The abortion bill approved by Governor Kemp has the entertainment industry in Georgia at odds. I’m pro life. However, I support women’s choice so I support pro choice. However I did not march on Saturday, May 26, 2019 in downtown Atlanta for the anti-abortion bill. First, I had to work since I had to get a serving job to support myself due to many issues. I’m studying with Nancy Wolfson in voice-over who is a very expensive commercial coach in LA and the extra income supports payment for my coaching fees and my teaching job was extremely busy with performances which left me little time to market in voice-over this year.
However, it’s upsetting to see my fellow actor friends treated as nomads (part of the job?) to go where the jobs are even though they may have established roots in GA. I didn’t vote for Gov. Kemp or 45 (whose name I refuse to print). A part of me thinks that if married Caucasian women voted their conscience instead of voting along with their husband’s Republican ticket, people wouldn’t have to swallow the mess that we face now. However, I could be wrong. Maybe many women voted their conscience not just along with their spouses, just probably not enough.
However, a part of me thinks that companies who cater to children’s television shows would stay in the Southern states in support of children and families since that is their core base. Their decision to leave Georgia production for other areas may backfire on them even though another argument could be that they support women’s issues primarily as family issues since women determine the spending habits for their family in the home. It’s complicated.
Also, I would think that it would be bad business to establish studios in GA and leave due to the abortion bill since it’s expensive to build and establish a presence at any location. However, I was reminded that production companies may have more flexibility.
As an arts educator, I’m at a cross roads on the issue. We’ll see and time will tell what happens concerning the fallout of the abortion bill in GA.
Thanks for reading my take on this. Performers in Georgia will see and watch the outcome unfold here. Many thanks to the actors, legislation and our SAG-AFTRA in GA representatives in supporting tax incentives to bring jobs to Georgia.
Note: Since this post, Geter Voice Over Services, LLC has donated to the ACLU in support of keeping jobs in the state of Georgia. Time will tell how everything works out. We’ll see.
Kim
GVOS and Me 