Enrichment Arts & Culture

Cyndi Lauper rocks the VMAs with fierce remarks on women’s rights

by Jenna Romaine | Sept. 13, 2021 | Sep. 13, 2021

Story at a glance

  • Cyndi Lauper presented the award for the best pop record at the 2021 MTV VMAs at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center on Sunday night.
  • Lauper used the platform to advocate for women’s rights, such as equal pay and reproductive rights.
  • Texas instituted a new law earlier this month making it illegal to access or provide an abortion in the state after the sixth week of pregnancy.

Cyndi Lauper took the stage at the VMAs with a strong message on women’s rights.

“How are you doing? I won a Moon Person at the very first VMAs in 1984. Things are a little different now,” Lauper said. “Yeah, girls wanna have fun. But we also want to have funds. Equal pay. Control over our bodies! You know, fundamental rights.” 

The iconic pop singer, 68, made the remarks while presenting the award for the best pop record at the 2021 MTV VMAs at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center on Sunday night.


The comments come amid high tensions after Texas instituted a new law earlier this month making it illegal to access or provide an abortion in the state after the sixth week of pregnancy. 

The new law has been met with protests and pushback from citizens and government officials. 

TikTokers protested an online tip line that was created by the anti-abortion rights group Texas Right to Life, which aimed to enforce the law by encouraging people to report violators on its website. TikTokers then inundated the tip line with memes, fake reports and porn.

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Attorney General Merrick Garland said he and the Justice Department would protect the reproductive rights of citizens by enforcing the FACE Act, which “prohibits the use or threat of force and physical obstruction that injures, intimidates, or interferes with a person seeking to obtain or provide reproductive health services.”

“While the Justice Department urgently explores all options to challenge Texas SB8 in order to protect the constitutional rights of women and other persons, including access to an abortion,” Garland said in a statement, “we will continue to protect those seeking to obtain or provide reproductive health services pursuant to our criminal and civil enforcement of the FACE Act. … We will not tolerate violence against those seeking to obtain or provide reproductive health services, physical obstruction or property damage.” 

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