Feminist Festival Daisy Chain Fields Receives Polarizing Reactions
By: Salisa Wellenreuther, Skyline Reporter
ALPINE -Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo has added to her repertoire by creating her own music festival dubbed Daisy Chain Fields, held on Aug. 29, which not only provided musical entertainment but also partnered with numerous nonprofit organizations. What was intended to be a celebration of feminism, creativity, and inclusivity incited protests by pro-life women who deemed the involvement of abortion clinics to be anti-feminist.
The festival featured an all-woman lineup with musicians such as Chappell Roan, Mitski, Stevie Nicks, and Doechii, who all performed at no charge to support the charity causes. There were also activities and pop-up events such as a collaborative LEGO wall, pin collection hunts, a carousel, photo op locations, and “Daisy Lane,” which allowed patrons to discover moments in history that paved the way for modern feminism.
Rodrigo’s musical festival supported many nonprofit organizations, including John Hopkins Center for Indigenous Health, the National Domestic Workers Alliance, the National Women’s Law Center, Jhpiego, and Freeform. All of which provide women and minorities with support and protections against violence and other extraneous circumstances. The involvement of Planned Parenthood, a clinic known for providing legal abortions, is what sparked a rebuttal from pro-life activists.
Protesters gathered outside of the event venue, wielding signs that condemned Rodrigo, collaborators, and festival attendees for funding Planned Parenthood. The discourse has made its way to Sul Ross, with Junior Alondra Talvarez telling the Skyline, “I think the Daisy Chain non-profit festival had the opportunity to be great. The only problem is that I don’t believe that some of those organizations truly help women. For example, Planned Parenthood is an organization that provides abortions, which, to me, is the opposite of helping women.”
Planned Parenthood has been under scrutiny from pro-life activists and the Trump Administration for its offering of medicine and procedural abortions. Although Planned Parenthood’s funding also goes towards providing healthcare such as birth control, cancer screenings, gender-affirming care, STI treatment, and other feminine health concerns, the sanctioning of abortions remains at the forefront.
Talvarez stated, “I am aware of the implications of reproductive care, as well as how the festival doesn’t just support that organization, but also other important ones, but that doesn’t take away from how much of that money raised is going towards helping abortions take place, which I believe is not only cruel to the unborn baby, but the mother as well.”
Talvarez concluded her interview with this statement, “As someone who used to support abortions and loves Olivia Rodrigo, I hope she understands the importance and value of an unborn child.” Regardless of the abortion dispute, the Daisy Chain Fields festival raised $20 million in total for the organizations involved. Rodrigo states on the official website, “Daisy Chain’s core purpose is to cultivate joy and shared understanding, creating space for meaningful moments of connection across generations and communities. Daisies are wild and beautiful. As a chain, they are strong and unbreakable.”