The overturning of Roe v. Wade sent shockwaves across the world on June 24th and only five days after the controversial ruling Coachella’s parent company The Anschutz Corporation added fuel to the fire.
The Corporation was just exposed for making a large donation to the anti-abortion organisation, the Republican Attorneys General Association (RAGA), by Rolling Stone in partnership with Popular Information. The donation of $75,000 was detailed in a filing submitted by RAGA to the IRS in July. According to RAGA, any donations go towards its efforts to “Combat the Democrats’ pro-abortion agenda and stand tall for life.”
The Anschutz Corporation defended its donation in a statement asserting that founder Philip F. Anschutz “does not review or support” the positions taken by the numerous organisations he financially supports. The corporation insisted that the 82-year-old billionaire “believes in a woman’s right to choose and did not support the reversal of Roe v. Wade.”
In 2017 Anschutz reportedly funded anti-LGBTQ+ groups such as the Alliance Defending Freedom, the National Christian Foundation and the Family Research Council. Anschutz hit back at these claims, calling it “fake news” and promised to stop contributing to anti-LGBTQ+ organisations as reported by Afropunk. However, Pitchfork revealed in 2018 that he was still giving money to discriminatory groups including the Christian Youth Ministry Young Life.
Adding an extra layer of confusion to this whole debacle are the artists who headlined last year’s event, which include Harry Styles and Billie Eilish, who have openly voiced their disapproval of Roe v Wade. It remains to be seen what impact this revelation will have on future lineups, and for the festival itself, but the pressure will certainly be piling up on artists to speak out.
