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"Wendy Davis refused to take Texas&amp;apos; pending abortion bill sitting down. The Texas senator determinedly stood for nearly 13 hours straight on Tuesday, June 25, in a filibuster meant to kill a bill that would severely restrict women&amp;apos;s access to abortion in the Longhorn State.\r\nThe 50-year-old single mother and Harvard Law School graduate wouldn&amp;apos;t back down during the lengthy process, during which she was not allowed to sit or take a bathroom break. Clad in a pair of bright pink sneakers, Davis addressed anti-abortion lawmakers who argued that the bill was meant to protect women.\r\n\r\nThe bill in question would impose strict restrictions on a woman&amp;apos;s access to abortion -- banning the practice after 20 weeks of pregnancy and placing stringent restrictions on clinics -- potentially driving mothers with unwanted pregnancies to take unsafe or drastic measures.\r\nThe filibuster was suspended at 10:03 p.m., just two hours short of the midnight deadline that would effectively end the 30-day special session, after Lt. Gov. David Deewhurst determined that Davis had strayed off-topic.\r\n\r\nThough the Republican-controlled Senate then began to vote on the bill, several Republican supporters of the bill casting their votes past the deadline, and the bill was effectively blocked.&amp;#xA0;\r\nCelebrities quickly took to Twitter to show their support for Davis, who was herself raised by a single mother and had to help raise three siblings at the young age of 14.&amp;#xA0;\r\n\r\n&amp;quot;Truly inspiring to watch @WendyDavisTexas standing up for women&amp;apos;s rights in Texas,&amp;quot; Hunger Games actress Elizabeth Banks tweeted, using the trending hashtag &amp;quot;StandWithWendy.&amp;quot;\r\n&amp;quot;This is better than any movie I have seen in a long long time,&amp;quot; Mark Ruffalo added. &amp;quot;We the people have the power we have always had the power we just need to gather and take it!&amp;quot;\r\n&amp;quot;I&amp;apos;ve been away from the news all day and am just catching up on this Wendy  Davis story,&amp;quot; Modern Family actor Jesse Tyler Ferguson tweeted. &amp;quot;I am in awe of this woman.&amp;quot;\r\n\r\n&amp;quot;I&amp;apos;d love to see the list of prolife politicians who have facilitated secret abortions for their daughters &amp;amp; mistresses,&amp;quot; comedienne Sarah Silverman wrote.\r\n&amp;quot;Guys&amp;#x2026;I wish abortion wasn&amp;apos;t something we have to talk about,&amp;quot; Sophia Bush added in a series of tweets. &amp;quot;I wish that no woman, no family, no young girl, no victim of rape, was ever put in the position where she had to make that decision. I cannot imagine making it. I cannot imagine struggling with it. &amp;#x2026;Don&amp;apos;t like abortion? Then just don&amp;apos;t have one. And don&amp;apos;t cast judgment on anyone who does, or might.&amp;quot;\r\n\r\n&amp;quot;Women of Texas, now would be a good tim to move,&amp;quot; actor Chad Lowe wrote. &amp;quot;Men of Texas, now would be a good time to cede from the union.&amp;quot;\r\nEven usually-cheeky Ricky Gervais couldn&amp;apos;t help adding his genuine admiration for Davis&amp;apos; actions: &amp;quot;Whatever the outcome, @WendyDavisTexas efforts entered her into the pantheon of American heroes tonight.&amp;quot;"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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