News, Georgia is considered the “number one filming location in the world,” Georgia Film, Music and Digital Entertainment Office’s deputy commissioner reported last week.
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