Texas law changes have been making consistent headlines for the past week, and now many US companies are stepping up to add their voices to the debate. From Uber and Lyft to website hosting platform GoDaddy, businesses have decided to use their platforms to challenge the decisions made by Texas officials. 

This comes at a time where companies are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of their values and political stances to consumers. They are likely aware that vocally opposing the new laws will ingratiate them to liberal consumers, but this will not be their sole motivation as establishing a political position also risks alienating an equal amount of potential customers.

The new law ‘allows any private citizen to sue Texas abortion providers who violate the law, as well as anyone who “aids or abets” a woman getting the procedure.’ The law makes no exceptions for rape or incest. ‘The person bringing the lawsuit — who does not have to have a connection to the woman getting an abortion — is entitled to at least $10,000 in damages if they prevail in court.’ 

Abortion is a hotly debated topic in the US with 39% of polled Americans believing abortion should be illegal in all or most cases. The divide between pro-life and pro-choice seems to fall largely along political lines: 

‘About six-in-ten Republicans and those who lean toward the Republican Party (63%) say abortion should be illegal in all or most cases. By contrast, 80% of Democrats and those who lean toward the Democratic Party say abortion should be legal in all or most cases.’ 

Challenging the abortion ban

A site that encouraged people to support suspected abortions in Texas was crashed by pro-choice internet users who flooded the site with fake tips. The site was hosted by a user of GoDaddy but the hosting service has since taken the site down for violating its terms of service. However, this step has not silenced the ‘Texas Right to Life’ group and they are currently in the process of moving the site to a different provider.

GoDaddy is far from the only company taking steps to proactively protect people’s right to choose. Dating platforms Tinder and Bumble are in the process of ‘setting up funds to help Texas-based employees seeking abortion care outside the state’. Lyft and Uber will cover 100% of the legal fees incurred by drivers who are sued under the new law and ‘the CEO of Lyft also says the company is donating $1 million to Planned Parenthood.’

In an interesting turn of events, The Satanic Temple is claiming access to abortions is part of their core religious tenet of bodily autonomy. By using religious grounds as a reason to be able to access abortion, they are using the very argument that has been used to justify the ban in the first place. The Satanic Temple ‘stands as an activist institution with the intent to fight the proliferation of religion in US policy and law.’ It will be interesting to see how the religious argument will hold up when used to oppose the law rather than support it. 

Many voices remain notably absent

Abortion law is not the only contentious area of change in Texas at the moment: carrying a concealed handgun no longer requires a permit, and new voting legislation changes have been criticised for restricting voting access.

Some ‘businesses that expressed opposition to these new restrictive voting laws are declining to take a similar stand on the abortion measure’, including the most vocal critics American Airlines and Dell. Companies are often quick to take a stand on topics that are less controversial, such as climate change and voting rights, but abortion seems to be a step too far for companies who are concerned about keeping customers. 

‘​Two dozen major companies contacted by The New York Times either did not reply or declined to comment. Among those that would not say something were McDonald’s, a sponsor of International Women’s Day; PwC, a major supporter of diversity and inclusion efforts; and Coca-Cola and Delta Air Lines, which led a corporate backlash last year against a restrictive voting bill in Georgia.’

Additionally, Catalyst, a nonprofit that helps large businesses ‘build workplaces that work for women,’ declined to comment. These silences speak volumes. ‘When all of these companies who participate in things like International Women’s Day won’t speak out on reproductive health care, it shows that they care about the bottom line, not what women need and want,’ said Lindsey Taylor Wood, chief executive of The Helm, a venture capital firm that funds female founders.

Some executives, such as Elon Musk, have made comments that assert their neutrality by supporting the democratic process wherever it may lead. These comments are very carefully worded so that they are not seen to come down on either side of the debate. The governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, who championed the law, has suggested that the new law will benefit the State’s economy by attracting companies who share these conservative values and wish to move away from ‘more liberal parts of the country’.

Using your platform for good

Many feel that remaining silent on such issues is an unacceptable choice, arguing that having a large platform comes with the responsibility to use it for a wider benefit than your own. Given the large overlap between anti-abortion sentiment and religious views, it is, unfortunately, unsurprising that this is an area in which many companies fear to tread. 

The companies that are vocally opposed to the new abortion ban have received a lot of publicity in recent days, a majority of it good. Speaking up always carries risk, but the same can be said for remaining silent.