fbpx
Vertiv Introduces New Single-Phase Uninterruptible Power Supply for Distributed Information Technology (IT) Networks and Edge Computing Applications in Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA)Read more Students from JA Zimbabwe Win 2023 De La Vega Global Entrepreneurship AwardRead more Top International Prospects to Travel to Salt Lake City for Seventh Annual Basketball Without Borders Global CampRead more Rise of the Robots as Saudi Arabia Underscores Global Data and Artificial Intelligence (AI) Aspirations with DeepFest Debut at LEAP23Read more Somalia: ‘I sold the last three goats, they were likely to die’Read more Merck Foundation and African First Ladies marking World Cancer Day 2023 through 110 scholarships of Oncology Fellowships in 25 countriesRead more Supporting women leaders and aspirants to unleash their potentialRead more Fake medicines kill almost 500,000 sub-Saharan Africans a year: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) reportRead more Climate crisis and migration: Greta Thunberg supports International Organization for Migration (IOM) over ‘life and death’ issueRead more United Nations (UN) Convenes Lake Chad Countries, Amid Growing Regional CrisisRead more

Yelp, Lyft, Patagonia, other US firms oppose Texas abortion law

show caption
Activists supporting a woman's right to choose to have an abortion protested in March 2020 outside the US Supreme Court./AFP
Print Friendly and PDF

Sep 22, 2021 - 07:51 AM

NEW YORK — More than 50 US companies, including the online review service Yelp, clothing maker Patagonia and ride-hailing app Lyft, have signed on to a statement opposing a new Texas law that bans abortion after six weeks of pregnancy.

“Restricting access to comprehensive reproductive care, including abortion, threatens the health, independence, and economic stability of our workers and customers,” said the statement circulated by the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, American Civil Liberties Union and other groups.

“Simply put, policies that restrict reproductive health care go against our values and are bad for business,” the statement added.

Other companies signing on included ice cream maker Ben & Jerry’s, cosmetics and skin care company The Body Shop and matchmaker app Bumble. The companies signing the letter employ more than 322,000 people.

The “Texas Heartbeat Act,” which took effect September 1, bans abortion once a heartbeat can be detected, which usually occurs at six weeks — before many women even know they are pregnant. It makes no exceptions for rape or incest.

The bill passed by Republican lawmakers in Texas, the country’s second-largest state, allows members of the public to sue doctors who perform abortions after six weeks or anyone who facilitates the procedure.

A number of large employers in Texas, such as Microsoft and Starbucks, declined to participate, a spokesperson for organizers said.

Apple was solicited but did not respond.

Other major companies, such as Facebook, Amazon and Google, which have staked out positions in the past on issues such as immigration, were also absent.

Apple, Facebook, Google, Amazon and Starbucks did not immediately reply to queries from AFP. A Microsoft spokesman said the company had no comment to share at the moment.

But the organizers’ spokesperson noted that “just because companies aren’t speaking out publicly, it does not mean they aren’t assessing workforce impact and determining how to support employees given the dramatic impact of the law.”

“Signing the statement is a tool but not the ultimate objective.”

MAORANDCITIES.COM uses both Facebook and Disqus comment systems to make it easier for you to contribute. We encourage all readers to share their views on our articles and blog posts. All comments should be relevant to the topic. By posting, you agree to our Privacy Policy. We are committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion, so we ask you to avoid personal attacks, name-calling, foul language or other inappropriate behavior. Please keep your comments relevant and respectful. By leaving the ‘Post to Facebook’ box selected – when using Facebook comment system – your comment will be published to your Facebook profile in addition to the space below. If you encounter a comment that is abusive, click the “X” in the upper right corner of the Facebook comment box to report spam or abuse. You can also email us.