Dating and friendship-seeking app Bumble — along with the head of rival dating platform Match Group — are starting separate relief funds to aid those impacted by the new, highly-restrictive abortion law in Texas.
Bumble, which is headquartered in Austin, said on Twitter it had “created a relief fund supporting the reproductive rights of women and people across the gender spectrum who seek abortions in Texas.”
“Bumble is women-founded and women-led, and from day one we’ve stood up for the most vulnerable,” the company, whose CEO and founder, Whitney Wolfe Herd, was also a founding member of Tinder, wrote in part. “We'll keep fighting against regressive laws like #SB8.”
Match Group CEO Shar Dubey made a similar announcement in a company-wide email sent to employees on Thursday, which was provided to Spectrum News on Friday.
While noting that the company does not typically comment on political issues, Dubey said in part: “This particular law is so regressive to the cause of women’s rights that I felt compelled to speak publicly about my personal views.”
"I’m not speaking about this as the CEO of a company. I’m speaking about this personally, as a mother and a woman who has fervently cared about women’s rights, including the very fundamental right of choice over her body – this is a very sad day,” Dubey wrote, later adding: “Surely everyone should see the danger of this highly punitive and unfair law that doesn’t even make an exception for victims of rape or incest. I would hate for our state to take this big step back in women’s rights.”
Dubey went on to say that she had started a fund for any Texas-based employees or dependents who might find themselves in need of care prohibited under the new law. The fund would cover all additional medical expenses should they be required to go out-of-state to seek care.
Match Group is the parent company that owns dating services including Tinder, Hinge, OkCupid, Plenty of Fish and more.
The new Texas law, which took effect on Wednesday, is among the most restrictive in the country. The legislation essentially prohibits all abortions after six weeks, and does not have exceptions for cases of rape or incest.
The law also, in part, allows private citizens to file lawsuits against abortion providers and anyone who aids another individual in getting the now-illegal procedure — including an Uber, Lyft or taxi driver who may take or pick up a patient from the provider location.
Both Uber and Lyft on Friday announced they would cover 100% of legal fees for drivers who are sued under the new law.