Texas-based company Bumble creates relief fund to help abortion seekers

The women-led dating site Bumble announced this week that it is creating a relief fund to support reproductive rights following enactment of the new Texas abortion law.

The nation’s most restrictive abortion law, known in Texas by its bill number SB 8, took effect on Wednesday after the Supreme Court declined to intervene.

“Bumble is women-founded and women-led, and from day one we’ve stood up for the most vulnerable. We’ll keep fighting against regressive laws like #SB8,” the Austin-based company said in a tweet.

Starting today, Bumble has created a relief fund supporting the reproductive rights of women and people across the gender spectrum who seek abortions in Texas.

— Bumble (@bumble) September 1, 2021

The money will go toward partner organizations dedicated to protecting reproductive rights, a company spokesperson said, according to USA Today. The company added that there is no target amount for the fund, as it will reportedly be ongoing.

In addition to the relief fund, the company said it would recommend organizations where people can make donations, such as the National Network of Abortion Funds, USA Today noted.

A Bumble spokesperson told the newspaper that they are working with partner organizations on reproductive rights “because their mission and values align with ours and they have a history of fighting for reproductive rights and the rights of women.”

Bumble, which also operates the app Badoo, has grown a dating app into a women-centric social media platform.

Other companies in the dating app industry are also taking action. Shar Dubey, CEO of Dallas-based Match Group, which operates numerous dating apps like Match.com and Tinder, said she felt the need to speak out against the Texas law.

“The company generally does not take political stands unless it is relevant to our business. But in this instance, I personally, as a woman in Texas, could not keep silent and have made this statement that you might see covered over the next few days,” she said in an internal memo to employees, The Dallas Morning News reported.

The new abortion law, signed by Gov. Greg Abbott (R) in May, is the most restrictive in the nation, banning abortion at six weeks. It also allows anyone to file a civil lawsuit against anyone who provides an abortion or “aids and abets” an abortion after a fetal heartbeat is detected, which can occur as early as six weeks.

The Supreme Court declined to intervene on Wednesday, while President Biden fiercely criticized the law, saying it “blatantly violates the constitutional right established under Roe v. Wade.”