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Megan Thee Stallion Honored With Catalyst of Change Award at Planned Parenthood Gala

The award-winning rapper gave an impassioned acceptance speech at the New York City event on Tuesday.

Cara O’Bleness

Megan Thee Stallion
Megan Thee Stallion / Briana Sanchez / USA TODAY NETWORK

Planned Parenthood of Greater New York held its annual Spring Into Action gala event on Tuesday, April 16, which drew out celebrity guests like Busy Philipps, AnnaSophia Robb and Beanie Feldstein. Additionally, Emmy Award-winning actress Patricia Arquette and Grammy Award-winning rapper Megan Thee Stallion were both honored for their advocacy work during ceremony held at Cipriani.

Megan received the Catalyst for Change Award, which she was bestowed for her tireless dedication to women’s empowerment and mental health.

“We need to create communities where women can receive sexual and reproductive healthcare with the love, respect and compassion that they deserve,” she stated in part of her acceptance speech. “I promise to continue to do my part and use my platform to break down barriers and empower women all around the world.

A day later, Megan thanked Planned Parenthood for the honor on Instagram, where she shouted out the “amazing” women she met at the event and showed off her ensemble for the occasion: a figure-hugging black dress and plenty of mixed-metal jewelry. Tons of her 31.8 million followers on the platform chimed in to the comments section to commend both Megan’s ensemble and her advocacy work.

“My body odyyyyy my choiceeee,” one person wrote, riffing on the 29-year-old’s track, “Body.”

“Queen of reproductive rights!” someone else cheered.

“MY BIRTH IS CONTROLLED MY JAW IS DROPPED,” another fan quipped.

“REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS QUEEN ❤️,” one user applauded.

In 2022, Megan launched a mental health resource platform, Bad B------ Have Bad Days Too. The website offers therapy platforms, crisis hotline contact information and more.

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Cara O’Bleness

CARA O’BLENESS

Cara is a trending news writer/editor for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit. A passionate writer and editor with more than 10 years of experience in print and online media, she loves storytelling and believes that words have the power to change the world. Prior to joining the team, Cara worked as a writer and editor across a number of content verticals, including food, lifestyle, health and wellness, and small business and entrepreneurship. In her free time, Cara loves reading, spending time with her family and making her way through Michigan’s many microbreweries. She is a graduate of Michigan State University's School of Journalism.