When Texas’ draconian abortion law went in to effect last week, the federal government didn’t step in to shoot it down. Quite the opposite. The conservative-leaning Supreme Court declared the law — which bans abortions after six weeks and even allows those who help women get the procedure to get sued — to be just fine. But all is not lost. There’s been push-back, from young people finding creative means of dissent. And now even companies are stepping up where lawmakers have failed.
As per NPR, the ride-sharing services Lyft and Uber have both declared that, should any of their drivers find themselves in trouble for driving someone to an abortion clinic, their legal fees will be covered 100%.
Wow. @lyft did not mince words on Texas. pic.twitter.com/tLzngHy902
— Brandon Wolf (@bjoewolf) September 4, 2021
“Drivers are never responsible for monitoring where their riders go or why. Imagine being a driver and not knowing if you are breaking the law by giving someone a ride,” Lyft said in a statement. “Similarly, riders never have to justify, or even share, where they are going and why. Imagine being a pregnant woman trying to get to a healthcare appointment and not knowing if your driver will cancel on you for fear of breaking a law. Both are completely unacceptable.”
Lyft CEO Logan Green went one step further, saying the company would donate $1 million to Planned Parenthood.
This is an attack on women’s access to healthcare and on their right to choose. @Lyft is donating $1 million to Planned Parenthood to ensure that transportation is never a barrier to healthcare access. We encourage other companies to join us.
— Logan Green (@logangreen) September 3, 2021
Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi followed Lyft’s lead, thanking Green for leading the charge.
Right on @logangreen – drivers shouldn’t be put at risk for getting people where they want to go. Team @Uber is in too and will cover legal fees in the same way. Thanks for the push. https://t.co/85LhOUctSc
— dara khosrowshahi (@dkhos) September 3, 2021
The companies’ moves were met with praise on social media.
here we go
https://t.co/LVMGJqiJcJ
— Patton Oswalt (@pattonoswalt) September 3, 2021
I’ll be using Lyft from now on. 10/10 response. https://t.co/RCUtHCBJSc
— Copy(right) Cat (@biglawgothgf) September 4, 2021
did not count on lyft and uber and godaddy to have a stronger response to the texas law than our federal government
— fighting the forever coup
(@benFranklin2018) September 3, 2021
Not Lyft doing more than our Supreme Court!?!?! #lyft pic.twitter.com/uZKOfcSppb
— Amy (@amy_kirkpatrick) September 4, 2021
expand the court, put lyft on the bench pic.twitter.com/eOhcN9XeEJ
— shauna (@goldengateblond) September 4, 2021
Thank you @lyft for fighting for Texans’ right to abortion care.
It’s time for Texas-based companies to speak out against #SB8. This bill is an assault on reproductive care and will be bad for the Texas economy too. https://t.co/KthoU5ve7k
— Julián Castro (@JulianCastro) September 3, 2021
NEW: Lyft and Uber have pledged to cover legal fees for drivers who are sued under Texas’s abortion ban. Excellent.
— Kaivan Shroff (@KaivanShroff) September 3, 2021
When you’ve fucked up so hard that Lyft and Uber take the opposite side… https://t.co/5BJijlgzBn
— Tanya. (@SpoolandThimble) September 3, 2021
Lyft and Uber weren’t the only companies help combat a heavily restrictive new law. GoDaddy, the internet domain service, announced on Friday that they were giving prolifewhistleblower.com — the online hotline set up by an anti-abortion group to snitch on Texas women getting abortions — 24 hours before they pull the plug. They, too, were singled out for praise.
Thank you GoDaddy for shutting down the snitch line of the ChristoFascists
Thank you Lyft and Uber for covering 100% of the legal fees of drivers sued under Texas’s abortion law. Lyft’ll donate $1 million 2 Planned Parenthood
GIRL POWER. DO NOT MESS WITH US@GoDaddy @lyft @Uber
— Lindy Li (@lindyli) September 4, 2021
Of course, Lyft isn’t perfect, as we were reminded this past hellish week.
From a member who worked last night during the storm:
Passenger paid $185.67
Driver was paid $78.51. (42%)
Lyft took $84.99. (45.8%)Lyft profit > Pay for driver who got passenger to safety while car was submerged in water pic.twitter.com/bh30VtjyyM
— NY Taxi Workers (@NYTWA) September 2, 2021
(Via NPR)