Why the C.E.O. Behind Match.com and Tinder Took a Stand on the Texas Abortion Law
The CEO behind one of the world’s most popular dating websites is publicly vowing to fight a law passed in Texas this week that would severely restrict access to safe and legal abortions.
The CEO behind one of the world’s most popular dating websites is publicly vowing to fight a law passed in Texas this week that would severely limit access to safe and legal abortions.
“The law in the state of Texas threatens our users’ safety, privacy, and health, and it does not have the support of the majority of Texans.” — Jennifer Blaylock, CEO of Match
On Friday, Gov. Rick Perry signed into law a far-reaching law that will criminalize abortions at the six weeks stage of pregnancy and require that women get a license to travel to a physician. It is set to take effect July 1.
But it was immediately struck in a letter from the chief executive of The Match Group, Jennifer Blaylock, who wrote to the Texas governor that she opposed the law.
“The law in the state of Texas threatens our users’ safety, privacy, and health, and it does not have the support of the majority of Texans,” Blaylock wrote in the letter.
“We believe this law violates multiple constitutional rights and will not abide by state or federal law. Therefore, it violates two sections of the Texas Constitution that guarantee the right to life and to private property, and the second part of the Texas Constitution that provides for equal protection under the law.”
In an interview with The Huffington Post, Blaylock said that while she isn’t actively fighting to stop the law from taking effect, she is “committed to the fight.”
“We have a really, really strong commitment to the fight, on behalf of the company and the mission of the company, I think, is on the right side of history,” she said. “The pro-life agenda in Texas is stronger right now than it’s ever been, and I think that’s been very clear throughout the past month.”
The law, which is being pushed by a conservative group called Texas Pro-Life Action, makes abortion a felony in Texas for