Match Group has announced that it will no longer offer political donations to groups representing Republican and Democratic attorney generals, following the overturning of Roe vs. Wade.
The group, who owns Tinder and Hinge, halted donations after coming under fire for supporting a Republican group that works to undermine abortion rights.
The company’s chief executive, Bernard Kim, said the company has stopped funding the Republican Attorneys General Association after Popular Information revealed that it had made a $137,000 donation to the group.
It said it was also ceasing donations to the Democratic equivalent, the Democratic Attorneys General Association.
“It’s my responsibility to understand how these donations fit into our larger lobbying activity, and determine what we will do moving forward,” said Kim in an internal memo to company employees obtained by the New York Times on Thursday.
Match Group has been a vocal advocate of abortion rights, especially after the supreme court’s ruling in June. The company announced on Tuesday that it would add a “pro-choice” badge to users’ profile options. Match Group also supports Planned Parenthood and Bansoff.org through in-app promotions.
Over the past weeks, many dating apps have been speaking out against the landmark overturning of the Roe vs. Wade case, including Tinder, Match Group, and OkCupid. Tinder released a statement saying: The Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade is a devastating setback to reproductive freedom for millions of people across the United States. We at Tinder have been experiencing many emotions around the impact of this ruling.
At Tinder, we unequivocally support the right to choose. We support the right to safe, accessible healthcare, and reproductive rights for all. To show our support and help our members get involved, we are rolling out a number of in-app initiatives in the US:
- Take a Stand on Your Profile: Starting today, people on Tinder can now take a stand in support of reproductive rights and include a ‘Pro-Choice’ interest on their profiles, showcasing to potential matches where they stand.
- Planned Parenthood and Bansoff.org: Tinder has in-app promotion to support Bansoff.org, a national campaign led by abortion rights supporters. We encourage members to get involved and channel their advocacy through mobilisation, donation and education.
- Get Out the Kansas Vote: Ahead of Kansas’ upcoming August 2nd election where reproductive protections are on the line for many across the Plains region of the US, including regional access for Texas and Oklahoma, we are donating in-app promotional space to Kansas ConstitutionalFreedom (KCF), a bipartisan coalition of reproductive rights advocates and allied organisations dedicated to protecting access to safe and legal abortions.
- Don’t Ban Equality Coalition: When this ruling was leaked last month, Match Group, including its brands Tinder, OKCupid, and Hinge signed onto the Don’t Ban Equality Coalition alongside other corporate & tech industry leaders.
Additionally, we have taken the following actions in support of our employees:
- Reproductive Care Coverage: Our healthcare plans will cover travel and lodging costs for full and part-time employees, contractors, and their eligible dependents plus a companion who need to travel out of state to receive abortion care or gender-affirming services. Our insurance provider will also cover costs associated with other reproductive services, including fertility preservation, surrogacy, adoption and IVF treatments, ensuring that all employees are able to have access to safe and reliable healthcare needs.
- Employee Donation Matching: Tinder will match employee donations made to 10 organisations recognised for their work fighting for reproductive justice and providing healthcare assistance for those most in need, including Planned Parenthood.
- In-Person Forums & Education: We are hosting forums for all Tinder employees, including allies, to express how they are impacted by this ruling or to share their stories anonymously. We are providing education to help employees understand the far-reaching and complex impact of this ruling, which also affects LGBTQIA+ communities and decision making for all families.
As a brand rooted in creating meaningful connections for everyone, our goal at this time is to support those most in need and vulnerable, especially historically marginalised communities. Tinder will continue to actively connect with reproductive health leaders, civil society organisations and industry leaders on call-to-actions and ways to support.