People have been dusting off their cowboy hats and dancing to Beyoncé's new country single, "Texas Hold 'Em," across social media platforms, since she blessed us with her latest surprise release. But the track has inspired a different kind of TikTok trend, one that focuses on access to abortion.
Some users have posted videos featuring the song's opening line "This ain't Texas" in the background, as they role play a scenario in which someone tells them that they are pregnant. In these videos, the creators pull out their credit card, signaling that they are encouraging this person to get an abortion.
The not-so-subtle message is that unlike Texas, abortion is accessible and legal elsewhere, so you don't have to "hold 'em" (aka unwanted pregnancy). Abortion has been banned in the state since 2022, following the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Texas residents who are pregnant must travel out-of-state to access abortion care.
Check out some of these videos below:
Texas' Heartbeat Protection Act went into effect in 2021, where abortion is prohibited if embryonic activity or fetal cardiac activity is detected, which usually occurs around six weeks in a pregnancy—before many people even know they are pregnant. If an abortion is illegally conducted, doctors face up to $100,000 in fines and life imprisonment.
The state's ban also impacts women who miscarry or need emergency abortions for medical reasons. In December, a Dallas resident named Kate Cox was denied a request for an emergency abortion order after learning that her fetus had a fatal diagnosis, per The Texas Tribune. Cox's story went viral, as the Texas Supreme Court rejected her request to get an abortion in the state, forcing her to go to New Mexico for treatment.
Although "Texas Hold 'Em" doesn't directly reference abortion, and is instead about romance and Beyoncé's love for her hometown, fans seem to approve of this use of the track.
Beyoncé's new singles have already created buzz, especially after reports that some radio stations refused to play her music. We'll have to see if any of her other songs on the upcoming Renaissance follow up, Act II, will include any references to her home state's turbulant politics — after all the singer is no stranger to protest anthems.
Act II comes out March 29.
